Gain the skills and knowledge to execute the complete drug discovery process. This will prepare you for a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry, or for further academic research.

Why study at Newcastle?

Work on a broad pipeline of design and advanced methodology through to evaluation of performance - with the opportunity to design, develop and test your own molecules.
Engage with specialists throughout your study, with readily accessible expertise available in everything from synthetic organic chemistry to computational methodology.
Study in a popular and vibrant student city with great links to the rest of the UK and beyond, as well as good employer networks.

With a strong emphasis on advanced problem solving, you will work alongside experts in medicinal chemistry to develop effective compounds addressing crucial real-world need.

Whether you focus on a medical, agricultural, or social challenge, your project will present novel ideas in your chosen area, connected to unexplored biological targets.

From identification of your target, in silico molecular structure optimisation, to the synthesis and biological evaluation of lead compounds, you’ll study and gain hands-on experience of the complete end-to-end drug chemistry process.

This rigorous approach and associated breadth of applied knowledge will give you a competitive advantage within industry, or further academia, equipping you to be a future leader.

Research-lead study

At Newcastle, you will be supported in your work by our multi-disciplinary team of leading academics. Our culture is one of openness and approachability, giving you exposure to their research and expertise in drug development.

Our strengths include the following specialist topics:

computational based drug design
modern approaches to chemotherapy
the development of new drug discovery techniques

Through your course you will have the opportunity to discover the work of the Newcastle University Centres of Research Excellence.

The School of Natural and Environmental Sciences contributes notably to the Centre for Cancer, the Centre for Energy and the Centre for Industrial Biotechnology.

Read about Rubraca®, the ovarian cancer treatment developed by scientists at Newcastle University \

How to apply

Quality and ranking

Global Top 140 UniversityQS World University Rankings 2026
Top 25 in the UK and Top 200 in the world for sustainable developmentTimes Higher Education Impact Rankings 2025
42% of our research is classified as 4* world-leading researchResearch Excellence Framework 2021
65% increase in research power since 2014Research Excellence Framework 2021
Global Top 145 UniversityTimes Higher Education World University Rankings 2026
Joint 64th in the world and 22nd in the UK for sustainabilityQS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026
Top 5 city for affordability in the UKQS Best Student Cities 2026
World Top 50 and UK Top 5 student cityQS Best Student Cities 2026
89th in the worldTIME Magazine: World’s Top Universities 2026

Recognition of professional qualifications outside of the UK

If you’re studying an accredited degree and thinking about working in Europe after you graduate, the best place to find current information is the UK Government’s guidance on recognition of UK professional qualifications in EU member states. This official resource explains whether your profession is regulated in another country, what steps you need to take, and which organisation you should contact.

Next: Course details

What you'll learn

This course will give you advanced skills and abilities across the complete drug chemistry process.

You will have the opportunity to design and develop molecules, and then test and evaluate their efficacy.

You'll gain knowledge in the critical aspects of the drug discovery process, including:

drug design
metabolism
toxicology
synthetic organic chemistry
computational medicinal chemistry
applied bioinformatics
biopharmaceuticals
chemical biology

Complex decision making

Throughout the course, you will be challenged to consider industrial relevance, sustainability, and techno-economic analysis. Consideration of practical as well as chemical reasons for decision making will be a crucial skill for your future employability.

Making an impact

Your project will focus on an area of ingrained, current, real-world need. It will address a biological challenge in an area where we as a society are lacking effective compounds.

This could be developing new drugs against new targets, conferring advantageous properties on existing drugs, or increasing the precision and therapeutic indexes of current drugs.

Depending on your interests, you could focus on areas such as:

liver fibrosis
HIV
dementia care
neurodegenerative diseases
hospital superbugs
biodegradable and environmentally friendly agricultural agents \ \

Modules

You will study modules on this course. A module is a unit of a course with its own approved aims and outcomes and assessment methods.

Drug Chemistry MSc modules

Compulsory Modules	Credits
Modern Methods in Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery	20
Drug Metabolism and Toxicology	10
Theory and Practice of Chemotherapy	20
Proteins as Drug Targets: structure, function, and molecular modelling	10
Synthetic Methodology for Drugs	20
Research Dissertation Project in Chemistry	80
Research Skills and Development	20

Additional compulsory module information

If you've graduated from Chemistry UG courses at Newcastle University you'll take the following modules replacing Drug Metabolism and Toxicology and Theory and Practice of Chemotherapy:

Biopharmaceuticals as Therapeutics (10 credits)
Recent Advances in Chemistry Research (20 credits)

If you have a very strong background in Organic Chemistry, you may be able to replace Synthetic Methodology for Drugs with more specialist modules (after consultation with the Degree Programme Director).

How you'll learn

Delivery and teaching methods

This course will develop your skills with advanced problem solving, analysis of data and a rigorous approach to the end-to-end chemical process.

As you progress through the year, you experience a mixture of lectures, workshops, seminars and laboratory work. This will encompass both the theory and practice you will need for your future career.

Semester one offers dry labs using specialist software alongside lectures, seminars and independent study.

During semester two, you will receive your introduction to lab work. Full immersion into your lab project comes during semester three.

You will work collaboratively within the lab to address and solve crucial problems. Your own independent project will focus on your selected protein target.

You will present and discuss your work on a regular basis, to a mixed audience. This key skill is regularly cited as crucial by employers and has been recognised by the course’s external examiner as a particular strength of the learning experience at Newcastle. Also recognised has been our sector-leading project design, and engagement with AI across the course.

Our team of leading academic experts are on-hand throughout to support and guide you through your studies. \

Assessment methods

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

Computer assessment
Dissertation
Essay
Lab exercise
Professional skills assessments
Oral presentation
PC examination
Performance
Practical lab report
Problem-solving exercises
Report
Reflective log
Research proposal
Thesis
Written examination
Written exercise

Student Support

Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to support from:

academic staff
personal tutors and research supervisors
our University Student Services Team
student representatives
peers

You'll also be assigned an academic member of staff, who will be your personal tutor throughout your time with us. They can help with academic and personal issues.

Your teaching and learning is also supported by Canvas. Canvas is a Virtual Learning Environment. You'll use Canvas to submit your assignments and access your:

module handbooks
course materials
groups
course announcements and notifications
written feedback

Philip Robinson Library (Student Texts Collection)

Your development

Employability skills

Presentation skills, team working, and finessing the ability to express your ideas clearly are embedded throughout the course.

Whilst these skills may feel familiar, they are key to your development as a drug chemist. As your ability to express your work increases, this aids your confidence in the science behind your work.

Course information: Disclaimers, policies and changes

Previous: Overview Next: Entry requirements

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2026 entry.

Academic entry requirements

A 2:2 BSc honours degree, or international equivalent, in chemistry (or closely related, such as applied chemistry) or 2.1 honours degree (or international equivalent) in related courses containing a significant element of organic and medicinal chemistry such as:

pharmacy
pharmacology
pharmaceutical sciences
medicine
biomedical sciences

Qualifications from outside the UK

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English Language requirements

Select your qualification IELTSPearsonsDuolingo English TestTOEFLOtherPre-Sessional Entry - 6 weeksPre-Sessional Entry - 10 weeks

Previous: Course details Next: Careers

Your future

Skills and experience

As a drug chemistry graduate from Newcastle, you will have skills and experience across the end-to-end drug development process. You’ll also gain highly developed problem solving and critical thinking skills. This will ensure you are well equipped for a career in the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, or future academic study and research.

Advice and guidance

Your personal tutor will be on hand discuss your careers ambitions and employability. They will also offer support with your CV, application forms and interviews.

Networking and building connections

Careers fairs take place during the academic year. These offer you the opportunity to meet with employers in your sectors of interest.

Guest speakers feature on some of our modules, and we also hold weekly extra-curricular seminars with external speakers. Visting academics from the UK and overseas offer the chance to gain a wider understanding and appreciation of the subject area.

Employability

Students from Newcastle’s Drug Chemistry MSc course are equipped with a breadth and depth of scientific knowledge that helps them to stand out in the jobs market.

Our graduates have gone on to work at a wide variety of globally recognised pharmaceutical and specialist biotech companies, as well as consumer-health multinationals and service providers that enable drug R&D and manufacturing.

These include Roche, MSD (Merck, Sharp & Dohm), Fujifilm Biotechnologies, Certara UK, Bachem, Oxford Biomedica, and Arcinova amongst others.

While some of our graduates choose to progress into further academia, students who have recently completed their study at Newcastle have gone onto roles including Synthetic Chemist, Operations Chemist, Peptide Chemist, Analytical Chemist, Product Testing Analyst, Drug Analyst, Biotechnologist, Research Scientist, and Researcher.

92% of Newcastle’s Drug Chemistry MSc graduates were in work or further study 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey data 2017-2023).

Our Careers Service

Our expert Careers Service is here to help you take the next steps in your professional life. We will support you while you’re studying with us and for up to three years after you graduate.\ \ You will have access to expert one-to-one advice and guidance through our campus careers centre and online, along with digital resources, workshops, networking opportunities, and careers and recruitment events.\ \ We’ve been awarded 5 QS Stars for Student Employability (2025). Many of our degrees are shaped by strong links with national and international businesses. We are committed to helping you access real-world experience opportunities and develop key skills through paid work placements and internships.

Visit our Careers Service website

Previous: Entry requirements Next: Facilities

Facilities

As a student at Newcastle you will have access to our outstanding range of facilities, including:

laboratories and equipment (flow chemistry, microwave systems, diverse spectroscopy techniques and microscopy) for the synthesis and characterisation of novel molecules and materials
extensive computational resources for data analysis, molecular modelling, machine learning approaches and the ethical use of AI in research and assessment

Specialist research support facilities which include:

mass spectrometry (LC-MS, GC-MS, HRMS)
multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (300 to 700 MHz systems)
X-ray diffraction (powder and single crystal) as part of the national service
mechanical, glassblowing and electronic workshops

Chemistry facilities

The School of Natural and Environmental Sciences has an outstanding range of facilities to support research and teaching, including:

modern research laboratories and analytical services
synthesis and characterisation of novel materials lab
computational resources for performing molecular modelling
NMR facilities include 300-700 MHz spectrometers \ glass-blowing, mechanical and electrical/electronic workshops

Our chemistry facilities

Previous: Careers Next: Fees & funding

Fees, Funding and Scholarships

Tuition fees for 2026 entry (per year)

Qualification: MSc Full time
Home students Full time: 12 months	Tuition fees (per year) £10,000
International students Full time: 12 months	Tuition fees (per year) £18,000

Tuition fee increases

As a general principle, you should expect the tuition fee to increase in each subsequent academic year of your course, subject to government regulations on fee increases and in line with inflation.

EU, other EEA and Swiss nationals - tuition fee status

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support. You may be eligible for a scholarship worth 25% off the international fee. Search our funding database.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here.

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See our searchable postgraduate funding page for more information.

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

matriculation
registration
tuition (or supervision)
library access
examination
re-examination
graduation

Find out more about:

Deposit

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section.

Funding deadlines

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding and scholarships

Find funding available for your course

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Previous: Facilities Next: How to apply

How to apply

Before you start

Start Dates

The course starts in September.

Closing Dates

There is no application closing date for this course.

We suggest international students apply at least two months before the course starts. This is so that you have enough time to make the necessary arrangements.

Deposit

All International students

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you must pay a deposit or submit an official letter of sponsorship. The deposit is payable after you receive an offer to study with us. This deposit is non-refundable and will be deducted from your tuition fees when you register. You may also be subject to academic and English language qualification verification, confirmation of funds and credibility interviews.

International students who received an offer before 18 March 2026

You are required to pay a £1,500 deposit or submit an official letter of sponsorship.

International students Bangladesh, Ghana, Myanmar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan who received an offer after 18 March 2026

You are required to pay a deposit of £5,000 or submit an official letter of sponsorship by 01 August 2026.

All International students (excluding those from the markets above) who received an offer after 18 March 2026

You are required to pay a deposit of £1,500 or submit an official letter of sponsorship by 01 August 2026.

Programme codes

Qualification: MSc Full time
Full time: 12 months	Programme Code: 5099F

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages.

\ Apply Online

Previous: Fees & funding Next: Get in touch

Open days and events

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events

Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

Dr James Knight\ Admissions

Dr Michael Carroll\ Degree Programme Director

Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 8888\ Email: snes.admissons@ncl.ac.uk\ School of Natural and Environmental Sciences\ ncl.ac.uk/nes

Book a one-to-one chat

Book a slot with one of our academic staff for a one-to-one chat about your subject of interest, student experience, and more: Book now

General enquiries

For more general enquiries, you could also complete our online enquiry form.

Fill in our enquiry form

Application enquiries

If you've got a question about your application, send us an enquiry via the application portal you applied through.

If you haven't applied yet, you can send your questions via our enquiry form.

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You'll find our Ncl chatbot in the bottom right of this page.

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Previous: How to apply

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PAGE MENU

Drug Chemistry MSc

Overview

Why study at Newcastle?

Research-lead study

Quality and ranking

What you'll learn

Complex decision making

Making an impact

Modules

Additional compulsory module information

How you'll learn

Your development

Employability skills

Entry requirements

Academic entry requirements

Qualifications from outside the UK

English Language requirements

Your future

Skills and experience

Advice and guidance

Networking and building connections

Employability

Our Careers Service

Facilities

Chemistry facilities

Fees, Funding and Scholarships

Tuition fees for 2026 entry (per year)

Scholarships

What you're paying for

Search for funding and scholarships

How to apply

Before you start

Programme codes

Using the application portal

Open days and events

Overseas events

Get in touch

Questions about this course?

Book a one-to-one chat

General enquiries

Application enquiries

Live chat

Chat to our students

Keep updated

Social media