Strathclyde, University of, MSc, Pharmaceutical Analysis

This course provides students with specialised knowledge of the analytical techniques used to detect, identify and quantitatively determine drugs and related substances; students will be introduced to techniques for evaluating analytical data and validating analytical methods, and to strategies for analytical research and development; the course provides theoretical and laboratory instruction in: analytical validation; spectrophotometry; separation techniques; structural elucidation of drugs; chemical analysis; experimental design and optimisation; statistical analysis of data; computer literacy, quality and management; biopharmaceutical analysis and phytochemical analysis; the course includes a three-month laboratory-based research project; usually, about one third of projects take place in an industry setting and two thirds are supervised by staff in the Strathclyde Institute for pharmacy and biomedical sciences; the 24-month course comprises a first year of lectures, tutorials, laboratory sessions and directed reading on the chemistry of pharmaceutical compounds and the theory underlying the methods used to analyse drugs; the second year is identical to the one-year course outlined above; the Diploma course comprises lectures, tutorials, laboratory and project work which run parallel to the 12-month MSc course; Diploma students who satisfy the appropriate criteria may transfer to the MSc course; a certificate may be awarded on completion of 60 credits.