Pharmaceutical Analysis Higher Level Apprenticeship

Overview
Acquire the skills, knowledge and hands-on experience for a career as a Pharmaceutical Analyst in Industry or Academia.

Who Are You?
You are presently working and may be a physical or life sciences graduate – chemistry, pharmacy and biology – or possess other qualifications alongside your work experience. You have decided to significantly develop your professional skills. To match this ambition we offer this course part-time, one day per week.

Why Study This Course?
Our industrial partners are always telling us they need people like you with our skill sets. Analysts are among the most sought after professionals with some of the highest employability rates.

You will receive practical training on state-of-the-art separation techniques, such as HPLC/MS and GC/MS, in the purpose built Pharmaceutical Analysis lab designed in partnership with Agilent (a world-leading instrument manufacturer).

Learning and Teaching
The course accommodates both full-time and employed part-time students.

CONTACT TEACHING HOURS (per week):

Part-time: 8-12 hours

Course Details
You'll learn the theory behind state-of-the-art analytical techniques and have an opportunity to practice your skills using the most modern instrumentation.

You'll be trained on techniques such as:

Liquid and gas chromatography (HPLC, GC)
Mass spectrometry (MS)
Thermal Analysis (DSC, TGA)
X-ray crystallography (PXRD, XRD)
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy

You will also receive training on QA/QC aspects of the Pharmaceutical Industry. For your research project, you'll spend 2-3 months in a laboratory. You have the option to do this within your current employer premises.

Indicative Number of Modules Per Semester
Part-time: One Module

Indicative Proportional Mix of Time in Classes, Tutorials/Seminars/Labs, and Private Study in a Teaching Semester

Contact time:
Lectures / Seminars 56 hrs.
Laboratory / Workshop classes 48 hrs.

Study time:
Coursework 50 hrs
Preparation of written/oral reports 96 hrs.
Private study / revision 150 hrs.

List of Indicative Programme Modules
Advanced Separation Science
Chemical, Biochemical and Spectroscopic Analytical Methods
Solid State Pharmaceutical Analysis Methods
Quality Assurance/Control in the Pharmaceutical Industry
Research Project

Modules
The course comprises four taught modules, two of which will run during the entire academic year (Sept-May) and two semester-long modules; the first running Sept-Jan and the second Feb-May.

Advanced Separation Science: (Sept-Jan) will cover the most important separation techniques relevant to the Pharmaceutical Industry as well as method validation, stability of pharmaceutical compounds and sample preparation methods (20 CATS points).

Chemical, Biochemical and Spectroscopic Analytical Methods: (Sept-May) will cover the majority of modern spectroscopic techniques and their applications in pharmaceutical analysis as well as aspects of GMP and GLP (40 CATS points).

Solid State Pharmaceutical Analysis Methods: (Sept - May) will discuss a series of solid state characterisation techniques and their application in pharmaceutical analysis (40 CATS points).

These three modules include a large number of practical sessions, which involve conduct of experimental work using state-of-the-art analytical techniques and instrumentation, literature search and preparation of scientific reports.

Quality Assurance/Control in the Pharmaceutical Industry: (Feb-May) will cover QA and QC aspects of the Pharmaceutical Industry (20 CATS points) and is assessed exclusively by class tests and group assignments.

During the summer semester (June-September) the students will undertake a laboratory based research project with an accompanying dissertation.

The research project will provide training in how to tackle a research problem in chemistry and will include a strong emphasis on the development of critical thinking, analysis of data and independent research.

Graduate
Normally a 2.2 Honours degree or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in Chemistry, Pharmacy or a closely allied subject. Performance in key modules will be taken into consideration.

Applicants with relevant work experience will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

International Students
For information on international qualification equivalents, please check the specific information for your country.

English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.0, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.

• Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
• Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.

How to Apply
Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal go.qub.ac.uk/pgapply and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

This Higher Level Apprenticeship (HLA) is fully funded by the DfE therefore it is not open to international applicants. Further information on eligibility criteria for Higher Level Apprenticeships can be found at https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/higher-level-apprenticeships.

The deadline for applications is normally 30th June 2022. However, we encourage applicants to apply as early as possible. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal earlier than 30th June deadline. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.

2 academic years part-time.

Teaching Times
Lectures/practicals will be run over a single day each week to accommodate day-release schemes. Teaching may also be available outside normal teaching hours to support employed part-time students.

Career Prospects
Introduction
This programme is designed to prepare students for employment as analysts in the pharmaceutical and related industries or to prepare them for progression to more senior roles.

There is currently a high demand, both locally and internationally, for employees and graduates with analytical skills in this sector.

Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/

Employment after the Course
WHERE YOU MIGHT BE IN FIVE YEARS' TIME?

You might be working as a laboratory analyst or senior analyst, in quality assurance or quality control or in an industrial R&D facility.

You could be managing graduate recruits of your own, signing off the analysis and the quality of drugs and releasing batches into the world.

You could study further towards obtaining a PhD and continue towards an academic career.

The main focus of this degree is pharmaceutical analysis, but your training could open up career pathways in other areas, such as the food industry or environmental protection.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/

Employment Links
Many of our students have gone on to work for companies such as:

Almac
Randox
Norbrook
Pfizer
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/