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Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology

Academic Year: 
2019/2020
Degree Level: 
Single-Cycle Master's Degree
Teaching Facility: 
Department of Drug Sciences
Access Requirements: 
Locally scheduled
Italian Classification: 
LM-13 Farmacia e farmacia industriale
Teaching Languages: 
Italian
Location: 
Catania

Course Overview

The objective of the five-year degree course in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology is provide students with the scientific and methodological bases to operate in the field of Pharmacy and Industrial Pharmacy, as an expert in drug and health-care products.

The degree study plan is designed in order to provide high correlations between basic educational courses, characterizing courses and associated courses that allow graduates to reach the expected multidisciplinary knowledge. Qualifying training activities for this purpose come, in particular, from elective courses in the following fields: pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutical technology, biology, biochemistry, pharmacology and biotechnology.

Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology possess the know-how for the preparation and the study of new active pharmaceutical ingredients, for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of drugs, and for the formulation and control of pharmaceutical forms.

The course has a restricted access with an entrance exam equivalent to those of the other degree courses of the Department of Drug Sciences. Basic knowledges of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and biology are requested for the entrance exam. Attendance at the courses is compulsory; absences for no more than 30% are allowed. During the five-year course, students have to perform a full-time professional internship of at least 6 months in a public or hospital pharmacy, under the supervision of a pharmacist, in compliance with the European Directives.

Graduates are allowed to take the state exam for the Pharmacy profession and the state exam to entry in Section A of the professional register of Chemists (DPR n. 328, 05/06/2001). Graduates have also access to higher level education courses such as PhD research programs, Specialization schools and 2nd level Master courses.

Educational Goals

The degree course in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology has as its objective the formation of graduates able to conduct a professional activity in the field of Pharmacy and Industrial Pharmacy. Graduates possess in-depth knowledges of organic chemistry,  synthetic methodologies and extraction of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). They possess state-of-art expertise in molecular modelling, in pharmacological experimental techniques along with practical knowledge of the most recent techniques of instrumental drug analysis. Graduates have also knowledges needed to correlate the structure of a drug to its pharmacological action and to design new active pharmaceutical compounds on the basis of the structural features of the biological target.

Graduates have competence and understanding skills useful for occupational integration both in the pharmaceutical industry and in the territorial arena of pharmaceutics. The approach to reach these goals consists in the administration of theoretical and practical courses, provided for individuals or groups, supported by a highly qualified tutoring activity.

The achievement of results is verified during laboratory training and by the administration of written and oral exams. Also, a specific form of assessment to verify the level of knowledge reached by the student consists in testing his/her ability to develop a mandatory experimental thesis work, needed for the final examination, carried out in universities or in different public and private research centers. The training activity stimulates graduates to make independent critical judgements and to develop decisions-making skills. This is achieved by the mutual interaction among teachers, students, and tutors.

The degree course in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology allow graduates to develop the ability to work independently in the academic field of research, in the pharmaceutical industry and in the health-care arena.

Job Opportunities

Graduates are allowed to take the state exam for the Pharmacy profession and the state exam to entry in Section A of the professional register of Chemists (DPR n. 328, 05/06/2001). 

Professional outlets

  • Pharmacist
  • Chemist and cognate professions
  • Researcher in Pharmaceutical and Chemical Sciences
COURSE PLAN