Postgraduate Diploma in Medicinal Chemistry

This qualification enables you to study aspects of medicinal chemistry that explore the links between disease, mechanisms of action and the development of safe, effective commercial drugs. You have to opportunity to pursue these topics across a number of major health areas including cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases, diabetes, neuropharmacology and inflammation. Using the innovative teaching methods pioneered by The Open University, you have the opportunity to understand how drugs are designed, study the latest developments in this changing area of contemporary medical therapy, while developing a wide range of skills associated with postgraduate study.

We would normally expect you, to take no more than one module a year (although the 30-credit and 60-credit module starts are staggered so you could choose to overlap modules), and to complete the qualification within seven years. However, if you wish to proceed to the MSc in Medicinal Chemistry (F62) you will need to complete this diploma within a shorter period.

We cannot guarantee that the same selection of modules will continue to be available.

You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 40 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you.

Career relevance and employability

Completing this postgraduate diploma will equip you with key transferable skills which will be relevant to your career and the workplace as well as providing you with a base of postgraduate level science knowledge and understanding. You will learn to critically evaluate current research and advanced scholarship within medicinal chemistry, as well as evaluating research methodologies. You will learn to deal with complex issues and make sound judgements and decisions in complex situations.

You will also learn to communicate information and conclusions to specialist scientific audiences, work effectively as part of a team, demonstrate self-direction and originality in tackling and solving problems, and plan and implement tasks at a professional level.

The qualification will develop your independent learning skills, enhance your ICT skills in locating information  and communicating with others in both professional and academic contexts.

Having this qualification coupled with practical experience could open up career opportunities in various scientific and medical research fields in the public and private sectors, for example, in pharmaceutical companies, the NHS, medical research, universities, commercial laboratories, and independent healthcare providers.

To study for the Postgraduate Diploma in Medicinal Chemistry you must normally hold a UK honours degree (or equivalent qualification) in science or a science-related subject relevant to this qualification. If you have other study or experience that you believe equips you to take this qualification you can still apply, but must supply evidence of your study or experience. Your case will be referred to the MSc in Science Admissions Panel.