Master i Personlig Medicin
Understand the whole drug development process
Who is it for?
The Master of Industrial Drug Development is targeted working professionals in the biotech, pharmaceutical, medico industries or in clinical research institutions.
The programme accommodates students with backgrounds ranging from bachelor's, master's, to Ph.D.s in various fields such as chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacy, medicine, biomedicine, human biology, molecular biology, veterinary sciences, nursing and engineering.
Key Benefits
This programme provides you with a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of the drug development process.
You will:
- Gain a deeper understanding of your role in the drug development chain
- Optimise and develop collaboration across various specialist fields
- Apply innovative approaches and insights derived from newest research and best practice
- Support your career development opportunities in the life science industry
- Build a strong network with fellow students and lecturers from the life science industry.
Overview
Understand the Whole Drug Development Process
Drug development is a long, complex process requiring the interaction of numerous specialist fields. The Master of Industrial Drug Development offers abilities to streamline the production of new medicines by an in-depth understanding of the disciplines involved, from early target identification and validation through safety and efficacy testing to market launch.Structure
Part-time study for working professionals
The Master of Industrial Drug Development is designed to fit into the busy schedule of working professionals. All courses are organized as short intensive in-person courses and we announce all course dates well in advance, providing the opportunity to schedule the courses within your busy work life.
You can choose to enroll in only one course, multiple courses, or the entire program, depending on your needs and availability. If you opt to take a single course, you are welcome to return and pursue additional courses or the entire program later.
It is possible to complete the full master’s program through part-time study within a timeframe spanning 2 to 6 years.
Combining academic-based research with hands-on learning
The programme is developed in close collaboration with the Life Science industry and combines outstanding academic-based research with an extensive contribution from leading experts in the field.
By combining research-based methods with hands-on learning in small groups, the students' skills and knowledge are enhanced, directly benefiting their daily work practices.
The programme
| Compulsory courses: 30 ECTS |
| Elective courses: 10-18 ECTS |
| Master's project: 12-20 ECTS |
Each ECTS credit is equivalent to 27.5 hours of study, which includes preparation, course activity and exam.
Flexible study
The programme is flexible and allows you to organise the courses in the order and pace that suits you best. The sole requirement is that the master's project must conclude the programme. Furthermore, we recommend that you commence the programme with the course Discovery and Development of Medicines.
Below you will find examples of possible study plans.
| Year 1 | Year 2 |
|---|---|
|
All compulsory courses |
|
|
1-2 elective courses |
2-3 elective courses |
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|
| 5-6 compulsory courses | 3-4 compulsory courses 1-2 elective courses |
1-2 compulsory courses 1-2 elective courses Master's project |
| Year 1+2 | Year 3-5 | Year 6 |
|---|---|---|
| 4-5 compulsory courses Possibly 1 elective course |
3-4 compulsory courses 1-2 elective courses |
Possibly 1 compulsory course 1-2 elective courses Master's project |
Examination schedules
View exam and re-exam details by clicking the link below.
Courses
Compulsory courses
Click the course to apply and view the full description and details.
Elective courses
Click on the link below to view all elective courses offered at Master of Industrial Drug Development.
Teaching Staff
The faculty comprises leading researchers from the university and world-class experts from the Life Science industry. This collaboration enables an outstanding combination of research-based and close-to-practice teaching, fostering an easier transfer of knowledge and skills into work situations.
You can find more information about the teaching staff under each course description.
Head of studies
Nyt citat (Lisbeth).
Tuition Fees
Master's programme:
EU, EEA or Swiss citizens: From 218,950 DKK.Non-EU, non-EEA, or non-Swiss citizens: From 257,290 DKK.
The total programme tuition fee varies based on your selected elective courses. The fees for individual courses are listed in the course presentation.
Citizens from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland are eligible for reduced tuition fees according to EU legislation, which explains the disparity in the tuition fees.
Tuition fees are charged per course. You can plan the sequence and the pace of your courses to suit you, and we will invoice you accordingly.
Funding
The University of Copenhagen does not offer grants or scholarships for the Master of Industrial Drug Development.
Gross Salary Scheme/Bruttolønsordning
You might consider financing parts of your tuition fees through the Gross Salary Scheme. A gross salary scheme is a tax advantage that allows you to include the tuition fee expense as part of your gross salary. In essence, the tuition fee will be deducted from your salary before taxes are applied.
If you are working in Denmark, you can learn more about the gross salary scheme (In Danish: Bruttolønsordning) at the Danish Tax Agency (Link in Danish)
Admission
The Master admits full programme students every year. You can apply for admission from 1 June to 1 November and studies begins in February.
Admission criteria
Qualifying degree
Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree or, a professional Bachelor’s degree, a diploma degree, a Master’s degree in Health and Medical Sciences, Natural Sciences, Applied Sciences or equivalent.
Work experience
After completing the qualifying degree, you are required to have a minimum of two years of relevant work experience related to development of medicines.
English proficiency
You must have a standard of English equivalent to level B in Danish secondary education.
Exemption from admission criteria
The admission committee may consider applicants who do not hold one of the mentioned qualifying degrees if the applicant is deemed to possess comparable educational qualifications. Please note that you will not be exempt from the requirement of 2 years of relevant work experience.
Collect documentation for your application
An official certified diploma and transcript of academic records, with stamp and signature from your home university.
In case the original documents are not available in one of the following languages: Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, English, German or French, you are required to upload a certified translation with the copy of the original document.
A CV with your relevant work experiences which clearly states workplaces, specific work periods and job responsibilities.
You can document your English language proficiency in one of the following ways:
Native English language
Native English speakers from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK or Ireland may submit a copy of the page of their passport that has their photograph as proof.
Diploma from a Nordic university
Nordic applicants can demonstrate their English proficiency by submitting a certified copy of a high school diploma proving that they have passed English level B or by submitting a certified copy of a bachelor's or master’s diploma from a Nordic university.
Degree from an English speaking country
Applicants who have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, UK or Ireland can demonstrate their English proficiency by submitting a certified copy of their degree certificate if their degree was taught in English. A semester or year spent on a student exchange programme is not sufficient.
English working language
Applicants working in companies with English as the official working language can demonstrate their English proficiency by submitting a letter from their employer, on official headed paper, stating that their working language is English.
English language proficiency test
Applicants can demonstrate their English proficiency if they have passed a recognised English language proficiency test with an adequate score. We accept the following tests:
|
Name of test |
Minimum score |
Information required for online check of test |
|
IETLS (academic) IELTS Home Edition |
6.5 (overall test score) 6.5 (overall test score) Only overall score will be considered. |
TRF Number (Test Report Form Number) |
|
TOEFL
(MyBest Scores are not accepted) |
83 83 560 |
Registration number |
|
Cambridge Advanced (CAE) |
Passed at level C1 or C2 |
ID-number and Secret Number |
|
Cambridge Proficiency |
Passed at level C1 or C2 |
ID-number and Secret Number |
ELTS and TOEFL tests older than 2 years will not be accepted (counted from the programme application deadline). The Cambridge Assessment English may have been gained at any time.
A copy of your passport (photo page) is required for non-Danish citizens. If you are a non-EU/EEA citizen with a permanent Danish residence permit, a copy of this permit must be uploaded.
Please check whether you require a visa to enter Denmark by consulting the list of countries requiring visas.
If you are admitted to the programme and require a visa, we will assist you in the application process. Please note that the visa application can only begin upon receipt of the initial tuition fee installment.
Also note, that acceptance into a part-time study programme does not entitle you to a residence permit in Denmark. For additional details, please contact the Danish Immigration Service.
Guidance and admission
Annette Villumsen
Study Administration Officer
Tel.: +45 35 33 60 66
master@sund.ku.dk
Master of Industrial Drug Development
Continuing Professional Development
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Blegdamsvej 3B
2200 Copenhagen N - Denmark
Lene Jørgensen
Associate Professor and Head of Studies
Associate Professor at Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen 2010 -
Assistant Professor at the Department of Pharmaceutics and Analytical Chemistry, The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2005 - 2010.
PhD degree from the Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2004
Lene Sønderbye Kjærulff
Cand.Scient., Biochemistry and Project Manager from Denmark
Career changes led to new academic needs
For many years, Lene Sønderbye Kjærulff worked in research, but over the past years, she has changed her career path towards information management and project coordination in the life science industry. Working as a project coordinator on projects focusing on pharmaceutical development, she realized that she needed a broader basis and more general drug development competencies than what she had obtained from her educational background in biochemistry.
Lene Sønderbye Kjærulff’s manager supported her interest in educating herself further in other aspects than research. It felt natural for Lene Sønderbye Kjærulff to choose Master of Industrial Drug Development, as she had already heard about the master’s programme and it fitted well with her academic and work-related needs. The structure of the master’s programme was well suited for her:
“I liked that it was flexible with closed courses, where you finalized one part before starting on the next. It fits very well with my temperament.”
Master of Industrial Drug Development as a pharmacist ‘light’ education
Lene Sønderbye Kjærulff finds the master’s programme very useful for her work at Lundbeck:
“It was most definitely relevant. I gained a better and broader knowledge relevant for working in the life science industry, especially in connection to the chain of drug development. I think of it as a pharmacist ‘light’ education, as you go through a range of topics, which I believe are covered in the pharmacist education. For example CMC, regulatory affairs, and quality assurance.”
Lene Sønderbye Kjærulff finds the education recommendable for people who work in the life science industry, but who lack the broad knowledge in the pharmaceutical field. She highlights the different possibilities:
“If you do not need the whole package, you could just enrol in one of the great courses, for example the regulatory courses. I very much like that you have the ability to hand pick according to your needs.”
Networking and sparring opportunities
Even though the course participants differ from course to course, Lene Sønderbye Kjærulff finds it giving for the education that you meet many people from the life science industry at the courses:
“When participating in for example the regulatory course, you can hear about how they work in other life science companies like Novo Nordisk and Leo Pharma. You can bring your own challenges to the table, be sparring partners, and learn how other companies would approach the same issues.”
Newly gained competencies led to new career opportunities
When asked if Lene Sønderbye Kjærulff found her new competencies applicable to her work in Lundbeck, she is not hesitant to mention the changes in her career life.
“I was offered the position as project manager at Lundbeck while I wrote the master’s thesis. Before then, I was a project coordinator, and I believe the education has played a part in my increased involvement and responsibility in the specific projects. Bottom line, I believe the education and the competencies gained from the Master of Industrial Drug Development, contributed to my promotion as project manager in Lundbeck. It certainly did not hurt.”
In Lene Sønderbye Kjærulff’s new position as project manager, the knowledge gained from the education helps her in different ways:
“I feel better prepared to talk to people from different areas of drug development. As part of the project management, we have a project team represented by many different areas for example CMC and toxicology. The education has helped me to ask better questions and improve my understanding of the different representatives and their contributions, needs, and challenges in drug development projects. Basically, I have gained a broader understanding of the value chain that helps us to lead a project forward and what is of importance in different areas of drug development.”
Interview from May 2021.
Ea Pettersson
Cand.Scient., Biochemistry and Head of Biopharmaceutical QC
New work tasks created the need for continuing education
Ea Pettersson became acquainted with the Master of Industrial Drug Development, as she needed new knowledge for a new work task. She found the Master of Industrial Drug Development to be ‘spot on’. While her primary intention was to enrol in a single course, Ea Petterson quickly found an interest in the full master’s programme:
“The master gives you the full perspective and understanding of the drug development phases. There are not many master’s programmes offering a full package like this.”
Understanding the connection between drug development phases
When asked who would benefit from a Master in Industrial Drug Development, Ea Pettersson points out that:
“The master’s programme is applicable to everyone working in the life science industry. However, it is of special interest to people who want to understand the connection between the drug development phases. In my position as director, it is important to know the crucial elements and requirements in the development of a drug. This programme can most definitely give you this overview, which is a great academic and professional ballast to obtain.”
Meeting other people with great expertise
Ea Pettersson highlights that the encounter with her fellow master’s students was of great value:
“In group work you spar with people working with other drug development phases, and people from different backgrounds and companies. You get an insight into other companies and organizational cultures.”
The external outlook was part of her argument to her management in Novo Nordisk when she applied for the master’s programme:
“The Master in Industrial Drug Development gives you an external input which you would not achieve through an internal educational programme within your own life science company. The course directors and external teachers are highly skilled scientists from both university and the life science industry. As they are the best in the field, you are presented with topics that are new and of current interest. They bring real life cases to the table which you can easily relate to.”
On a personal level, Ea Pettersson is pleased that the master’s programme also gave her professional direction:
“When you learn about all phases of drug development, you also have the chance to explore what phases you find the most intriguing and fun to work with.”
New career opportunities
The contribution of the master programme is clear to Ea Pettersson:
“My role has changed at Novo Nordisk. The master’s programme has most likely supported me in my transfer from an academic position as a chemist to a position as director. I have gained a better business understanding and a greater perspective. If you would like to be a manager in the life science industry with a strong professional academic foundation, the Master of Industrial Drug Development is worthwhile considering.”
Interview from June 2021.