Drug Discovery, Design and Synthesis (Taught)

Top 20 in the UK for Chemistry (Guardian University Guide 2025)
8th in the UK for our research impact in Chemistry in REF 2021 (Times Higher Education)

Antibiotic resistance, ageing populations and possible future pandemics – medicinal chemists are working on solutions to the major global challenges of our time.

If you’re curious about the drug discovery process and want to learn from industry experts, this is the course for you. On your MSc, you’ll:

• learn about drug design and organic synthesis

• develop the practical laboratory skills necessary to work in medicinal chemistry

• gain hands-on experience in analysis and data interpretation

• explore the importance of patent law in protecting novel approaches and developments

• learn from industry leaders with experience ranging from start-up companies to big pharma.

At Sussex, you’ll learn from chemists whose world-leading research informs their teaching. We have strong links with the Sussex Drug Discovery Centre. In our high-spec laboratories, you’ll get to use the latest research equipment. This includes NMR spectrometers and x-ray crystallography diffractometers. As part of your research project, you’ll work closely with one of our research groups.

On graduation, you’ll be ready to work in an agile and fast-paced medicinal chemistry environment. You’ll have the knowledge and skills, as well as a network of contacts for your future career.

Find out more about the course from Dr Barny Greenland in an episode of the podcast Future You.

We understand that deciding where and what to study is a very important decision. We’ll make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the courses, services and facilities described in this prospectus. However, if we need to make material changes, for example due to government or regulatory requirements, or unanticipated staff changes, we’ll let you know as soon as possible.

Please check our website in January 2025 for the modules running in the academic year 2025/26.