- Students are to follow the requirements of the Handbook for the year they commenced the course.
However, the subject links below do not contain the subject information for the current year. You can view current subject information through the new Course Handbook.
Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) (Dean's Scholar) | 2020
Testamur Title of Degree: | Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) (Dean's Scholar) |
Abbreviation: | BMedChem(Hons)(Dean'sSchol) |
UOW Course Code: | 1772 |
CRICOS Code: | 084840J |
Total Credit Points: | 192 |
Duration: | 4 years full-time or part-time equivalent |
Home Faculty: | Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health |
Intake Session(s): | Autumn |
Delivery Mode: | On-campus (Face-to-face) |
Delivery Campus / UAC Code: | Wollongong / 757619 |
Overview
Medicinal Chemistry covers all elements of the development of new medicines for human use, including the isolation of new medicinal agents from natural sources, the design and synthesis of new drugs, and understanding the cause of diseases at the molecular level.
Medicinal chemists design and synthesise new medicinal and pharmacological agents; develop new dosage forms; monitor guidelines for testing drugs and undertake analyses; assist with drug regulatory affairs; assess patent applications for new drugs; and teach in tertiary institutions.
The degree provides excellent training in the modern techniques of chemical science applied to medicine. This includes specialised courses in drug discovery and design, using both rational, computer-aided and bioprospecting approaches. As well as fundamental training in the chemical sciences, you will also study the concepts needed to understand the effects of the disease state on the human body and the role of drugs. Topics of study include chemistry, physiology, pharmacology and cell biology.
The Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) (Dean’s Scholar) is designed specifically for high-achieving students interested in a challenging degree leading to a career in scientific research.
All students are invited to participate in various enrichment activities throughout the program and, after the first year, to develop a close association with an appropriate member of one of the faculty's research teams.
Students in this program also have the opportunity to undertake individual research subjects. Students are normally required to achieve at least a Distinction average in subjects completed in a calendar year.
In the final year, all students undertake a substantial piece of supervised research in their major discipline, together with other required seminar and/or course work.
Graduates may then be eligible for direct enrolment into a research doctorate in their chosen field or into other postgraduate degrees.
Entry Requirements and Credit Arrangements
Information on academic and English language requirements, as well as eligibility for credit for prior learning, is available from the Course Finder.
Course Learning Outcomes
Course Learning Outcomes are statements of learning achievement that are expressed in terms of what the learner is expected to know, understand and be able to do upon completion of a course. Students graduating from this course will be able to:
| CLO | Description | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Demonstrate extensive and coherent knowledge of the principles and concepts associated with chemistry. | ||||||
| 2 | Demonstrate extensive and coherent knowledge of the principles and concepts associated with the design and synthesis of medicinal agents, their mode of action and their biological interactions. | ||||||
| 3 | Demonstrate technical and cognitive skills associated with chemistry, including medicinal chemistry, by locating, analysing and synthesising information to generate solutions to complex questions and problems. | ||||||
| 4 | Exercise critical analysis of observations and data from primary and secondary sources. | ||||||
| 5 | Integrate and apply knowledge and skills associated with medicinal chemistry to plan and execute a substantial research project. | ||||||
| 6 | Communicate Knowledge and ideas clearly and coherently to others through a variety of media. | ||||||
| 7 | Apply knowledge of research principles and research skills in a variety of research contexts. | ||||||
Course Structure
To qualify for award of the degree, the Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry (Honours) (Dean's Scholar), a candidate must successfully complete at least 192 credit points, as outlined below.
Please note:
- Students who have not completed HSC Mathematics at Band 4 or higher (or equivalent) are required to complete a mathematics subject (MATH151 or equivalent) normally in the first year.
- Students may only count 60 credit points of 100-level subjects towards the degree.
- Students must have a grade of Pass (not Pass Supplementary) or higher in 300-level core subjects.
Progression Requirements
To maintain a place in the Dean’s Scholar program, students are normally required to achieve a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 75% in the 200 and 300 level subjects completed. The performance of each student will be reviewed initially by the Faculty after the completion of 72 credit points. Students not meeting the minimum progression requirements will be required to transfer into the Bachelor of Science (Medicinal Chemistry).
| Subject Code | Subject Name | Credit Points | Session(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | |||
| Autumn | |||
| MEDI100 | Human Structure and Function | 6 | Autumn |
| Select ONE of the following two subjects: | |||
| Note: Students who have achieved a mark of 65% or more in NSW HSC Chemistry or equivalent must select CHEM101 and CHEM102. All other students must select CHEM104 and CHEM105. | |||
| CHEM101 | Chemistry IA: Introductory Physical and General Chemistry | 6 | Autumn |
| CHEM104 | Foundation Chemistry: Properties of Matter | 6 | Autumn |
| Plus 12 credit points of subjects from the following list: | |||
| BIOL104 | Evolution, Biodiversity and Environment | 6 | Autumn |
| BIOL105 | Functional Biology of Animals and Plants | 6 | Autumn |
| MEDI150 | Fundamental Concepts in Food and Nutrition | 6 | Autumn |
| PHYS141 | Fundamentals of Physics A | 6 | Autumn |
| MATH141 | Foundations of Engineering Mathematics | 6 | Autumn, Spring |
| or | |||
| MATH151 | General Mathematics 1A | 6 | Autumn, Summer 2020/2021 |
| or | |||
| MATH187 | Mathematics 1: Algebra and Differential Calculus | 6 | Autumn |
| * The Mathematics subject to study is dependent on the level of Mathematics already achieved by the student (HSC or equivalent). Students may only complete one of the listed MATH subjects. | |||
| Spring | |||
| BIOL103 | Molecules, Cells and Organisms | 6 | Spring |
| MEDI112 | Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology II | 6 | Spring |
| STAT252 | Statistics For the Natural Sciences | 6 | Spring |
| Select ONE of the following two subjects: | |||
| CHEM102 | Chemistry 1B: Structure and Reactivity of Molecules for Life | 6 | Spring |
| CHEM105 | Foundation Chemistry: Reactions and Structures | 6 | Spring |
| Summer | |||
| CHEM106 | Foundation Chemistry: Properties and Reactivity of Matter | 6 | Summer 2020/2021 |
| Students completing CHEM104 and CHEM105 and wishing to enrol in a 200 level CHEM subject may also be required to complete CHEM106. Please check with the Head of Students for confirmation. | |||
| Year 2 | |||
| Autumn | |||
| BIOL213 | Principles of Biochemistry | 6 | Autumn |
| CHEM211 | Inorganic Chemistry II | 6 | Autumn |
| CHEM212 | Organic Chemistry II | 6 | Autumn |
| MEDI211 | Control Mechanisms Physiology | 6 | Autumn |
| Spring | |||
| BIOL214 | The Biochemistry of Energy and Metabolism | 6 | Spring |
| BIOL215 | Introductory Genetics | 6 | Spring |
| CHEM213 | Molecular Structure, Reactivity and Change | 6 | Spring |
| CHEM214 | Analytical and Environmental Chemistry | 6 | Spring |
| Year 3 | |||
| Autumn | |||
| CHEM358 | Pharmacology | 6 | Autumn |
| CHEM374 | Molecular Spectroscopy and Structure Elucidation | 6 | Autumn |
| SCIP300 | Advanced Chemistry and Molecular Bioscience Project | 6 | Autumn, Spring, Summer 2020/2021 |
| Plus, ONE subject from the following list: | |||
| BIOL340 | Cell and Molecular Biology | 6 | Autumn |
| BIOL343 | Techniques in Biotechnology and Medical Research | 6 | Autumn |
| CHEM324 | Chemical Analysis and Inference | 6 | Autumn |
| Spring | |||
| CHEM325 | Bioinformatics:Genome, Genes and Biomolecules | 6 | Spring |
| CHEM360 | Organic Synthesis III | 6 | Spring |
| CHEM333 | Drug Discovery and Medicinal Chemistry | 6 | Spring |
| Plus, ONE subject from the following list: | |||
| CHEM370 | Modern Inorganic and Bio-inorganic Chemistry | 6 | Spring |
| BIOL341 | Immunity and Infection | 6 | Spring |
| Year 4 | |||
| CHEM470 | Selected Topics in Medicinal Chemistry | 12 | SMAH Annual |
| CHEM480 | Medicinal Chemistry Project | 36 | SMAH Annual |
Honours
The class of Honours awarded is based on performance in third and fourth year subjects, based on a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) formula in accordance with Method 3 as defined in the Coursework Rules.
Professional Recognition/Accreditation
This degree structure is designed to meet the qualifying standards of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, and students meeting the course requirements will be eligible for corporate membership as Chartered Chemists.
Other Information
For further information please email: smah-students@uow.edu.au