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    Clearing is now open - find your place at Keele >

    Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management - Msc

    Valued at $402 billion in 2020, innovation continues to drive the pharma market with a growing demand for hybrid scientists/leaders who can effectively manage new product development, and teams, across the pharmaceutical and associated industries. Responding to this need, Keele's innovative, multidisciplinary MSc integrates business management knowledge with a broad science curriculum that covers pharmaceutical development, regulatory frameworks and quality control. It develops the much sought-after skills to help companies capitalise on scientific breakthroughs across the entire product life cycle, from development to pre and post-market launch, bringing your transition into the industry one step closer.

    Month of entry

    • September

    Mode of study

    • Full time

    Location

    Subject area

    • Pharmacy

    Fees for 2022 entry

    • UK - Full time £10,200 per year
      International - Full time £24,200 per year

    Duration of study

    • 1 year
    Apply now

    Why study Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management at Keele University?

    Multidisciplinary course innovatively blends scientific and business management knowledge to meet growing demand for both skillsets within the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries.
    Keele is ranked top 20 in the UK for Pharmacology and Pharmacy (The Complete University Guide 2022).
    High staff-to-student ratio enhanced by small-group tutorials and a strong, inclusive research community and state-of-the-art, purpose-built laboratory facilities.
    Strong emphasis on employability, skills and knowledge, you'll gain hands-on experience working with laboratory instruments used by the pharmaceutical industry.
    Current teaching team benefits from extensive experience within the pharmaceutical industry here in the UK and overseas for companies including Unilver, Novo Nordkisk and AstraZeneca.

    Course summary

    The rising global population and changing patterns of health, illness and disease are fuelling the demand for novel medicines and the professionals able to effectively manage what can be an expensive, challenging and risky process - from initial ideas through to successful market launch.

    This exciting MSc in Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management has been designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to successfully project manage and lead the development of medicines, cosmetics and other bio-related products.

    Drawing on the expertise within the School of Pharmacy and Keele Business School, it approaches biotechnology and pharmaceutical ventures from both a scientific and business development and management perspective, relating learning to real-life instances at every stage.

    For example, one previous cohort analysed the process of developing surgical garment packaging, which was a huge issue at the height of the pandemic, while another examined in-depth the process and steps to get a vaccine from the lab to the clinic.

    Building on your existing knowledge of chemistry, biology and other pharmaceutical sciences, you'll develop practical skills within the laboratory and learn to apply your knowledge in a pharmaceutical industry setting, for example, reviewing toxicology data, identifying antibodies or practising cell culture techniques. Such expertise is equally relevant and transferable to the emerging cosmeceutical, nutraceutical or bioceutical industries.

    You'll be introduced to theories and models for make and buy decisions, transactional costing, buyer-supplier relationship and supply chains. You'll also study the global social, economic, cultural, political and technological conditions that shape long-term corporate strategy and short-term goals, such as as sustainability and ethical implications of business decisions.

    Taught by staff with industry experience working for companies including Unilever and AstraZeneca, you'll gain a deeper insight into the inner workings of the pharmaceutical industry, developing an in-depth knowledge of quality assurance and the complex regulation that governs practices and market access.

    You’ll then apply your learning to real-world problems as part of your final assessment, specialising in an area of interest on a project that can either be research or audit-based, relating to pharmaceutical development and business management. One of our previous students examined an anti-ageing product, another looked at regulatory processes within vaccine development, while others looked at the effects of antioxidants on colon cancer cell models.

    Other courses you might be interested in:

    • Advanced Professional Practice (Pharmacy)
    • MSc Clinical Pharmacy Practice
    • MSc Pharmacy (Professional MSc)

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    Course structure

    The MSc in Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management is studied full-time over one year, starting in September, split into three equal-credit semesters.

    The first semester aims to equip you with the necessary business skills and integrate this with the pharmaceutical science knowledge needed in product development and management. You will undertake two 15-credit modules learning alongside other business students, together with a Product Development and Management module that integrates business aspects with the applied pharmaceutical sciences, developing a blended skillset that will help set you apart on the job market.

    The second semester continues to build on this knowledge, but also has more laboratory-based modules to allow you to develop your laboratory skills and demonstrate how well you are able to apply the necessary pharmaceutical knowledge required within each session.

    The Development of Biopharmaceuticals module recognises the importance of biopharmaceuticals within the pharma industry, preparing you to contribute to this growing market upon graduation. According to global consultants McKinsey, biopharmaceuticals could become the core of the future pharmaceutical industry. By far the fastest-growing part of the industry: biopharma’s current annual growth rate of more than 8% is double that of conventional pharma, and growth is expected to continue at that rate for the foreseeable future.

    The final semester allows you to specialise into an area of your interest with a project that can either be research or audit based, in an appropriate subject relating to pharmaceutical development and business management.

    You will complete 180 credits to obtain the master’s qualification, comprising seven compulsory modules, including the core Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management Project (60 credits).

    There are also two interim awards available, depending on how many modules (and credits) have been successfully completed: a Postgraduate Certificate for 60 credits to include the Product Development and Management module; and a Postgraduate Diploma for 120 credits to include all taught modules.

    There’s never been a better time to study a postgraduate course at Keele. Our alumni can get a 20% discount off postgraduate tuition fees, and that’s in addition to student loans for UK students that are now available through Student Finance England.

    PHA-40173 Product Development and Management (30 credits, Semester 1)
    This interdisciplinary module aims to provide you with a comprehensive knowledge of the processes and underpinning principles that are involved in product development and bringing a product into market. It covers the pharmaceutical development process, from the core principles in pharmaceutical science, through technology, processes and associated tools in product development from launch to post-market life cycle management in the context of appropriate regulatory frameworks.

    MAN-40114 International Business Context (15 credits, Semester 1)
    The purpose of this module is to introduce theories around globalisation, international trade and investment. It offers insight into a range of economic, political, technological processes that influence and are influenced by international business activities. You will develop a solid understanding of basic theories underlying the importance of international trade and investment, enhancing your understanding of current events and their impacts.

    MAN-40110 International Operations and Supply (15 credits, Semester 1)
    Explores how international operations and supply networks are designed, managed, controlled and adapted for different locations in the world. Covers the fundamental principles, emergent models from around the world, and current best practices in operations, procurement, supply and logistics management. Encourages critical thinking in the management of international operations and supply.

    PHA-401743 Applied Pharmaceutical Analysis (30 credits, Semester 2)
    To produce new safe and effective pharmaceutical products, scientists need to understand the properties of different chemical entities, their formulation, and their activities. On this module, you'll explore a variety of the analytical techniques employed to establish this, considering a range of important aspects relevant for the overall assessment of pharmaceutical products. You will learn to appreciate and apply existing analytical approaches in the pharmaceutical industry and propose strategies to improve current approaches as well as for novel pharmaceutical products.

    PHA-40169 Quality by Design (15 credits, Semester 2)
    Quality by Design (QbD) is developed on the concept that quality should be designed into a product as most issues that arise relate to poor product design. QbD began to be adopted by pharmaceutical companies as the industry recognised that increasing testing does not always lead to improvement in product quality. This module mirrors the QbD processes adopted in pharmaceutical formulation and manufacture, beginning by defining a target product quality profile, then establishing key production parameters and a control protocol for the development processes.

    PHA-40190 Development of Biopharmaceuticals (15 credits, Semester 2)
    Recombinant protein therapeutic agents have a profound impact on the treatment of many diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, haemophillia and cancer. The knowledge of recombinant DNA technology and cell biology has allowed for the large scale, commercial production of such recombinant proteins. Recombinant proteins have also played a role in drug discovery research and been engineering to improve stability and modified biological actions. This module aims to equip students with the fundamental knowledge and skills required to pursue a career in protein science. You'll also gain hands-on experience working with laboratory instruments that are also used by the pharmaceutical industry.

    PHA-40171 Pharmaceutical Development with Business Management Project (60 credits, Semester 3)
    This module offers the opportunity for you to specialise in a subject area of your choice and apply the theory learnt throughout the course, developing transferable research skills. Project options range from the core science areas of pharmaceutics, chemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, recombinant protein expression, or relevant business-focused projects or audits. We would also allow you to conduct this semester with companies if you are successful in securing your own research/audit position. Past student projects have included a toxicology study, assessment of an anti-aging product and a computational chemistry project.

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    Entry requirements

    ACADEMIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

    This course is open to students from relevant science or healthcare backgrounds who want to enter the fast-paced pharmaceutical industry. We also welcome applications from students who are studying towards a medical or healthcare-related qualification and wish to intercalate with this course.

    We are normally seeking a minimum of a 2:1 (upper second class honours) degree qualification or an equivalent overseas qualification in relevant science and healthcare subjects at undergraduate level (unless intercalating).

    ENGLISH LANGUAGE ENTRY REQUIREMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

    IELTS 7 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component. The University also accepts a range of internationally recognised English tests.

    If you do not meet the English language requirements, the University offers a range of English language preparation programmes.

    During your degree programme you can study additional English language courses. This means you can continue to improve your English language skills and gain a higher level of English.

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    Funding

    Planning your funding

    It's important to plan carefully for your funding before you start your course. Please be aware that not all postgraduate courses are eligible for the UK government postgraduate loans and, in this case, you would be expected to source alternative funding yourself. If you need support researching your funding options, please contact our Financial Support Team.

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    Your career

    Our course has been purposefully designed to meet the needs of the international pharmaceutical industry by producing graduates who are pharmaceutically aware, have the ability to think critically and creatively, and also have significant knowledge and understanding of business and management.

    You'll graduate with broad, solution-focused knowledge of applied pharmaceutical sciences and the business insight essential to participate and manage global product development teams within the pharmaceutical industry, biopharmaceuticals, the cosmetic or food industry.

    If you already work within the pharmaceutical or manufacturing industry, this course could provide a springboard for management positions and greater responsibility as a team or project leader. You could go on to pursue careers in research, clinical trials, drug formulation and analysis, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance, quality control, drug manufacturing, risk management, sales, project management and/or product design.

    The specialist research skills you learn also provide a strong foundation for pursuing further study at doctoral level for those interested in doing so.

    Positions may include:

    • Design support officer
    • Development engineer
    • Process engineer
    • Manufacturing specialist
    • Medical design engineer
    • Product developer
    • Product designer
    • Research scientist
    • Sales representative (medical technology)
    • Scientist
    • Senior Scientist (R&D)
    • Technician
    • Academic

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    Teaching, learning and assessment

    How you'll be taught

    The course is taught in small groups and involves face-to-face teaching sessions, workshops and laboratory sessions.

    Allocated at the start of your studies, your personal tutor will provide pastoral support and your Course Director will guide you through the year by engaging you in a personal development plan that culminates with students recognising their employability skills and career options.

    As well as web-based virtual learning materials, you’ll have full access to two libraries, online journal access and a suite of dedicated computers for exclusive use by MSc students on the course.

    How you’ll be assessed

    Modules are assessed by a mixture of assessment methods, including lab reports, essays, presentations and online examinations to demonstrate your understanding of subject-specific content, as well as your analytical abilities and your evaluation of particular concepts and methodologies. Formative assessment occurs in a continuous process driven by lecturer-led discussion sessions, one-on-one mentoring, and practice presentations and posters.

    As part of the course provision, you will have opportunity to follow styles of journal articles in your assignments. Such assessment ensures your competency in essential academic skills, such as referencing, quoting, selecting relevant material, answering the question set, and written English, vital if you intend to pursue a research career. However, it also helps you develop a range of essential transferrable skills, such as problem-solving and critical thinking, time management and planning, written and verbal communication and numeracy.

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    Keele Postgraduate Association

    Keele University is one of a handful of universities in the UK to have a dedicated students' union for postgraduate students. A fully registered charity, Keele Postgraduate Association serves as a focal point for the social life and welfare needs of all postgraduate students during their time at Keele.

    KPA interior

    Hugely popular, the KPA Clubhouse (near Horwood Hall) provides a dedicated postgraduate social space and bar on campus, where you can grab a bite to eat and drink, sit quietly and read a book, or switch off from academic life at one of the many regular events organised throughout the year. The KPA also helps to host a variety of conferences, as well as other academic and career sessions, to give you and your fellow postgraduates the opportunities to come together to discuss your research, and develop your skills and networks.

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    Our expertise

    Teaching staff

    Research within the School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering bridges the interface between new advances in science and technology with medicine and clinical practice, bringing together biological scientists, physicists, chemists, engineers, mathematicians and clinicians. Our exceptional track record in bench and bedside regenerative medicine research builds on the reputation and success of the former Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine (ISTM) which has now integrated within the School.

    The School enjoys strong links to major employers such as Well, Boots and the National Health Service. It is a tight-knit community of undergraduate and postgraduate students, led by a team of academics with experience of working within a variety of pharmacy sectors and supported by a dedicate team of administrators, IT technicians and Learning Technology Officers. Together, we are committed to providing you with the best possible educational experience in a friendly setting; much like the ethos Keele University was founded on – the pursuit of truth in the company of friends. We embrace teaching innovation and adopt a variety of teaching and learning methods to enhance your experience with us at Keele.

    Lecture sessions are led by academics with experience working for companies including Astra Zeneca, Unilever and Novo Nordisk, as well as other medium-sized pharmaceutical science companies. They aim to provide you with a wide knowledge base during your studies, capitalising on their diverse backgrounds.

    Teaching team includes:

    • Dr Szu Shen Wong (Programme Director), Lecturer – A UK registered pharmacist and biophysicist by training, Szu has a background in community, hospital, academia and industrial pharmacy, having worked within the pharmacy sector in Malaysia, Denmark and the UK. Her research interests are predominantly in thrombosis and haemostasis with a focus on coagulation factors – specifically coagulation factor XI. However, multidisciplinary research interests include the history of medical saints (in particular, Saints Cosmas and Damian) and how they influenced the practice of pharmacy and art.
    • Dr Gary Moss, Senior Lecturer – Prior to joining Keele in 2010, Gary worked in industry as scientist for Unilever Research and also held a number of academic posts. His main research interests are in percutaneous absorption, particularly in the development of quantitative models of skin absorption, the percutaneous absorption of metals and the use of skin imaging techniques to understand the mechanism of skin permeation enhancement.
    • Dr Patricia Regazzon, Senior Lecturer – Patrician benefits from extensive academic and industry experience, including time spent specialising in biophysical studies of drug-DNA interactions, working in the US-based Brown Cancer Center. Her research interests are based on discovery and therapeutic development. As a trained chemist, she has developed small molecules as well as aptamers for treating different conditions, including cancer, inflammation, and infection. She has also worked on natural products extraction and characterisation.
    • Dr David Mottershead, Lecturer – David has taught and conducted research at institutions in Australia, Finland, the USA and the UK, taking up his role at Keele in 2016. His research focuses on two growth factors produced by oocytes which are essential for fertility in mammals (GDF9 and BMP15), and the development of novel forms with applications for infertility treatment.
    • Professor Peter Ogrodnik, Senior Lecturer and Head of Orthopaedics and Biomechanics Research Group – a Chartered Mechanical Engineer, Peter has conducted research into optimising the treatment of tibial fractures for over 20 years. Having founded two medical device companies himself, he has enhanced the application of engineering design principles to the solution of medical devices and his book Medical Devices Design is a core text in core R&D departments. In 2021, he received the Inspire, Support, Achieve Award from the Institution of Engineering Designers for his work to establish the charity ENG4, providing engineering solutions relating to healthcare during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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    Facilities

    The School of Pharmacy and Bioengineering, within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, is located on two main sites: Hornbeam Building at the heart of Keele University campus and the Guy Hilton Research Centre in Hartshill with additional laboratories and facilities at three main NHS hospitals; University Hospitals of North Midlands (UHNM), Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic Hospital, Oswestry and the Haywood Hospital, Stoke on Trent.

    Guy Hilton Research Centre

    The Guy Hilton Research Centre, which opened in 2006, provides extensive facilities for postgraduate taught and research students at the heart of a research-active environment. This includes a a dedicated room for MSc students and large study suite for PhD/MPhil/DM students with 24/7 access and Wi-Fi.

    As well as generic laboratories, specialist facilities include dedicated labs for biomaterials and bioreactors, a class 100 clean room for supporting research, and molecular facilities which support the advanced biotechnology, drug development, development of magnetic nanotechnology in therapeutics and diagnostics, and SIFT-MS (selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry) technology for breath analysis.

    Electron Microscope Unit

    The Electron Microscope Unit has a range of microscopic techniques available to capture images, make slides and acquire data from biological, geological, physical and chemical specimens. These include: visible and electron microscopy; light microscopy; confocal/two photon imaging; field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM); conventional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray microanalysis; atomic force microscopy (AFM); ultramicrotomy; vibratome; and microslice.

    David Weatherall Laboratories

    These multi-users laboratories house equipment for histology, physiology, pharmacology, biochemistry and microbiology practicals. Here students learn to use stethoscopes, sphygmomanometers, microscopes, computerised spirometry, ECG and EMG equipment, make accurate drug dilutions, and gain skills in basic life support on resuscitation manikins. Facilities are also available to learn sterile technique, ophthalmoscopy, otoscopy and drug delivery. The IT laboratory, which has extended opening hours, houses over 50 networked PCs with additional facilities for digital imaging, scanning, and printing.

     

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