Medicinal Chemistry

Overview

At the Msc in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Copenhagen you work with the design of potential drug substances. Organic chemistry and synthesis development are the core subjects and the focus is on macromolecular and small molecule drugs.

You can follow courses on the rational design of new drugs, coupled with project work that provides insight into the use of modern computerized chemical methods in drug design. 

You can also take courses which deal with the preparation and modification of peptides and proteins as potential drugs, internationally a fast-track area of growth. Finally, you can take radiopharmaceutical courses, which deal with radioactive labeling techniques and the use of radioactivity in modern drug development.

Career Opportunities

As a graduate with a Medicinal Chemistry course at University of Copenhagen your educational profile will be much in demand thanks to your BSc in a technical or natural science field combined with a pharmaceuticals-oriented MSc that focuses on medicines and the development of drugs and related products.

As a medicinal chemist you can expect to find work in the area of the pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical and biotech industry that conducts research into new drugs. 

In the industry you will work with other research scientists in the drug field – pharmacists, pharmacologists, radiopharmacists and molecular biologists, for example – to design and synthesize new compounds with the potential to become future drugs. 

Another important job area for medicinal chemists is working with patent experts and others to ensure that new drugs are patented.