Master's Programme in Pharmaceutical Modelling

Academic year 2023/2024

120 credits
Autumn 2023, Uppsala, 100%, Campus
Programme syllabus and outline

Overview
Programme
Career
Admissions
Contact and further resources

Are you curious about how to design new drugs with an optimal affinity for pharmaceutical targets? Do you want to know more about how predictive modelling can be used to understand and control how drugs are absorbed by, distributed in and eliminated from the human body? Modelling techniques are increasingly used in all aspects of drug discovery, development and usage. The Master's Programme in Pharmaceutical Modelling provides insight into this exciting area.

Why this programme?

The Master's Programme in Pharmaceutical Modelling will provide you with theoretical and practical knowledge of the use of advanced modelling techniques in the various disciplines of drug discovery, development and usage. A special focus is on the practical application of modelling techniques, and on the communication of modelling results both within and outside the discipline.

The programme is built on the broad competence in computational modelling of drug discovery and development that exists within the Faculty of Pharmacy at Uppsala University. Some courses also deal with the connection between modelling and simulation and experimental methods, building on the approaches taken by many of the research groups within the faculty. Examples of modelling techniques included in the programme are:

computational chemistry
modelling of clinical and preclinical data
machine learning and artificial intelligence
bioinformatics
farmacokinetics and farmacodynamics
biopharmaceutics
basic programming skills.

Student profile

The typical student on the programme has a background in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, biology or similar. You will gain competencies and skills needed for a career in modelling in the pharmaceutical industry and biotech companies (both big pharma and SMEs), in government agencies or for further PhD studies. The programme has a very international profile with many nationalities, both within and outside the EU, represented among the students.

Degree

The programme leads to a Master of Pharmaceutical Science (120 credits) with Drug Discovery and Development as the main field of study.

Read the interview

Name: Pär Matsson, researcher

Why did you start a master program?
Uppsala University's Faculty of Pharmacy has a strong position in the pharmaceutical modelling research disciplines. Computational modelling methodologies are increasingly being included in the faculty's different educational programs, but so far an advanced-level programme that bridges the many different disciplines within pharmaceutical modelling has not been available.

The broad take on computational approaches in the pharmaceutical fields is unique for this Master program, and the competences available at Uppsala University makes us perfectly situated to deliver such an education.

Which skills do this programme teach?
The Master Programme in Pharmaceutical Modelling will provide both theoretical and practical knowledge of how advanced modelling techniques are used in the various disciplines of drug discovery, development and usage. The programme will focus on the practical application of modelling techniques, and on the communication of modelling results outside and within the own discipline. The program provides competences and skills needed for a career in modelling in the pharmaceutical industry, biotech companies, in government agencies or for further PhD studies.

What do you think about the future within this field of science?
Modelling is increasingly used in all aspects of drug discovery, development, and usage to design new drug molecules with optimal affinity for pharmacological targets, to understand and control how drugs are absorbed, distributed and eliminated from the human body, to design and interpret clinical drug trials, and to optimally use drugs in the population. We therefore foresee an increased need for skilled practitioners of computational modelling techniques, that also have a firm knowledge of the drug discovery and development process.

In what way is Uppsala University leading within this field?
Uppsala University is renowned for research and education across the many aspects of drug discovery, development and usage. Researchers at Uppsala University have pioneered the use of computational methodology in research disciplines throughout the drug development process. Examples include the use of structure-property relationships to predict biopharmaceutical, pharmacologic, toxicologic and pharmacokinetic drug properties, the use of chemometric analyses to chart the chemical space of bioactive natural products, and pharmacometric modelling to design, optimise and evaluate clinical pharmacological studies.

Programme

The programme is taught full-time over four semesters and is worth 120 credits.

The first semester gives an overview of the drug discovery and development fields, and provides the tools needed for subsequent courses and future professional life.

The second and third semesters provide in-depth knowledge of various tools and modelling techniques used in the pharmaceutical sciences. At the end of the third semester, you will have the opportunity to specialise in the direction you desire by choosing elective courses.

The fourth semester is given in the form of a degree project of 30 credits, that can be carried out at one of the research departments at the university, externally at governmental agencies or within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.

Courses within the programme

Semester 1

Drug Discovery and Development 7.5 credits

Biopharmaceutics 7.5 credits

Introduction to Programming in Python and R for Biosciences 7.5 credits

Preclinical and Clinical Data Analysis in Predictive Drug Discovery/Development 7.5 credits.

Semester 2

Pharmaceutical Bioinformatics with Sequence Analysis 7.5 credits

Computational Medicinal Chemistry 7.5 credits

Advanced Molecular Modelling Applied to Drug Discovery 7.5 credits

Clinical Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics 7.5 credits

Semester 3

Molecular Physical Pharmacy 7.5 credits

Models for Biological Systems 7.5 credits

Elective courses, 15 credits

Semester 4

Degree Project/Thesis, 30 credits

Learning experience

Theory and practice are interwoven into the courses, and instruction takes place in the form of lectures, computer exercises, seminars and projects. The lectures, for example, aim to introduce different modelling techniques and their applications, but also group work, laboratories and seminars where the knowledge in pharmaceutical modelling is deepened in different ways. The independent project work focuses on responsibility, and great freedom is given to explore a specific area further.

The lecturers are active researchers in their respective fields, and teaching subjects will cover research topics of current importance. Practical exercise sessions are often connected directly to ongoing research in different labs or the recent scientific literature.

The programme is taught entirely in English.

Career

Uppsala University has an excellent international reputation, and a Master's degree in Pharmaceutical Modelling from Uppsala University will provide you with an internationally recognised qualification that opens doors to both academic research and a career in the pharmaceutical industry, both in Sweden and internationally. Aside from a continued career within academia as a PhD-student, previous students on the programme are for example working with programming in the pharmaceutical industry, project management and as lab- and research engineers.

Rapid developments in the fields of drug discovery, development and usage, with increasing amounts of data and increasing costs are leading to the implementation of diverse modelling approaches to analyse complex datasets, optimise workflows, and understand the complex and dynamic effects of pharmaceutical drugs.

The need for training within modelling and simulation in the industry is constantly growing, as more and more pharmaceutical companies realise the benefits of in silico methods in the drug discovery process. Competence within the various disciplines of pharmaceutical modelling is therefore expected to be increasingly valuable in industrial, governmental and academic settings alike.

Career support

During your time as a student, UU Careers offers support and guidance. You have the opportunity to take part in a variety of activities and events that will prepare you for your future career. Learn more about UU Careers.

Admissions

Below you will find details about eligibility requirements, selection criteria and tuition fees. For information on how to apply and what general documents you need to submit, check the application guide. Besides the general supporting documents, you also need to submit one programme-specific document: an Application Summary Sheet (including your statement of purpose).

Master's Programme in Pharmaceutical Modelling

120 credits

Autumn 2023, 100%, Campus

Location: Uppsala

Application deadline: 16 January 2023

Application code: UU-M3172 Application

Language of instruction: English

Requirements:

Academic requirements

A Bachelor's degree, equivalent to a Swedish Kandidatexamen, from an internationally recognised university.

Also required is:

90 credits in chemistry, biology, pharmacy or equivalent;
7.5 credits of pharmacology; and
15 credits of chemistry

Language requirements

Proficiency in English equivalent to the Swedish upper secondary course English 6. This requirement can be met either by achieving the required score on an internationally recognised test, or by previous upper secondary or university studies in some countries. Detailed instructions on how to provide evidence of your English proficiency are available at universityadmissions.se.

Selection: Students are selected based on:

an overall appraisal of previous university studies; and
a statement of purpose.

Tuition fee-paying students and non-paying students are admitted on the same grounds but in different selection groups.

Fees:

If you are not a citizen of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) country, or Switzerland, you are required to pay application and tuition fees. Fees cover application and tuition only and do not cover accommodation, academic literature or the general cost of living. Read more about fees.

Application fee: SEK 900

Tuition fee, first semester: SEK 72,500

Tuition fee, total: SEK 290,000