Chemical and Drug Sciences
Where facilities are world-class
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off-campus experience
All of our courses have a practical, applied focus, with opportunities to gain valuable experience off campus. -
our students are happy
Our students give us consistently high satisfaction scores for their experiences. We're 1st in London for overall student satisfaction (CUG, 2018) -
top-quality research
An impressive 86 per cent of research carried out by the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience was rated either ‘world-leading' or 'internationally excellent’ in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. It makes us the top modern university in London for our area of research and eighth in the country.
About us
Our Chemical and Drug Sciences courses will provide the rigorous training you need to pursue a career in the field. And you’ll get extensive laboratory training, too, meaning you’ll graduate with hands-on practical experience that employers seek, and a competitive edge upon graduation.
On these courses you will be immersed in practical work from the very start of your degree. You will have the opportunity to get involved in practical lab sessions and groundbreaking research projects while learning in our suite of newly-refurbished laboratories. It’s this hands-on experience that employers are looking for in graduates. Our world class teaching facilities will have a great impact on your student experience as well as increase the University’s reputation with STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) employers and industries.
You won’t sit around watching from the back of the lecture hall at UEL, we offer access to excellent work experience opportunities. You'll have the chance to undertake invaluable placements in hospitals, research laboratories and the commercial world which will enhance your employment prospects. Your research projects in areas such as pharmaceutical science and pharmacology could make a real difference to the lives of others, too - and you could have the chance to present your findings to leading scientists at national research meetings.
See our courses.

Every module consists of lectures with practical sessions. Students also get the chance to deal with professional equipment in UEL labs, which helps them get into professional life more easily after graduating. The work is always challenging and interesting.Holly Siddique , Pharmaceutical Science, BSc (Hons)
Our facilities
The learning experience of UEL students
enrolled on our courses is greatly enhanced due to our impressive laboratory facilities at Stratford Campus.
We were awarded a £1.2 million grant from the Higher
Education Funding Council for England to build a new high-tech
super-lab. This was match-funded by the University, making an overall
investment of £2.4 million.
These facilities have a major impact on the student experience at UEL and boost the University’s reputation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects. We have 10 teaching laboratories, 6 dedicated research laboratories and a large variety of specialist equipment suited to teaching and research in Bioscience. This includes: a high specification curved field MALDI TOF for proteomics research, flow cytometry equipment, HPLC-MS, GC-MS, PCR and real-time PCR, sequencing and equipment for ultrasound imaging, a new confocal microscope, a range of micro titre-plate readers including absorbance, scanning, fluorescence and bioluminescence machines.
All laboratories have been completely refurbished. In the Pharmacology laboratory each workstation is supplied with analogue to digital data analysis equipment from ADI instruments and there is a electrophysiology laboratory equipped for patch-clamping. The facilities are a major benefit to postgraduate researchers as well as undergraduates.
To find out more and experience our facilities first-hand, visit us at an Open Day.
Our staff
Research
We have two research groups, one working in medicines and the other in infections and immunity. We’re also involved in research that tries to predict new drugs - or bio-informatics as it's known. We use computers to study and process data to help predict what a new drug structure would look like before making it.
We often carry out research in collaboration with other leading research universities in London, including University College London and King’s College London, as well as overseas institutions. Students studying at all levels have an opportunity to get involved in our research work.
Bioscience research played a major part in our recent successful research assessment in Allied Health. The work of our researchers was rated the best in London among modern universities in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework – the six-yearly national review of research quality in higher education.
An expert panel rated 67 per cent of our research as ‘internationally excellent’ and 19 per cent of it as ‘world-leading’ – the highest possible accolade.
Careers
Chemical and Drug Science graduates have an understanding of highly technical information that will give you access to a wide range of career options.
Our students have gone into analytical chemistry within forensic and environmental organisations, chemical research within consumer product, gas, oil and petrochemical companies and drug discovery within pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Pharmaceutical companies employ graduates to help advise customers on the technical aspects of the products they offer. Then there are chemical companies looking for graduates who understand how drugs are developed and have proven analytical skills. One of our graduates landed a job at a cosmetics company working on stem cell therapies for baldness. For years, we’ve been helping produce successful career pharmacologists.
Also, our dedicated Centre for Student Success works closely with employers to provide up-to-date information about the skills and experience they’re looking for. They will support you during your studies and after you graduate.
At UEL, you’ll also have access to:- Employability skills training such as interview techniques and CV writing.
- Gradscore, a groundbreaking electronic tool that allows you to complete a mock application and find out if you’d be shortlisted for interview. It has been created exclusively for UEL with help from leading employers and employability experts.
- UEL Skills Academy, where external professionals deliver sessions on the competencies most prized by graduate employers.
- Internships, placements and volunteering opportunities from our work placements team.
- Professional mentoring scheme, matching students with staff from major companies.
- Networking opportunities and annual careers fair.
- Support with setting up your own business.
Our location in one of Europe’s largest regeneration areas and our extensive links to local employers will also give you access to fantastic internships and placements. From heavy industry to high-tech, health and social care to the arts, there are so many opportunities right on our doorstep.
Our online Career Coach shows you the different career paths that your chosen subject area can lead you to. It gives you information on specific careers, job roles, potential wages and available jobs in the sector. You can also take a quick quiz to find a career to match your personality type!
Undergraduate courses
Postgraduate courses
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