Minor in Pharmaceutical Science
Overview
The pharmaceutical industry in Singapore is undergoing a phase of expansion, as more pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies set up new manufacturing and research facilities here. Along with this expansion plans, manpower with relevant knowledge and skills will be sought after by the industry. In addition to the requisite domain knowledge which may be science, engineering, law or business; the employers are also seeking to hire graduates with supplementary knowledge relevant to the pharmaceutical industry.
The relevant adjunct knowledge is based on foundation in pharmaceutical sciences. Having an understanding of pharmaceutical sciences will enable these graduates to quickly immerse in the environment of the industry and may ease the initial learning phase.
With this Minor in Pharmaceutical Science, graduates may also choose to pursue further studies either in the coursework MSc (Pharmaceutical Science and Technology) or pursue other Ph.D. or MSc research programmes in their own majors at NUS or elsewhere. Together with a science or engineering based major, graduates will have a broader spectrum of technical knowledge and skills which will become useful in the research activities undertaken during their graduate study.
Objectives
- To build a fundamental technical language, knowledge and skill set relevant to the pharmaceutical industry.
- To help raise the awareness among undergraduates from different majors the potential applications of their domain knowledge in the pharmaceutical industry.
Entry Requirements
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Special announcement: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the department will not offer PHS1101 in AY2024/2025 Sem 2.
We apologize for any inconvenience caused. |
Prospective undergraduates, with the following qualifications and pre-requisites, may apply for the Minor in Pharmaceutical Science. Enrolment into this restricted minor programme is subject to approval.
| Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level | A very good pass in H2 Chemistry and A very good pass in PHS1101 The Billion-Dollar Pill – Bench to Bedside Drug Development |
| International Baccalaureate | A very good pass in HL Chemistry and A very good pass in PHS1101 The Billion-Dollar Pill – Bench to Bedside Drug Development |
| National University of Singapore High School Diploma |
A very good pass in Chemistry and A very good pass in PHS1101 The Billion-Dollar Pill – Bench to Bedside Drug Development |
| Polytechnic Diploma | A very good pass in Chemistry related course and A very good pass in PHS1101 The Billion-Dollar Pill – Bench to Bedside Drug Development |
| For a student who has not taken any Chemistry course before, he/she will need to take a Chemistry bridging course in NUS. A very good pass for the Chemistry bridging course and A very good pass in PHS1101 The Billion-Dollar Pill – Bench to Bedside Drug Development are required. | |
Programme Requirements
The target applicants for this minor programme are students who are pursuing science or engineering-based majors. In addition, students who major in law, economics, computing, marketing or business may also apply, provided the pre-requisites are met. Candidates reading the major in Pharmacy are precluded from taking the Minor in Pharmaceutical Science.
Students would need to take 4 to 5 semesters to complete the minor programme.
Application
Interested applicants may apply for the Minor in Pharmaceutical Science during the application window via myEdurec for Restricted Minor from AY2022/23 Sem 1 onwards. The application will be opened every semester. The latest date for students to apply for the Minor in Pharmaceutical Science is by the end of 4th semester of their studies in NUS.
Students interested in applying for the Minor in Pharmaceutical Science should complete OR be in the midst of completing the pre-requisite gateway course PHS1101 The Billion-Dollar Pill – Bench to Bedside Drug Development in order to be considered.
Application Outcome
For Semester 1 application, the outcome of application for Restricted Minor will be updated after Examination Results Release for Semester 1 and latest before the start of CourseReg Registration Round 2 of Semester 2. Students who are approved to admit into the Restricted Minor programme can bid for the courses in CourseReg Registration Round 2 and 3.
For Semester 2 application, the outcome of application for Restricted Minor will be updated after Examination Results Release for Semester 2 and latest before the start of CourseReg Registration Round 1 of Semester 1. Students who are approved to admit into the Restricted Minor programme can bid for the courses in CourseReg Registration Round 1 to 3.
Programme Structure
| Requirements | Courses (Non-Laboratory Based) |
Units |
| Essential Courses |
|
8 |
| Level 2000 |
Any TWO of the following:
|
8 |
| Level 3000 |
Any ONE of the following:
|
4 |
|
Total 20 Units |
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The maximum period of candidature for students reading the Minor in Pharmaceutical Science follows that of a single major under the student’s Primary Major programme.
Careers
Career Prospects
There are many career opportunities in the pharmaceutical and allied industries for graduates who have a background in pharmaceutical sciences. Graduates, who major in biology, chemistry, mathematics, statistics, food science, material science, computing and engineering, are needed to fill positions in research laboratories, manufacturing plants and quality assurance laboratories of pharmaceutical companies.
In addition, those with degrees in law, economics, marketing or business may not only develop rewarding careers in finance, human resource, intellectual property and legal, but also, in business and market development in the industry. It definitely takes multi-disciplinary teams with a variety of skills to develop and produce effective and safe health products.