MSc in Pharmaceutical Analysis with Industrial Placement

Acquire the skills, knowledge and hands-on experience for a career as a Pharmaceutical Analyst in Industry or Academia.

Why Study This Course?

Our industrial partners are always telling us that they need people like you. Analysts are among the most sought after professionals with some of the highest employability rates.

Experience in a pharmaceutical company can help you decide if you enjoy working in industry or prefer a research/academic career. Placements also improve employability prospects as many placement students get offered a job immediately after they complete their degree.

You will receive practical training on state-of-the-art separation techniques, such as HPLC/MS and GC/MS, in the purpose built Pharmaceutical Analysis lab designed in partnership with Agilent (a world-leading instrument manufacturer).

Placements on this course can be done in an appropriate company anywhere in the UK or the Republic of Ireland. They are open to both local and International students (subject to visa requirements).

Pharmaceutical Analysis With Industrial Placement Highlights

This programme is taught jointly between the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and the School of Pharmacy by leading experts in the field.

Industry Links

• Our industrial partners have influenced the course structure and inform us about what they need from the latest analytical graduates. We invite guest lecturers from industry who will tell you about the issues they face out in the field.

Career Development

• Employability is a major perk of the course. Ireland, north and south, is a major hub for the Pharmaceutical industry. The industrial placement adds to this advantageous situation.

World Class Facilities

• Everything in Year One is on-campus and you will find that the course is very hands-on and interactive. You will receive practical training on state-of-the-art separation techniques, such as HPLC/MS and GC/MS, in the purpose built Pharmaceutical Analysis lab designed in partnership with Agilent (a world-leading instrument manufacturer)

Student Experience

• We are ranked 13th in the UK for the study of Chemistry and joint 1st in the UK for research intensity in Chemistry (Complete Universities Guide UK 2023) and are 5th in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2022 category of value-added score for Chemistry. Professor Panagiotis Manesiotis, the course director, has a background in analytical and materials chemistry. His research covers: Plastic antibodies: making from polymers what nature makes from proteins: creating more robust and less expensive antibodies. Environmental clean-up: engaging with the food industry and environmental protection agencies to recover valuable resources from waste and recycle them into useful materials – including phosphorus and nitrogen in food production waste, and even heavy metals from waste water.

Queen's University Belfast is one of the leading universities in the UK and Ireland with a distinguished heritage and history.

Founded in 1845 as Queen's College Belfast, we became an independent university in 1908. The University is a member of the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities, combining excellence in research and education with a student-centred ethos.

Queen’s campus is at the heart of Belfast in Northern Ireland which has the lowest cost of living in the UK (Mercer Cost of Living City Ranking 2021) making it a more affordable option for students.

A World-Class Education and Student Experience

Queen’s offers a world-class education that prepares our students for leadership and citizenship in a global society.

Our inspiring alumni comprises outstanding scholars, Nobel Prize winners - such as Seamus Heaney and David Trimble - and influential leaders who are making an impact in Northern Ireland and across the globe.

Programmes are focused on preparing students for future employment. Students not only learn the core academic material from the staff at the forefront of their discipline but also learn how to put it into practice through practical workshops and hands-on sessions, ensuring that upon graduation, students are ready to step up as the next generation of industry leaders.

A Global and Inclusive University Community

Queen’s is attracting global talent to Belfast.

We currently have staff and students from over 80 countries, helping to create a multicultural and vibrant campus. They are joining a university that is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing the best global talent within an environment that enables them to realise their full potential.

An innovative, welcoming, and inclusive place to work and study, Queen’s is a leader in gender equality and diversity and currently holds a prestigious Athena Swan Silver Award. The University also holds 14 School Awards comprising 3 Gold, 6 Silver and 5 Bronze.

Research That Shapes Worlds

Queen’s University Belfast is globally connected and networked with leading universities across the world.

We continue to drive forward research to shape worlds, focusing on five key areas. Ensuring a healthy living for all through developing solutions and treatments for diseases; helping to deliver a transformative and sustainable economy for future generations; leading to securely connected intelligence and AI and the data revolution. We are at the forefront of delivering future-focused human-environment relations; and will continue our strong history of expertise in conflict resolution and building inclusive and cohesive communities.

Ranked 24 in the UK for Research Power

We are forward thinkers and will continue to direct and shape research to help support a workable environment and society.

88% of our research has been assessed as world-leading and internationally excellent, 99% of our research environment was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent and we are ranked 24th in the UK for Research Power (REF 2021/ Times Higher Education).

Northern Ireland's Legendary Beauty

Queen’s University is situated in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland.

In a city with innovation at its heart, technological advances infiltrate every sector helping to build our competitiveness on the global stage. Belfast is in the world’s top 10 Digital Economies of the Future - the only UK city outside London to be listed (Financial Times’ fDi Intelligence, 2018) and was voted one of the top 15 friendliest cities in Europe (Condé Nast Traveller, Readers' Choice Awards 2021).

It is one of Europe's most hip, vibrant and affordable cities, lauded for its energy, and rich in culture and history. Queen's stunning campus is within Belfast's Queen's Quarter, with cafés, bars, restaurants, superb shopping, and entertainment venues (Complete University Guide 2022).