Overview

At the Drug Discovery and Safety MSc programme from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, you will examine the interaction between molecules and the human body from a range of perspectives: chemical, medical, toxicological, pharmacological and genetic.

You will focus on a specialisation that suits your specific interests while working in a multidisciplinary environment where you will be challenged to address key questions about the medicines of the future. Sixty per cent of diseases are still incurable, so there are still a great many challenges for researchers to tackle.

Career prospects

Graduates in Drug Discovery have excellent employment prospects and can generally expect to earn a good salary. This Master’s programme opens up a whole range of career opportunities.

The most obvious ones are in medicinal research, the pharmaceuticals industry and hospital laboratories, but there are also plenty of opportunities within research institutes and government inspection agencies.

Promotion alumni sessions Master’s day

During the Master’s day, you can also meet our (international) alumni during several workshops. In these sessions they will tell you more about career opportunities after finishing your Master’s degree.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Drug Design and Synthesis

Drug Discovery and Target Finding

Drug Disposition and Safety Assessment

Computational Medicinal Chemistry and Toxicology

Diagnostics and Imaging

Science in Society

Science Communication

Secondary Education Teacher Training for STEM Disciplines

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 24 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2025-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2025-06-01 00:00:00 , EEA/EU
- Apply before 2025-06-01 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2026-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-04-02 00:00:00 , International

Language

English

TOEFL^® IBT

92

Schedule TOEFL®

Credits

120 ECTS

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Disciplines

Medicine Pharmacy View 23 other Masters in Medicine in Netherlands

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

TOEFL^® IBT

92

Schedule TOEFL®

Other requirements

General requirements

A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited research university including at least three full years of academic study amounting to a minimum of 180 ECTS or equivalent.
You can gain direct admission to the Master's programme Drug Discovery and Safety with a Bachelor's degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences or Chemistry.
Create an enrollment application in Studielink
Complete your application in Vuweb
Pay the application fee (€100)
Copy of your valid passport or ID
Curriculum Vitae
1 or 2 Letters of recommendation
Statement of Intent (Letter of Motivation)
Diploma(s): A copy of the original Bachelor's degree or certificate.
Transcript of records
Thesis (or alternative piece of academic writing)
A description of the relevant courses followed and literature used during your previous higher education

Student insurance

Make sure to cover your health, travel, and stay while studying abroad. Even global coverages can miss important items, so make sure your student insurance ticks all the following:

Additional medical costs (i.e. dental)
Repatriation, if something happens to you or your family
Liability
Home contents and baggage
Accidents
Legal aid

We partnered with Aon to provide you with the best affordable student insurance, for a carefree experience away from home.

Get your student insurance now

Starting from €0.53/day, free cancellation any time.

Remember, countries and universities may have specific insurance requirements. To learn more about how student insurance work at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and/or in Netherlands, please visit Student Insurance Portal.

Tuition Fee

To always see correct tuition fees

International

23490 EUR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 23490 EUR per year during 24 months.
EU/EEA

2601 EUR/year

Tuition Fee

Based on the tuition of 2601 EUR per year during 24 months.

Living costs for Amsterdam

1000 - 1500 EUR /month

Living costs

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Loading

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Drug Discovery Science.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About