3463 - Honours degree of Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry

This honours degree is an extension of the current Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry degree and provides an excellent research training base for those entering the industry or higher degree programs. The course consists of compulsory coursework, including induction and information technology non-assessable introductory programs, and assessable coursework components relevant to medicinal chemistry. The course also provides supervised research based in any area of medicinal chemistry.

The prerequisite for entry to the honours year is a bachelors degree in medicinal chemistry or other related field with an average overall credit grade or higher in the final year of the course, or equivalent qualifications and experience deemed by the faculty board to be suitable preparation for the candidate's proposed field of study.

The objectives of the Honours Degree of Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry are as follows:

• to develop students' skills in research, including research planning, experimental techniques, data analysis and scientific writing
• to provide students with a research-orientated degree suitable for entry into pharmaceutical, drug discovery and biotechnology industries
• to provide future higher degree candidates with advanced knowledge in medicinal chemistry and research methodology
• to encourage students to pursue higher degree studies in medicinal chemistry.

Upon successful completion, the student will:

• develop an in-depth knowledge of some aspects of the basic science concepts supporting medicinal chemistry
• be able to undertake a review of the literature and be able to present a critical evaluation of the literature
• have an understanding of the process in planning a research project and will be able to develop a research plan in discussion with the project supervisor
• be technically competent to use analytical instrumentation, conduct experimental procedures and methodologies
• be able to undertake data manipulation and analysis and understand the interpretation of data
• be able to communicate the outcomes of the project, orally and in writing.

The honours degree consists of 25 per cent (12 credit points) coursework and 75 per cent (36 credit points) supervised research undertaken in either the Faculty of Science or the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Students must complete the following units:

• BMC4100 Medicinal chemistry honours research project
• BMC4200 Medicinal chemistry honours coursework

The coursework components will consist of an induction period (one week) followed by several weeks of assessable coursework. The non-assessable induction program will provide candidates with the details of the course and its assessment, research requirements and legal responsibilities. In addition, the induction process will provide advice on research methodology, information retrieval, and the oral and written communication of research results. There will also be an information technology component that will introduce the candidate to programs that will assist with their research writing.

The coursework will be taught jointly at the Clayton and Parkville campuses. Students will undertake coursework study equivalent to a minimum 40 hours of contact (lecture and tutorials) and self-directed learning. The research component will consist of a thesis and seminars/oral presentations.

Honours degree of Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry