Drug Discovery and Translational Biology MSc

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Biological, Biomedical and Life Sciences

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Mode of study

On campus

Full-time
  • MSc | 1 year | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

School of Biological Sciences

College

College of Science and Engineering

Study location

King's Buildings campus

Accreditation

Not available

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About the degree programme

The rapid transformation in the nature of drug discovery means that knowledge of related disciplines, and the technologies used, is essential for those considering a career in commercial or academic research.

This MSc programme in Drug Discovery and Translational Biology will help you explore the latest methods of developing drugs and therapeutic compounds for humans and animals, and disease control agents for plants.

Our multidisciplinary approach links structural biology, bioinformatics, chemistry and pharmacology.

On this programme, you will develop focused research skills, as well as an understanding of the environmental, health and social problems that accompany work in the field of drug discovery and working with proteins and their ligands.

You can also choose courses and opportunities in biological areas beyond the core drug discovery theme, allowing you to tailor your degree to your personal interests and future plans.

Programme rankings

  • 5th in the UK and 23rd in the world for Biological Sciences in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025
  • 4th in the UK and top-ranked in Scotland for research power by Times Higher Education (based on the 2021 Research Excellence Framework)
  • 90.6% overall student satisfaction in Biological Sciences in the latest Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (response rate 45%)

Programme benefits

  • Learn from leading practitioners in the field, studying knowledge and experimental techniques at the forefront of drug discovery and translational biology
  • Gain postgraduate level scientific and experimental skills, suitable for PhD research, and transferable skills suitable for R&D or project management careers in industry or other fields
  • Get involved with our research during your dissertation. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework 94% of our research activity was classed as ‘world-leading’ and 'internationally excellent'
  • Take opportunities to engage with industry professionals, and potentially undertake an industrial research project
  • Join one of the largest concentrations of biologists in the UK with a wide range of expertise and experience across over 150 research groups

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Full-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

If you receive an offer of admission, either unconditional or conditional, you will be asked to pay some of your tuition fees in advance as a deposit.

The deposit for this programme is £1,500.

How and when to pay the deposit

Costs

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that you might spend £1,167 to £2,330 per month if you are a single student.

Living costs include:

  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel, clothes, books and stationery
  • recreational costs (for example, TV subscriptions and social events)

Living costs

Accommodation costs depend on where you live while studying and the type of accommodation you choose.

University postgraduate accommodation options and costs

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics or pharmacology. 
 
We will also consider your application if you have a background in chemistry, pharmacy, physics, computer science or medicine.
 
Your degree should include some university level chemistry.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 6 in each component.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 135 in each component.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

The programme consists of two semesters of taught courses, followed by a research project and dissertation completed during the summer.

On this programme, you will:

  • investigate the fundamental scientific problems and techniques of drug discovery and design, alongside the challenges of developing principles for new therapeutic strategies
  • learn about marketing, licensing and regulations, which are all part of the development process
  • gain hands-on experience of crystallographic computer programming and computation for bioinformatics
  • consider the moral and ethical aspects of the agrochemical and pharmaceutical industries through case studies, seminars and discussions

Research project and dissertation

If you successfully complete the taught component of the programme, you will progress to complete a research project and dissertation.

Your research project will be at the frontier of knowledge and can make a genuine contribution to the progress of original research.

Projects often vary widely in terms of the subject matter. These may include:

  • database mining and modelling projects
  • approaching problems from a purely computational point of view
  • wet lab projects where atomic resolution structures of target and ligands are determined by a variety of analytical platforms

This aspect of the programme involves intensive practical training and instruction, as well as development of the skill sets required for effective review of relevant papers, data analysis and writing a dissertation.

Compulsory courses

Semesters 1 and 2
  • Protein Production for Therapeutic Discovery (20 credits)
Semester 1
  • Quantitating drug binding (10 credits)
  • Modelling and Measuring Drug/Protein Interactions (20 credits)
Semester 2
  • Biological Structure and Drug Function (20 credits)
  • Research Project Proposal (Biochemistry and Drug Discovery) (10 credits)
Dissertation
  • Research Project in MSc Drug Discovery and Translational Biology (60 credits)

Option courses

You can choose from a variety of courses in biological areas beyond the core drug discovery theme, allowing you to tailor your degree to your personal interests and future plans. This can include courses focusing on:

  • biotechnology
  • biochemistry
  • synthetic biology
  • bioinformatics

If you are interested in a specific course not listed in the Degree Programme Table, please get in touch with the programme director to discuss your options.

Some option courses are compulsory for other MSc programmes, and these students will have priority for places.

Find courses for this programme

Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.

The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.

Full-time

We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Teaching is delivered by leading academic and industrial specialists in the field.

Teaching styles vary from course to course. They include: 

  • lectures
  • laboratory-based practicals
  • tutorials
  • workshops
  • research project
  • literature and database searching
  • discussion groups and project groups
  • seminars

Assessment

Assessment methods also vary from course to course and may include: 

  • exams
  • experimental proposals
  • experimental reports
  • laboratory skills
  • essays
  • data interpretation
  • poster presentation
  • oral presentations
  • group projects
  • dissertation

The purpose of our assessments is to give you the opportunity to:

  • apply relevant skills and develop conceptual understanding
  • get feedback on your work from academic staff and your peers
  • show us you can apply the knowledge you have learnt to the questions or assignments you are given 

Learning outcomes

After completing this programme, you will be able to:

  • describe and critically assess the approaches in current use for:
    • protein modelling
    • structure-based drug design
    • structure determination
    • production/analysis methodologies for therapeutic targets and new drug molecules
  • appreciate and identify the important factors driving the research and technology development within the biopharmaceutical industry
  • demonstrate an increased understanding of biological and biochemical systems at the molecular level
  • describe the important role molecular structure and biochemical mechanisms play in the design of new drug modules
  • cultivate an increased understanding of the fundamental drivers for molecular recognition in protein-drug complexes
  • create a high-quality scientific report of the work you have performed in a manner suitable for publication and discuss the quality and significance of your approaches and conclusions, both in the local and wider context of the literature and the field

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

Where you will study

Study location

The majority of teaching and research project work will be carried out at the University's King’s Buildings campus. With over 100 years of scientific history, King's Buildings is the centre of science and engineering teaching at Edinburgh.

The School of Biological Sciences is based in several buildings around the campus and you will visit these throughout your studies.

Depending on your choice of courses, some of your classes may be based in other university venues in Edinburgh.

Some research projects will be performed at other university sites, including the Central Area, Edinburgh Bioquarter, Western General Hospital, and the Easter Bush Campus.

Academic facilities

From the more traditional styled Ashworth Building to the modern Nucleus Building you will learn in a variety of teaching spaces, including: 

  • lecture theatres
  • tutorial rooms
  • well-equipped teaching laboratories
  • collaborative learning spaces for group work
  • computing suites 

You will have access to libraries and other study spaces across the University and its campuses. Including a dedicated study room for MSc students in the School of Biological Sciences. There are a variety of physical textbooks and scientific papers available to borrow, as well as a range of online resources that you can use.

Career opportunities

At the end of the programme, our graduates are highly valuable and capable of pursuing a professional career in industry or government agencies, or continuing their research at PhD level.

This programme is designed to help you pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry or relevant government agencies involved in the development of therapeutics or the associated regulatory bodies.

It also provides a good background for managerial or technical roles in research, design and development.

Studying at the University of Edinburgh will lay the foundations for your future success, whatever shape that takes.

Further study

This programme's high molecular bioscience content, with its focus on target ligand structure and function, makes it a solid basis from which to continue your studies to PhD level in a number of disciplines.

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 3 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Due to high demand, the school operates a number of selection deadlines.

We strongly recommend you apply as early as possible. Applications may close earlier than the published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand.

We may make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis. However, the majority of applications will be held until the advertised deadline.

We aim to make the majority of decisions within eight weeks of the selection deadline.

If we have not made you an offer by a specific selection deadline this means one of two things:

  • your application has been unsuccessful, in which case we will contact you to let you know
  • your application is still being considered, it will be carried forward for consideration in the next selection deadline, and we will be in touch once a decision is made

The final deadline may be extended if any places remain on the programme.

If the final deadline is extended, we encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

Selection deadlines

RoundApplication deadlineDecisions made or applications rolled to the next deadline
115 December1 March
231 March31 May
331 May31 July

When to submit your supporting documents

You must submit all supporting documents by the application deadline, or we will be unable to consider your application. Regardless of when you apply, you have 28 days from submitting your application to supply any supporting documents through the Application Hub, after which we will automatically reject your application.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

References

You must submit one reference with your application.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

What our students say

Hear from Zachary, one of our MSc Bioinformatics students who also studied with us for his Undergraduate degree.

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single postgraduate taught students from outside the UK and new, single postgraduate research (typically PhD) students who:

  • apply for accommodation by 31 July in the year when you start your programme
  • accept an unconditional firm offer to study at the University by 31 July
  • study at the University for the whole of the academic year starting in September

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

We also offer accommodation options for couples and families.

Accommodation for couples and families

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Please note that as this is a 12-month programme, you will need to be in Edinburgh from the start of your studies through to the end of the following August, when you will submit your research project/dissertation.

Societies and clubs

Our societies and sports clubs will help you develop your interests, meet like-minded people, find a new hobby or simply socialise.

Societies

Sport Clubs

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life. 

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include: 

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustments

Health and wellbeing support services 

Disability and Learning Support

General enquiries

Contact our enquiry team about your eligibility or how to apply.

Email us

Academic contact

Dr Martin Wear

Programme Director

  • MSc Drug Discovery and Translational Biology
  • School of Biological Sciences

Contact details

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