Master of Science in Analytical Science for Industry

at Keele University United Kingdom

On this course, you’ll be studying life at the molecular level, investigating the most exciting areas of contemporary life science and medical research. You might explore the secrets of the human genome, or the individually tailored molecular therapies of the future.

Particular emphasis is placed on human and mammalian biochemistry, especially relating to health and disease. This Single Honours course includes more Biochemistry modules and also includes choices from a pool of elective modules (either directly related or free choice). You also have the opportunity to do a work/industrial placement year between the second and third year, making it a four year degree. 

The course is designed with the aim of producing a new generation of potential global industry leaders with a broad, solutions-focused knowledge of the applied pharmaceutical sciences and who are able to participate in and manage global product development teams.

This year-long, 180-credit MSc is split into three, equal-credit semesters. The first semester of the course aims to equip you with the necessary business skills and integrate this with the pharmaceutical science knowledge needed in product development and management with two business modules delivered by our Keele Business School. The second semester continues to build on this knowledge but also has more laboratory-based modules to allow you to develop your laboratory skills and demonstrate how well you are able to apply the necessary pharmaceutical knowledge required within each session. The final semester allows you to specialise into an area of your interest with a project that can either be research or audit based, in an appropriate subject relating to pharmaceutical development and business management.

The course will help you to understand the basic principles of business management, with the behaviour of households and businesses together with organisational behaviour and strategy being key themes of this course. Additionally, you will examine the behaviour of financial institutions, such as banks, hedge funds and portfolio managers, their instruments and how they interact in markets. You will learn analytical and statistical methods and techniques for addressing real world problems, data and policy-related issues.

With access to professional software tools such as Bloomberg and Stata to analyse and interpret financial and business data, you will learn how to communicate complex information to a range of audiences. 

Keele takes a broad approach to biology, examining the diversity of life and its evolution from the geological past. You’ll consider topics which may include the complexity of biological processes and mechanisms at molecular, cellular, organismal and ecosystem levels, exploring related philosophical and ethical issues. You’ll develop your practical skillset through activities which may include sampling, recording and analysing data in the field and in our well-equipped labs. You will also explore the behaviour and physiology of whole organisms.

Education at Keele has a strong focus on contemporary issues in education and policy making. Studying education means considering its relationship to the economy, its historical evolution, its impact on people’s life chances and identities, how education is organised, and how learners learn. Keele places education in a very contemporary and even future focused context, exploring the ways in which the world of education is changing, and looking at education from philosophical, historical, psychological, cultural and sociological perspectives. This course examines a wide range of topics which may include the changing ideas about childhood, learning, schooling and education, and factors such as poverty, social policies and digital technologies which impact on these. You will explore a range of educational topics, which could include both present and future developments in education and professional practice, against the wider background of social, cultural and economic change.

For the Neuroscience element of the course, you will explore a range of topics which may include the mystery of the human brain, the central nervous system, the impact of drugs upon it, and the molecular biology of diseases and disorders of the brain.

Studying Neuroscience, you’ll discover how we learn and remember, how the brain controls the body, and how the brain can be targeted by disease but in some instances can repair itself. Within the course are interesting related disciplines such as neuroanatomy, neuropharmacology and neuropathology.

Working in diverse ways, including in our well-equipped labs, you’ll develop your independent research skills as you learn to acquire, interpret and analyse data from multiple sources. You’ll also understand how neuroscience can help us understand medical problems and improve the quality of life.

For the Psychology element of this course, you will be taught by staff who are actively engaged in research with specialisms in social psychology, developmental psychology, cognition and neuropsychology, biological psychology health and wellbeing and a range of applied areas. The emphasis of the course is on understanding how psychology impacts on everyday life; from developing a sense of self and negotiating personal relationships to influencing judgments about matters of global significance, such as climate change. At Keele we aim to produce psychology graduates who are ready to use their psychology skills and knowledge to make a real difference. The psychology modules on this course are accredited by the British Psychological Society.

You will be challenged with exciting ideas and findings from psychology and neuroscience. In Psychology, you will study a range of topics which may include social and developmental psychology, cognitive and biological psychology and research methods. In Neuroscience you learn about the nervous system, its various components and how they work, and how they are affected by disease. You’ll benefit from a supportive environment as well as fantastic lab facilities and equipment.

In Astrophysics, you will learn to formulate and tackle problems – from below the level of the atomic nucleus to astronomical scales. Astrophysics is active wherever the laws of physics are being tested to the limit – and beyond. Keele will help you to use astronomical observations, mathematical models and computer simulation to develop theories explaining some of the most complex phenomena.

Education at Keele is distinctive because of its strong focus on contemporary issues in education and policy making. Studying Education means considering its relationship to the economy, its historical evolution, its impact on people’s life chances and identities, how education is organised, and how learners learn. Keele aims to introduce you to many of the big questions concerning education and schooling both in the UK and also internationally. Why do we go to school? What should we learn? How should we learn it? What is the main aim of education? How is educational success linked to students' gender, race and socio-economic background?

In looking at these types of 'big' questions and thinking historically, sociologically and philosophically, the course thinks critically about all aspects of education including primary, secondary and university levels. Whether you are intending to teach or just have an interest in education, this course will explore your assumptions about learning and consider your own school experiences. 

Geology is a practical subject with applied problem-solving laboratory classes and field courses where you will learn how to interpret and map geological features, and explore for future geological resources. The course looks at rocks, minerals and fossils, how they were formed, how they can be exploited as a resource, and what they can tell us about the history of the Earth. It also covers geological processes such as earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics.

It provides a diverse range of specialist options. We focus particularly on applied research skills: you will learn to collect, analyse and interpret different types of geological data, and to carry out your own research using specialist software and equipment. You will also complete a comprehensive and integrated UK fieldwork programme with no cost options.

As a student at Keele you will learn about the rapidly evolving science at the heart of global environmental change and discover new ways of understanding and appreciating the natural world around us.

Our focus on climate change, global responsibility, sustainability, and the application of professional geographical skills to real-world situations will prepare you for a wide range of careers and for life as a responsible global citizen. What you learn here will equip you for future employment and for a lifelong appreciation of the world around you.

This course aims to cover many topics which examine the geological and geophysical aspects of the Earth, its structure, formation, composition, history, processes, resources, hazards and materials. It aims to look at rocks, minerals and fossils, how they were formed, how they are found and exploited sustainably as a resource, and what they tell us about the history of the Earth. It also covers geological and geophysical processes such as earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics.

Geophysics is a practical subject with applied problem-solving laboratory classes and field courses where you will learn how to collect, process and interpret geophysical data, and explore for future geological resources. This course aims to focus particularly on applied geophysical research skills and you will learn to carry out your own research using specialist geophysical software and equipment. Furthermore, you will complete a comprehensive and integrated fieldwork programme. All of our single honours students are offered a work placement module in year 2.

The aim of this 2 year course is for you to gain the knowledge, skills, behaviours and values that underpin contemporary prosthetics and orthotics practice. It will strengthen your competence in applying clinical skills to the practice of prosthetics and orthotics.

You will learn clinical reasoning and decision-making skills based on evidence based practice to enable you to undertake best practice in partnership with service users and colleagues.

The programme will help you to develop the competencies required for autonomous practice in the NHS, industry and other healthcare settings globally.

The course promotes research awareness and its application to prosthetic and orthotic practice and the wider health and social care context. It will provide you with the expertise to adapt and respond positively to change whilst developing key transferable skills to prepare you for graduate employment.

The goal of medicinal chemistry is to support the search for new drugs to treat conditions such as heart disease and cancer. You’ll work in well-equipped laboratories, and learn to conduct effective independent research, and explore complex chemical and biological processes involved in the design and manufacture of drugs and other therapies for treating disease. You’ll develop essential skills for employment, such as problem solving, presentation and communication.

Taking Physics as part of a Combined Honours degree, will allow you to explore the subject fundamentals, including quantum mechanics, relativity and electromagnetism, and apply this knowledge to solve problems, plan investigations, analyse results and to report and present your work.

You’ll use mathematics to describe the physical world, and learn to plan and conduct investigations before reporting your results. Your course will be informed by the research interests of your teaching staff and laboratory sessions will enable you to investigate unfamiliar phenomena and acquire specialist techniques.