Medicinal Chemistry

Medicinal chemistry is concerned with the discovery, design and synthesis of new drugs for clinical use. This BSc includes modules in biochemistry, biology, physiology and pharmacology, along with the fundamentals of chemistry necessary to design and synthesise drugs. These provide an understanding of the link between chemical structure and clinical effectiveness.

In each year of your degree you will take a number of individual modules, normally valued at 0.5 or 1.0 credits, adding up to a total of 4.0 credits for the year. Modules are assessed in the academic year in which they are taken. The balance of compulsory and optional modules varies from programme to programme and year to year. A 1.0 credit is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS).

This programme is offered either as a three-year BSc or as a four-year MSci. The first two years of study are identical, so you can defer which to opt for until the end of your second year. We advise you to select the four-year MSci initially as this keeps more options open.

The Medicinal Chemistry programmes are quite different from the others offered by the department as the modules are split equally between chemistry and the life sciences. You will take modules in all aspects of chemistry, but organic chemistry is developed to the greatest extent.

Specialist modules such as Principles of Drug Design, and Principles and Methods of Organic Synthesis are compulsory. Compulsory modules are also taken in a number of life sciences including biochemistry, biology, pharmacology, and physiology. You will have the opportunity to take optional modules in year three and undertake a literature project

A levels

Grades

AAA-AAB

Subjects

Chemistry plus either one, or preferably two from Biology (preferred), Mathematics or Physics.

GCSEs

English Language at grade C plus Mathematics at grade B. For UK-based students, a grade C or equivalent in a foreign language (other than Ancient Greek, Biblical Hebrew or Latin) is required. UCL provides opportunities to meet the foreign language requirement following enrolment, further details at: www.ucl.ac.uk/ug-reqs

IB Diploma

Points

36-38

Subjects

A score of 17-18 points in three higher level subjects including Chemistry and either Biology (preferred), Mathematics or Physics, with no score lower than 5.