BSc Medicinal Chemistry with a Year in Industry

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Queens University Belfast

Program Overview

The BSc in Medicinal Chemistry with a Year in Industry at Queen’s University Belfast is your chance to dive into the fascinating world of drug discovery while gaining real-world experience. Perfect for anyone curious about how medicines are designed, tested, and brought to market, this degree blends hands-on lab work with a full year spent in industry, giving you skills employers really value.

Curriculum Structure:
Year 1: You’ll start with the essentials — Organic Chemistry 1, Inorganic Chemistry 1, Physical Theory, and Molecular Basis of Life for Medicinal Chemists. These modules give you a solid grounding in chemistry and biology, alongside practical lab skills that form the foundation for everything you’ll do later.

Year 2: Now it gets really interesting. You’ll dig deeper with modules like Structural Chemistry, Organic Chemistry 2, Inorganic Chemistry 2, Physical Chemistry 2, and Principles of Medicinal Chemistry. You’ll learn how molecules are built and analysed, how drugs work, and even how sustainability and green chemistry fit into modern pharmaceutical research.

Year 3: This is your “real-world” year — a full placement in industry where you’ll experience life in a pharmaceutical or chemical company. You’ll see firsthand how the science you’ve been learning is applied in a professional setting, building skills and connections that are invaluable for your future career.

Year 4: Back at university, you’ll focus on advanced topics and a major research project, including Drug Development, Advanced Practical Work in Medicinal Chemistry, and Computational Chemistry in Drug Discovery and Design. By the end, you’ll have not only a strong portfolio of research work but also the confidence and experience to step straight into a career in chemistry or pharmaceuticals.

Focus areas: Drug design and synthesis, analytical and structural chemistry, industrial placement experience, computational methods for drug discovery, sustainable and green chemistry.

Learning outcomes: Develop a deep understanding of how drugs are designed and analysed, gain hands-on lab and industry experience, and graduate ready to tackle complex problems in pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

Professional alignment (accreditation): Accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the Institute of Chemistry in Ireland, meeting academic requirements for Chartered Chemist (CChem) status.

Reputation (employability rankings): Queen’s School of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering is ranked #8 in the UK for Chemistry (The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024) and joint 6th for Graduate Prospects (Complete University Guide 2025).

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

From day one, you’ll be getting hands-on experience in world-class labs, working with real instruments that chemists use every day. You won’t just watch experiments — you’ll carry them out yourself, interpret data, and even use software like Bruker TopSpin for NMR analysis. The program also gives you the chance to work in small teams, tackle exciting research projects, and spend a full year in a real company, building the kind of professional experience employers love.

Here’s how your learning comes to life:

Conducting practical experiments in synthetic and structural chemistry labs, using instruments like NMR, mass spectrometers, X-ray diffraction, HPLC, and GC.
Working in small groups on workshops and tutorials, interpreting real data and learning industry-standard software.
Spending your Year in Industry (~36 weeks) at a pharmaceutical or chemical company, developing skills like report writing, presentations, and independent project work.
Undertaking advanced, research-led projects in your final year, including synthesising compounds, evaluating their purity, and testing their biological activity.
Making full use of the School’s dedicated facilities, including multiple NMRs, mass spectrometers, computational chemistry suites, microanalysis labs, and even glass-blowing and electronics support.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates from this programme are ready to step straight into exciting careers in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Typical roles include Medicinal Chemist, Drug Development Scientist, Analytical Chemistry Specialist, or R&D Associate. Thanks to the built-in year in industry, you’ll leave university with real-world experience and professional skills that employers really value:

Here’s how Queen’s helps you get there:

Careers support: The Careers, Employability & Skills service offers personalised guidance, CV workshops, interview prep, and direct connections to employers in the pharmaceutical sector.
Strong employment outcomes: Around 75% of recent chemistry graduates secured highly-skilled roles within 15 months of finishing their degree.
Industry connections: Work placements and collaborations with leading companies like Eli Lilly, Pfizer, AbbVie, and Almac Discovery give you a foot in the door.
Accreditation: The course is accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the Institute of Chemistry in Ireland, supporting future Chartered Chemist (CChem) status.
Research opportunities: For those interested in further study, Queen’s offers clear pathways to MSc or PhD research in medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, or chemical engineering.

Further Academic Progression:
If you want to continue learning after your BSc, you could pursue an MSc in specialised areas such as Pharmaceutical Analysis, or move straight into MPhil/PhD research programmes. This opens doors to careers in cutting-edge drug development, advanced chemical research, and academia.

Additional Information & Requirements

All applicants must have GCSE English Language grade C/4 or an equivalent qualification
A-level - BBB, including Chemistry and a second Science subject, plus GCSE Mathematics at grade C/4 or above.
Acceptable second Science subjects - Biology, Computer Science, ICT (not Applied), Environmental Science, Environmental Technology, Geography, Geology, Mathematics, Nutrition & Food Science, Physics, Technology & Design.
IB - 32 points overall, including 6,5,5 at Higher Level with Higher Level Chemistry and a second Science subject, plus GCSE Mathematics grade C/4 (or Standard Level Mathematics grade 4 in place of the GCSE requirement).
IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component
TOEFL iBT - 80 overall, with minimum scores of Listening 17, Reading 18, Speaking 20, and Writing 17.
India – Minimum 75% overall in Standard XII, with 75% or higher in Chemistry, and 70% in English (from CBSE, CISCE, or State Boards: Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal) accepted in place of IELTS.
India - JEE Main or Advanced scores may be considered alongside Standard XII results if Chemistry marks are below the minimum requirement, provided the overall Standard XII percentage meets the University’s requirement and at least 60% is achieved in the key subject, Chemistry.
Applicants will be required to provide an official Digilocker verification of their Standard XII grades/certificates. Applicants who have completed CBSE qualifications should provide their Admit Card ID number.
USA - B+ or higher in three Grade 12 Honours/College classes, or AP scores of 4,4,4 in three subjects, or IB Higher Level 5+ in three subjects.
USA - Minimum SAT 1290 (620 Maths, 650 Evidence-Based Reading & Writing) or ACT 27, including Chemistry as a pre-requisite; conditional offers are accepted if exams have not yet been completed.