The Master ́s Programme in Pharmaceutical Research, Development and Safety takes two years of full-time studies to complete. The academic activities conducted based on a personal study plan sum 120 credits (ECTS). The curriculum of the programme includes advanced studies in Pharmacy(including Master’s thesis 30 ECTS). Optional studies in related disciplines can be included in a degree. It offers joint compulsory courses and optional courses from three focused study tracks. Students may also select studies on a cross-disciplinary basis, in case their interests require combining courses from different study tracks.
Please note that the following curriculum is only tentative, and is subject to changes.
Curriculum
YEAR 1: 60 ECTS |
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Competence portfolio 0 ECTS |
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Fall semester: |
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Drug development and use 25 ECTS |
Research orientation 5 ECTS |
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Selection of study track:
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Spring semester: |
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Methodological studies 10 ECTS Literature review 9 ECTS Research ethics 1 ECTS Optional courses 10 ECTS (according to the selected study track and the student’s background education) |
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YEAR 2: 60 ECTS |
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Fall & Spring semesters: |
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Advanced studies 30 ECTS |
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Drug design and pharmacology |
Drug delivery and development |
Medication safety and effectiveness |
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Master’s thesis 30 ECTS |
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Detailed curriculum
1st STUDY YEAR 60 ECTS
1st year fall semester:
Master of Science competence Portfolio, 0 ECTS
Compulsory subject studies 30 ECTS
Drug development and use, 25 ECTS:
- Drug development and preclinical evaluation, 11 ECTS
- Development of pharmaceutical formulation and rational use of drugs, 11 ECTS
- Statistical methods and reasoning in pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical health services research, 3 ECTS
Research orientation 5 ECTS
After the common studies of the first semester, each student continues their studies according to a personal study plan. The three study tracks are designed to assist in tailoring the optional study elements according to the specific interests of the student.
1st year spring semester:
Compulsory studies 20 ECTS
Literature review 9 ECTS (to be incorporated in the Master’s thesis)
Research ethics, 1 ECTS
Compulsory methodological studies (according to the chosen study track):
- For the students in Drug design and pharmacology and Drug delivery and development study tracks: Quantitative methods, 5 ECTS and Introduction to cell and molecular biology methods 5 ECTS
- For the students in Medication safety and effectiveness study track: Introduction to Medication Safety and Effectiveness Research Methods 10 ECTS
Optional studies 10 ECTS
Courses on transferable professional skills:
- Language studies (eg. Academic Writing in English, or of free choice)
- Copyrights and industrial property rights 1 ECTS
- Career planning and working life orientation 1 ECTS
- Sustainability 3 ECTS
Examples of other optional courses:
- Biopharmaceuticals 5 ECTS
- Pharmacokinetics 5 ECTS
- Neuropharmacology 5 ECTS
- Selected topics on clinical pharmacology 5 ECTS
- Molecular pharmacology 5 ECTS
- Molecular Biology in Pharmacy 5 ECTS
- Literature reviews in cell and molecular biology 5 ECTS
2nd STUDY YEAR 60 ECTS
2nd study year Fall semester + Spring semester
Master´s thesis 30 ECTS (incl. 5 months research work and a final seminar)
Topic-specific advanced studies 30 ECTS. Examples of courses suitable for the study tracks (upon availability):
Drug design and pharmacology
- The physiological and pathophysiological background of drug research 5 ECTS
- Laboratory animal science 2-5 ECTS
- Biological Drugs II 5 ECTS
- Medicinal chemistry 5 ECTS
- Computational methods in drug discovery 5 ECTS
- Medicinal chemistry 5 ECTS
- Microbial lifestyles and drug discovery of antimicrobials 5 ECTS
Drug delivery and development
- Introduction to molecular modelling for life science students 5 ECTS
- Design of experiments 5 ECTS
- Introduction to spectroscopy 5 ECTS
- Controlled release drug delivery 5 ECTS
- Pharmaceutical development II 5 ECTS
- Advanced immunobiology 5 ECTS
- Solid state analysis of pharmaceutics 5 ECTS
- Excipients in Pharmaceutical Technology 5 ECTS
- Introduction to nanoscience 5 ECTS
- Microfluidics 5 ECTS
- Physical Pharmacy 5 ECTS
Medication safety and effectiveness
- Introduction to pharmacoepidemiology and pharmacovigilance 5 ETCS
- Research seminars in medication safety and effectiveness 5 ECTS
- Marketing authorization of drug products and pharmacovigilance, 5 ETCS
- Basics of Clinical Trial Research, 3 ETCS
- Literature review in medication safety and effectiveness 5-10 ETCS
- Additional research internship 5-10 ETCS
Other advanced studies
Business collaboration project 5 ECTS
- According to the student’s personal interests, it is possible to include up to 10 ECTS from other degree programmes within University of Helsinki into her/his personal study plan.