Medicinal Chemistry

Medicinal chemistry is the science of designing and developing molecules that can be used as medicines. It sits at the intersection of organic chemistry and pharmacology, asking how the structure of a molecule determines its biological activity and how chemists can modify that structure to improve efficacy, selectivity, and safety. The development of a new drug from initial discovery to clinical use is one of the most complex and consequential endeavours in science, and medicinal chemists play a central role in it.

At the University of Surrey, this professionally accredited programme teaches you the fundamentals of medicinal chemistry, equipping you with the theoretical knowledge and practical laboratory skills to contribute to drug discovery and development. You will study organic chemistry, including synthesis, reaction mechanisms, and spectroscopic analysis, alongside biochemistry, pharmacology, and the specific chemistry of drug-receptor interactions. You will learn how drugs are designed to reach their targets in the body, how they are metabolised, and how toxicity is assessed and managed.

Laboratory work is central to your education: you will conduct synthesis, purification, and characterisation experiments that develop both your technical skills and your scientific judgment. The programme encourages you to make your own discoveries and to engage with the current literature in the field.

This is a three-year full-time programme with a typical entry tariff of 120 UCAS points.

Graduates from medicinal chemistry programmes go on to careers in pharmaceutical research and development, contract research organisations, chemical synthesis, analytical chemistry, and regulatory affairs. Many progress to postgraduate study, including research degrees in medicinal chemistry, drug discovery, and chemical biology, as well as professional qualifications in areas such as clinical science and toxicology.