Course details

Summary

Extend your knowledge in your specialist area at postgraduate level with our honours programme.

The Bachelor of Science (Honours) programme involves one year of full-time study, or two years of part-time study, after you have completed the requirements for the Bachelor of Science.

Medicinal Chemistry

Medicinal Chemistry is one of the most rapidly developing areas within the discipline of Chemistry, both globally and locally. It is the study of the design, biochemical effects, regulatory and ethical aspects of drugs for the treatment of disease. The aim of this programme is to produce graduates with an appropriate background in biology and pharmacology, built upon a strong chemistry foundation.

Medicinal Chemistry on undergraduate level is designed to equip students with a strong grounding in biological and chemical technique which is relevant to the pharmaceutical world. The programme gives an in-depth coverage of the chemical techniques required and relates these to the relevant pharmacology, anatomy, biochemistry and molecular biology.

Requirements:

15 points: CHEM 735

45 points from CHEM 710–780, BIOSCI 756, 757, 759, MEDSCI 708, 715, 716, 721, 722

60 points: CHEM 793 Dissertation

Career opportunities

Graduates are equipped with a unique combination of skills: you will be trained in synthesis, reactivity and analysis of organic compounds, but in addition will have a valuable insight into the pharmacological aspects of bioactive compounds. Training in genetic and molecular biology will stand you in good stead for employment in drug design, which is driven by genomics and proteomics.

The global market for ethical pharmaceuticals approached a trillion dollars ($NZ) in 1999 (Science, 2000, 287, 1952) and medicinal chemists are in great demand in all the research and development sectors that produce these products (sectors such as Research Institutes and Universities, global pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and also the business sector developing emerging new technologies). In New Zealand alone there are exciting career opportunities in New Zealand's developing pharmaceutical companies. Neuronz, an Auckland based pharmaceutical company, has indicated a strong need for graduates of this type of programme and is supporting it with a limited number of student scholarships.

Further study options

Master of Information Technology

Master of Energy

Master of Science

Master of Speech Language Therapy Practice

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Clinical Psychology

Bachelor of Science (Honours) other subjects:

Applied Mathematics, Bioinformatics, Biological Sciences, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Earth Sciences, Exercise Sciences, Food Science, Geography, Geology, Geophysics, Logic and Computation, Mathematics, Medical Physics and Image Technology, Medical Statistics, Pharmacology, Photonics, Physics, Physiology, Psychology, Statistics.

Entry criteria

The prerequisite is a major in Medicinal Chemistry and at least 90 points at Stage III.

English language requirements:IELTS 6.5; TOEFL (iBT) 90; TOEFL (paper-based) 575; CAE or CPE 176; PTE 58; MELAB 85.