Programme Title

MSci Medicinal Chemistry

Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)

Master in Science

Programme Code

MDC-MSCI

UCAS Code

F15A

HECoS Code

100420

ATAS Clearance Required

No

Mode of Study

Full Time

Type of Programme

Undergraduate Master

Length of Programme

4 Academic Year(s)

Total Credits for Programme

480

Exit Awards available

Teaching Institution

Queen's University Belfast

School/Department

Chemistry & Chemical Engineering

Framework for Higher Education Qualification Level 
www.qaa.ac.uk

Level 7

QAA Benchmark Group
www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements

Chemistry

Accreditations (PSRB)

Royal Society of Chemistry

Date of most recent Accreditation Visit 14-04-16

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

Programme Specific Regulations

Students with an average mark of <55% at the end of Stage 2 or a weighted average mark of <55 % across Stages 1 & 2, will be transferred to the BSc in Medicinal Chemistry programme.

Students with an average mark of <55% at the end of Stage 3 will be transferred to the BSc in Medicinal Chemistry for graduation.

Weightings: Stage 1: 5%; Stage 2: 15%; Stage 3: 30%; Stage 4: 50%

Students with protected characteristics

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

No

Learning Outcomes: Cognitive Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Solve previously 'unseen' scientific problems using a range of analytical and deductive techniques

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and tutorials; class tests and problem solving sessions; structured group and independent laboratory classes; guided independent study. Unseen problems are introduced with tutorial and post-laboratory questions in all topics at Stages 1 and 2 and increase in complexity into level 3 leading to the design of experiments and data acquisition to solve research questions

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; project or extended experimental work dissertations; oral and poster presentations; experimental reports;

Develop and use reflective practices to provide practical solutions to problems by experimentation

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and tutorials; structured group and independent laboratory classes; research project or extended experimental work; group problem solving exercises; guided independent study. Reflective practices are developed through feedback from experimental reports, tutorial work and formative/summative class tests. By Stage 3, students are routinely applying reflective experimental design principles to their research project or extended practical programmes

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; group and individual dissertations; oral and poster presentations; experimental reports

Critically review and reflect upon their work

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Structured group and independent laboratory classes; research project or extended experimental work; group problem solving exercises. The same principles of developing these critical analysis and review techniques as the previous Outcome apply here

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; group and individual dissertations; oral and poster presentations; experimental reports

Make value judgments on information in the public domain

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Essays; literature searching and research project or extended experimental work dissertation. Retrieval of subject-specific material from primary literature and public domain sources are developed through essays and particularly through the group problem solving exercises which rely on critical analysis of published material

Methods of Assessment

Group and individual dissertations; oral and poster presentations.

Learning Outcomes: Transferable Skills

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Demonstrate numeracy and literacy skills

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and workshops; structured group and independent laboratory classes; research project or extended experimental work; group problem solving exercises. Students enter the degree pathway with different levels of mathematics and there is an emphasis in Stage 1 of bringing all students to a core threshold of mathematical skills through lectures and workshops. Scientific literacy is developed through increasingly challenging and rigorous experimental reports as students progress from Stage 1 to their project extended practical dissertation

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; project or extended experimental work dissertations; oral and poster presentations; experimental reports;

Work within a team based environment and employ interpersonal skills

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Research project or extended experimental work; group problem solving exercises. Team work starts in Stage 1 where students work in small groups in some of the laboratory classes and learn the importance of division of tasks and reliance on shared data. A centrepiece of the group exercise strategy is the extended group process design problem solving exercise at Stage 2 leading to the research project or extended practical module at Stage 3 which requires students to work effectively in existing post-graduate research groups

Methods of Assessment

Project or extended experimental work dissertations; group and individual dissertations; oral and poster presentations

Effectively exert generic problem-solving skills

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and tutorials; class tests and problem solving sessions; group problem solving exercises; guided independent study. Problem solving skills are central to this degree programme and are incorporated to a greater or lesser extent in all activities at all Stages

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; project or extended experimental work dissertations; oral and poster presentations; experimental reports

Manage time effectively and prioritise workloads

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

research project or extended experimental work; coursework deadlines, project goals, milestones and submission targets provide a framework for developing these skills

Methods of Assessment

Project or extended experimental work dissertations; group and individual dissertations;

communicate effectively with colleagues and others using both written and oral methods

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Research project or extended experimental work and dissertation; group problem solving. exercises; oral and poster presentations Written and oral presentation skills are introduced at Stage 1 through regular tutorials and a poster session on a given topic and are developed further through Stages 2 and 3 with several modules requiring oral or poster presentations and written essays and dissertations. The importance of scientific rigour in the defence of arguments is developed through these exercises

Methods of Assessment

Project or extended experimental work dissertations; group and individual dissertations; oral and poster presentations

Demonstrate data analysis and processing techniques

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Structured group and independent laboratory classes; research project or extended experimental work and dissertation; class tests and problem solving sessions; guided independent study. The processing of complex sets of information and data is developed from simple experimental results interpretation in Stage 1 through to unknown data processing in the research project or extended practical work in Stage 3.

Methods of Assessment

Project or extended experimental work dissertations; group and individual dissertations; oral and poster presentations

Learning Outcomes: Knowledge & Understanding

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Read, understand and assimilate new information and subsume acquired knowledge into a concise manner and within various settings

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and tutorials; structured group and independent laboratory classes; research project or extended experimental work; essays and dissertations. The ability to extract, process, understand and critically analyse published material is a core key skill in this degree programme and the techniques are embedded into the course from Stage 1 to 3 using the methods listed above

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; project or extended experimental work dissertations; oral and poster presentations; experimental reports;

Apply developed generic and subject specific IT skills

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and tutorial; IT and computer skills workshops; experimental reports; research project or extended experimental work; essays and dissertations; guided independent study. Basic IT skills for the production of professional reports using subject specific software, such as chemical structure drawing and data analysis, are introduced through workshops and computer-based classes and then developed through experimental reports and essays and dissertations

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; project or extended experimental work dissertations; computer-based workshop or online assessment; experimental reports;

Be proficient in database and literature searching techniques

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Essays; literature searching and research project or extended experimental work dissertation; group problem solving exercises; guided independent study. Awareness of the body of published scientific work and the tools to interrogate and access that information begins in Stage 1 and is developed to the point where students use the available search techniques routinely for their research project or extended practical work in Stage 3

Methods of Assessment

Project or extended experimental work dissertations; group and individual dissertations; oral and poster presentations

Learning Outcomes: Subject Specific

On the completion of this course successful students will be able to:

Demonstrate a conceptual understanding of the fundamental aspects of organic, inorganic and physical chemistry

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and tutorials; structured group and independent laboratory classes; research project or extended experimental work; essays and dissertations; guided independent study; These subject-specific skills are developed from fundamental concepts in Stages 1 and 2 to the application of the concepts in industrially and commercially relevant contexts in Stages 3 and 4 where a degree of specialisation is available

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; project or extended experimental work dissertations; experimental reports

Understand the characteristic chemistry and properties of the elements and group relationships and trends within the periodic table

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and tutorials; structured group and independent laboratory classes; essays and dissertations; guided independent study. See previous Learning Outcome for details of strategy

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; project or extended experimental work dissertations; experimental reports

Demonstrate a knowledge of chemical bonding, shape and structure

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and tutorials; structured group and independent laboratory classes; essays and dissertations; independent guided study. See previous Learning Outcome for details of strategy

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; project or extended experimental work dissertations; experimental reports

Understand the chemistry of functional groups and major synthetic pathways in organic chemistry.

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and tutorials; structured group and independent laboratory classes; essays and dissertations; guided independent study. See previous Learning Outcome for details of strategy

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; project or extended experimental work dissertations; experimental reports

Understand the principles of thermodynamics and kinetics, including catalysis and the mechanistic interpretation of chemical reactions

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and tutorials; structured group and independent laboratory classes; essays and dissertations; guided independent study. See previous Learning Outcome for details of strategy

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; project or extended experimental work dissertations; experimental reports

Demonstrate safe and proficient practical laboratory chemistry skills

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Structured group and independent laboratory classes; research project. Chemistry is essentially an experimental, laboratory-based subject and experimental work forms at least 25% of the degree in terms of teaching and assessment. Developing the skills to handle potentially dangerous materials and processes is central to all laboratory-based activities

Methods of Assessment

Project or extended experimental work dissertations; group and individual dissertations; oral and poster presentations; experimental reports

Be proficient in a range of analytical instrumentation

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Structured group and independent laboratory classes; research project or extended experimental work; group problem solving exercises.

Methods of Assessment

Project or extended experimental work dissertations; group and individual dissertations; oral and poster presentations; experimental reports

Demonstrate advanced knowledge of an area of new or emerging chemical research

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Students can choose up to two areas of specialisation in Stage 4 to support and complement their research project and the core medicinal chemistry material. Core material is delivered by lectures but students make extensive use of guided independent study to acquire knowledge from peer reviewed literature

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; essays and dissertations; oral presentations

Understand the general concepts used in drug design related to the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of putative therapeutic agents

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and workshops; guided independent study and literature review. Strategy as in previous learning outcome

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; essay; experimental reports

Understand the mechanisms of the modes of action of the major classes of drugs

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and workshops; guided independent study and literature review. Strategy as in previous learning outcome

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; essay; experimental reports

Understand the processes leading to drug discovery including biological target identification and chemical structure optimisation

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and workshops; guided independent study and literature review. This programme diverges substantially from the main BSc programme at Stage 3 with an emphasis on the application of underlying core chemical concepts and techniques in a medicinal chemistry context

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; class tests; essay; experimental reports

Be proficient in molecular modelling of biological systems and in silico skills for drug-discovery

Teaching/Learning Methods and Strategies

Lectures and computer workshops; guided independent study and literature review. Strategy as in previous learning outcome

Methods of Assessment

Written examinations; computer-based assignments; class tests; essay;