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Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science BSc (Hons)

Our collaborations with industry mean you benefit from specialised and advanced knowledge of the principles and techniques behind formulating and regulating pharmaceutical and cosmetic products.

Overview

Learn about some of the benefits of studying Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science at DMU, with Senior Lecturer Paul Bremner, including placement opportunities with global organisations.

Developed by a pharmaceutical and cosmetic team, this degree course provides an understanding of the chemistry and formulation (creating and making) of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, from design through to manufacture.

Our research-active academics have experience in the fields of pharmaceutics, engineering, cosmetics,  chemistry, pharmacology and microbiology. Their strong collaborations with the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries mean that this curriculum is continuously reviewed to ensure we’re equipping our students with the advanced skills sought by graduate employers.

On this course, you’ll cover compounding, formulation chemistry, pharmaceutical processes and technologies, microbiology, professional and quantitative science skills, cell biology and chemistry, pharmaceutical formulation, pharmacology, chemical analysis, quality and stability, cosmetic science and products, and pharmaceutical product development and manufacture. 

Key features

  • Renowned for our academic expertise, development training and world-leading research, we offer more than 100 years of teaching experience in the Leicester School of Pharmacy.
  • This is a specialist course in the UK and DMU is one of only a handful of universities nationally which combines pharmaceutics with a cosmetics element.
  • Benefit from placement opportunities within global organisations like Unilever, where you’ll apply your theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.
  • Our investment in dedicated pharmaceutical laboratories and industry-standard equipment offers you invaluable opportunities to develop your practical and professional skills.
  • Students have gained international experience through our DMU Global programme, which has previously organised a  visit to a Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturing company and to Amsterdam where students learnt about the development of hashish based manufactured drugs.
  • Our graduates have secured roles ranging from pharmaceutical scientists and product development scientists, to quality control managers in internationally recognised companies including GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Boots.

 

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  • UK
  • eu/International

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: B204

Duration: Three years full-time, four years sandwich (optional)

Start dates: September 2023

Location: De Montfort University Leicester UK

Fees and funding: 

2023/24 tuition fees for UK students: £9,250

Additional costs: You may incur additional costs for this programme, including the cost of travelling to and from project/placement locations.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Book an Open Day

Submit a study-related enquiry

Institution code: D26

UCAS course code: B204

Duration: Three years full-time, four years sandwich (optional)

Start dates: September 2023

Location: De Montfort University Leicester UK.

Fees and funding:

2023/24 tuition fees for international students: £15,750

Find out more about available funding for international students.

 

Additional costs: You may incur additional costs for this programme, including the cost of travelling to and from project/placement locations.

How to apply

Order a prospectus

Submit a study-related enquiry

Entry criteria

GCSEs

  • Five GCSEs at grade C/4 or above including: English and Maths

Plus one of the following:

A Level

  • A minimum of 96 points from 2 or more A levels, including Chemistry and one other science subject at grade D or above, from: Biology, Human Biology, Physics, Statistics, Maths/Further Maths, or Psychology

BTEC

  • BTEC National Diploma in Applied Science - Merit/Merit/Merit
  • BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science - Merit/Merit/Merit

 

Alternative qualifications include:

Access to HE Diploma

  • Pass QAA Accredited Science Access to HE with at least 9 level 3 credits at distinction in a Science subject (Chemistry, Biology, Maths, Physics, Psychology).

  • Access course must include at least 12 level 3 credits in chemistry to be eligible for an offer.

English Language and Maths GCSE required as separate qualifications. Equivalency not accepted within the Access qualification. 

International Baccalaureate: 24+ with 6 higher level points in Chemistry and another science (preferably Biology)

Interview required: No

Personal Statement selection criteria

  • Clear communication skills, including good grammar and spelling

  • Information relevant to the course applied for

  • Interest in the course demonstrated with explanation and evidence

  • If relevant for the course - work and life experience

English language requirements:

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.5 or equivalent when you start the course is essential. English language tuition, delivered by our British Council accredited Centre for English Language Learning (CELL), is available both before and during the course.

Please visit dmu.ac.uk/international for more information.

UCAS Tariff changes

Students applying for courses starting in September will be made offers based on the latest UCAS Tariff.

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessments

Accreditations

 

 

First Year

In the first year, you will study modules providing a scientific background. Formulation, through a comprehensive course in compounding, and process technology are also introduced.

  • Compounding 
  • Formulation Chemistry (Physical Analytical and Organic)
  • Pharmaceutical Processes and Technologies
  • Basic Microbiology
  • Professional and Quantitative Science Skills
  • Cell Biology and Biochemistry

Second Year

The second year provides an emphasis on integrated work in analytical chemistry, product development and formulation, applied pharmacology, applied microbiology, process technology and quality issues.

  • Pharmaceutical Formulation
  • Chemical Analysis, Quality and Stability
  • Cosmetic Products 
  • Pharmaceutical Microbiology
  • Product Development
  • Applied Pharmacology

  • Industrial Placement Year (Optional)

Third Year

  • Quality Assurance and Quality by Design Principles
  • Project
  • Development and Manufacture of Pharmaceutical Products
  • Cosmetic Science
  • Pharmaceutical Materials Science
  • Elective Modules

Click here for more detailed module information


Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

The diversity of academic and research expertise will provide you with high quality and innovative teaching. Expertise and current projects include:

  • Novel techniques in dry blood spot analysis
  • The development of a skin cancer detection tool
  • Development of an artificial pancreas

Teaching consists of discussions, seminars, workshops, tutorials, with approximately 15 hours of face-to-face contact time each week.

You will also be expected to achieve approximately 17 hours of self-directed study.

Assessment methods include:

  • Unseen exams
  • Computer-based assessments
  • Practical reports

Teaching contact hours

Contact hours in a typical week will depend to some extent on the optional modules you choose to study. However, typically you will have 15 contact hours of teaching and this will break down as:

Personal tutorial/small group teaching: approx. 1 hour of tutorials (7 in final year), or later, project supervision each week

Medium group teaching: approx. 5 hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars each week

Large group teaching: approx. 9 hours of lpre-work or online discussions

Personal study: approx. 17 hours studying and revising in your own time each week, including some guided study using hand-outs, online activities, etc.

This course has undergone a successful review and continues to meet the challenges of the industry and the requirements of both students and employers in the 21st Century. Over the years we have built a good relationship with employers through their employment of placement students and graduates.  

 

Academic expertise

Some examples of academic expertise and impactful research include:

Prof Mingzhong Li has successfully been awarded four funded projects from the EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council). These grants are highly competitive and one of the projects will aid our understanding of oral medicines targeted at neglected tropical diseases.

Prof Katie Laird is founder of A Germ’s Journey educational resources (www.germsjourney.com), free at the point of access resources to teach children around the world about microorganism, their transmission and improve handwashing behaviour, the resources have been developed for a global audience and used in 117 countries. She has also undertaken research on the efficiency of hospital laundries and has been commissioned to develop a laundry efficacy test standard to be used by the international laundry industry.

Facilities and features

 
Placements
Placements
Placements
Placements
 

Hawthorn Building

Substantial investment in Health and Life Sciences has developed our teaching and learning facilities to help you develop your practical experience and theoretical knowledge beyond the classroom.

The 19th century Hawthorn Building has facilities designed to replicate current practice in health and life sciences, including contemporary analytical chemistry and formulation laboratories, audiology booths and nursing and midwifery clinical skills suites.

Purpose-built clinical skills areas allow you to apply theory to practice in a safe environment. You will receive guidance and support from staff, to ensure that your practical ability in the clinical skills suites is accurate.

Library and learning zones

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including Blackboard, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

More flexible ways to learn

We offer an equitable and inclusive approach to learning and teaching for all our students. Known as the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), our teaching approach has been recognised as sector leading. UDL means we offer a wide variety of support, facilities and technology to all students, including those with disabilities and specific learning differences.

Just one of the ways we do this is by using ‘DMU Replay’ – a technology providing all students with anytime access to audio and/or visual material of lectures. This means students can revise taught material in a way that suits them best, whether it's replaying a recording of a class or adapting written material shared in class using specialist software.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Works
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Placements

As part of this course you will have the opportunity to complete a placement which offers invaluable professional experience. Placements are typically provided across Leicester and the wider East Midlands. You will have the chance to benefit from placement opportunities in global organisations such as Unilever, Pfizer and Boots.

Our careers programme #DMUworks can help you secure a placement through activities such as mock interviews and practice aptitude tests, and you will be assigned a personal tutor to support you throughout your placement.

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Graduate Careers

Our graduates have gone on to work for internationally recognised companies including GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca and Boots.

Throughout the course we will help you to enhance your employment opportunities by embedding transferable skill into the programme and providing opportunities to collaborate with key employers and stakeholders through the Leicester School of Pharmacy’s careers events and mentoring scheme.

Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science graduate Shivani Raja couldn't be happier after landing her perfect job creating cosmetics for health and beauty retailer and pharmacy chain Boots.

Shivani, who works as an innovation technologist in the cosmetics department, said: “It's a fun job and the best part is getting to be creative. I work with brands such as No7, Soap and Glory and Botanics.”

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#DMUglobal

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through #DMUglobal, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

Students on this course have recently undertaken #DMUglobal trips to places such as New York, where they were able to gain more understanding of the healthcare provision provided by pharmacists in America. As well as this, students have previously visited a pharmaceutical manufacturing company in China to observe its processes and also travelled to Berlin to support refugees.

 

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