Master's degree Drug and Health Products Sciences Track Drug Design
This programme is taught in French.
field(s) of training :
Science, Technology, Health
diploma level :
Master's degree (five-year degree)
duration of the program :
2 years
Course overview
You’re a Pharmacy student? You wish to specialise in Research or Hospital Internship on drug design and research of new active principles of therapeutical interests in organic and medicinal chemistry, pharmacognosy, or molecular modelling?
With the master’s in Drug and Health Products Sciences specialised in Drug Design, discover the challenges and opportunities of the pharmacy industry! This programme trains professionals in research or industry related to drug chemistry. The master's is also open to Medical students, Engineering students or any student having studied sciences related to organic chemistry or life sciences who wish to pursue doctoral studies in drug design.
Highlights
The professional training of the master’s in Drug Design relies on conferences given by academic specialists in pharmaceutical research and development, both in French and in English. These conferences complete the theoretical, practical and experimental courses and ensure the strong link of the master’s with the professional environment. As such, the master’s can be attended as adult education, for pharmaceutical industry technicians who wish to improve their knowledge and skills to become executives. For the past years, the master’s students have been successfully hired by laboratories such as Sanofi, Pierre-Fabre, Galapagos and GSK.
Welcoming international students
Since 2019, the University of Caen Normandy has been awarded the "Bienvenue en France" label by Campus France, highlighting the quality of the university's welcome for international students.
Application requirements
Entry requirements
To enter this master’s, you should
- Have skills and knowledge in drug sciences, organic chemistry and English
- Graduate from
- a degree in Sciences, Technologies, Health
- the fourth year of Pharmacy studies (having completed DFASP 1 or equivalent and being in DFASP 2 or equivalent with a specialisation in Pharmaceutical Industry and Research or Hospital Internship)
- from the fourth year of Medical studies (DFASM 1 or equivalent)
Applicants must provide:
- Academic records
- Cover letter
- CV
And will eventually be called for an interview.
Language proficiency requirements
Minimum French proficiency level required: B2
Minimum English proficiency level required: B1
Specific conditions
If you completed Year 1 of this master's, you will automatically enter Year 2.
If you completed Year 1 of another master's, you can apply to Year 2 of this master's. The application file is the same as for Year 1’s applicants.
Apply and register
The registration process takes place in 3 steps:
Application process
Admission and registration requirements may vary depending on your nationality, country of residence, foreign secondary school leaving certificate, and the nature of your programme of study. Discover how to apply to the University of Caen Normandy.
Course structure
Courses
- Take place on site in Campus 5 (Caen) of the University of Caen Normandy
- Are completed by a compulsory internship
Course units
The curriculum of Year 1 in Drug Design depends on whether you are a Pharmacy student at the University of Caen Normandy or not.
Year 1 · Pharmacy students
The 1st semester is dedicated to a 6-month internship in a hospital, compulsory for students who prepare the fifth year of Pharmacy studies (DFASP 2).
The courses of the 2nd semester vary depending on your Pharmacy specialisation:
- For Community Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Industry and Research:
- Introduction to drug design
- Drug chemistry
- Quantification methods in pharmacology
- For Hospital Pharmacy, Medical Biology and Research:
- Introduction to hospital internship
- English and information in Health
- Introduction to drug design
- Drug chemistry OR Quantification methods in pharmacology
The 2nd semester will be completed with a 2-month internship for all pharmacy students.
Year 1 · Non-pharmacy students
The 1st semester relies on the following courses:
- From pre-clinical phase to clinical phase
- Chemistry (organic chemistry applied to drugs and therapeutic chemistry)
- Analytic sciences
- English
- Innovating therapies
- Pharmacology of transmission
The 2nd semester relies on the same courses as for the Pharmacy students in Community Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Industry and Research:
- Introduction to drug design
- Drug chemistry
- Quantification methods in pharmacology
The 2nd semester will be completed with a 2-month internship for all pharmacy students.
Year 2 · All students
The curriculum of Year 2 is the same for all students – courses in the 1st semester and internship in the 2nd semester. Main courses of Year 2 include:
- Drug Design
- Natural products in medicinal chemistry
- Molecular modelling
- Drug chemistry
- Fundamentals in pharmacology and innovating therapy technologies
- Optional courses out of one of the following:
- Computer science, data, health
- Pharmacovigilance
- Pre-clinical development
Internships and placements
The master’s programme includes compulsory internships, in a company or a laboratory, in France or abroad. The number of internships depends on whether you are a Pharmacy student or not.
- Year 1:
- 1st semester: 6-month internship for Pharmacy students
- 2nd semester: 2-month internship for all students
- Year 2, 2nd semester: 6-month internship (from January to June) for all students
All internships will be evaluated through detailed written reports and oral presentations of these reports.
Coursework and assessment
The course lasts 2 years and is divided in 4 semesters, each comprising several courses units. Examinations are held at the end of each semester and are graded on a scale from 0 to 20, 20 being the best grade. Grade compensation is organized without eliminatory marks and on the basis of the general average obtained in every course unit:
- Over each semester
- Over the 2 semesters of year 1.
The 2 semesters do not compensate each other in year 2.
To successfully complete a semester, you must have an average mark of at least 10 points out of 20. If you have not completed your semester, you can retake the courses units you failed; you do not have to retake the courses in which you have obtained at least 10 points out of 20.
Language
French
English (for some conferences)
Study abroad
You wish to go abroad during you master's programme? Thanks to the support of the Group for the Promotion of Pharmaceutical chemistry in Academia (GP2A), gathering 16 research units of western Europe (France, Ireland, United Kingdom, Spain and Portugal), you can do an internship or study abroad in one of the participating universities!
Learning outcome
By the end of this course, you will be able to lead doctoral research works in the field of drug design, especially in:
- Natural and synthetic models
- Drug discovery
- Hit-to-lead chemistry
- Chemical library search
Further study
Once you’ve obtained your master’s, since the programme is research-oriented, you are encouraged to pursue doctoral studies depending on your research project.
Careers
With an expertise in drug design, you will have opportunities in drug chemistry, in academics and research. As such, you will be able to work for universities, institutions, or industries. Main careers include:
- Chemical library engineer
- Project engineer in research for drug chemistry
Address
Université de Caen Normandie
UFR Santé
PFRS · Pôle des formations et de recherche en santé
2 rue des Rochambelles · CS 14032 · 14032 Caen Cedex 5
France
Course leader
Responsable du master : Francois Sichel · francois.sichel@unicaen.fr