The MSc Formulation Science is innovative, multidisciplinary, distinctive and unique in the UK in offering a depth of knowledge in the science of formulating new products, whether these are new pharmaceuticals or consumer care products, paints, foods or fast moving consumer goods.
The programme will allow you to understand the principles of making finished products from a blend of different individual ingredients. Drawing on current examples from the pharmaceutical industry, and using the industrial experience of academic staff, you will also apply these principles to industrially relevant problems in other areas of formulation science, such as consumer products and cosmetics.
This programme involves a series of lectures supplemented by practical lab-based investigations and seminars. Case studies will provide you with the chance to enhance your creativity and problem solving while working as part of a team in a way that simulates an industrial setting.
A research project in a well-equipped department led by staff with a diversity of research experience will give you the opportunity to carry out novel research and enhance your ability to manage projects and foster independence. Across the degree, you will have the opportunity to communicate your science clearly in a range of forms to a range of audiences and make use of emerging information and communication technologies.
Upon completion of the degree you will have developed a research skills portfolio that will serve as a solid foundation for your continuing professional development in formulation sciences.
Our former graduates have gone on to develop successful careers in a wide range of industrial sectors, from the pharmaceutical sciences to aggrochemical and consumer goods. They have gone on to work for major multinational companies as well as thrive at specialist enterprises. Former graduates have also progressed to study successfully for PhDs.
The aims of the programme are to:
Full Time
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Colloids and Structured Materials in Formulations (30 credits)
Formulation of Consumer Goods, Cosmetics and Coatings (30 credits)
English Language Support (for Postgraduate students in the Faculty)
Analytical Methods and QA/QC Principles (30 credits)
Project (MSc Formulation Science) (60 credits)
Modern Pharmaceutical Technologies and Process Engineering (30 credits)
Part time
Year 1:
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses:
English Language Support (for Postgraduate students in the School of Science)
Analytical Methods and QA/QC Principles (30 credits)
Modern Pharmaceutical Technologies and Process Engineering (30 credits)
Year 2:
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses:
Colloids and Structured Materials in Formulations (30 credits)
Formulation of Consumer Goods, Cosmetics and Coatings (30 credits)
Project (MSc Formulation Science) (60 credits)
Taught courses are assessed by a wide array of techniques from the traditional (such as examinations, coursework assessments and laboratory work) to the innovative: students are expected to produce a portfolio of research skills upon completion of their degree. Case studies reports, oral presentations, group assignments with accompanying discussions will also be used to assess creativity, collaboration and communication skills. There is a laboratory-based project which will be assessed on practical ability and a final written thesis.
Your time at university should be enjoyable and rewarding, and it is important that it is not spoilt by unnecessary financial worries. We recommend that you spend time planning your finances, both before coming to university and while you are here. We can offer advice on living costs and budgeting, as well as on awards, allowances and loans.
Find out more about our fees and the support available to you at our:
- Postgraduate finance pages (https://www.gre.ac.uk/study/finance/postgraduate)
- International students' finance pages (http://www.gre.ac.uk/finance/international)
Find out how to apply here - https://www.gre.ac.uk/study/apply
This course will help you to understand scientific principles of drug delivery and be able to design novel formulations to address current market needs and business strategy. After completion of the course, you will have the skills to start-up new businesses in pharmaceutical formulation or join the pharmaceutical industry's formulation development team.
Sample modules:
Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information
Reading School of Pharmacy has excellent links with industry, from the big Pharma to SMEs. Many of or graduates go on to work in industry and as researchers at NHS organisations..
This programme will provide you with advanced chemical engineering and process technology skills for exciting and challenging careers in the chemical and process industries. This programme also prepares graduates for a PhD study.
If you’ve studied chemical engineering before, you’ll develop your knowledge in key areas such as reaction engineering, process modelling and simulation, pharmaceutical formulation, and fuel processing. If your degree is in chemistry or another related science or engineering discipline, you’ll build your knowledge and skills to convert to a specialisation in chemical engineering.
The course has been designed to provide a greater depth of knowledge in aspects of advanced chemical engineering and a range of up-to-date process technologies. These will enable you to design, operate and manage processes and associated manufacturing plants and to provide leadership in innovation, research and development, and technology transfer.
Specialist facilities
Your Research Project module gives you the chance to study in cutting-edge facilities where our researchers are pushing the boundaries of chemical engineering.
We have world-class facilities for carrying out research in manufacturing (including crystallisation), processing and characterising particulate systems for a wide range of technological materials, as well as facilities for nanotechnology and colloid science/technology.
We also have high performance computing facilities and state-of-the-art computer software, including computational fluid dynamics (CFD), for modelling and simulation of a wide range of processes. This will provide a strong background knowledge in industrial process and equipment design and optimisation.
This course is accredited by the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) under licence from the UK regulator, the Engineering Council. This adheres to the requirements of further learning for Chartered Engineer (CEng) status.
The path you take through this programme will depend on your background. If your degree is in Chemical Engineering, you’ll take a suite of compulsory modules on advanced topics such as recent advances in chemical engineering, reaction engineering, multi-scale modelling (including CFD), pharmaceutical formulation and fuel processing. If your degree is not in Chemical Engineering, you’ll build the knowledge you need to succeed in this area with modules such as Separation Processes, Reaction Engineering and Chemical Process Technology and Design.
You’ll then complement this with a choice of optional modules, allowing you to gain specialist knowledge in a topic that suits your career plans or personal interests. Different modules will be available to you depending on your background – for example, if your degree is in Chemical Engineering you could study Process Optimisation and Control, while if your degree is in another subject you might want to gain an understanding of energy management.
Every student undertakes a research project that runs throughout the year. You’ll focus on a topic of your choice that fits within one of the School’s research areas and produce an independent study, reflecting the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired. This will enable you to gain experience of planning, executing and reporting a research work of the type you will undertake in an industrial/academic environment.
Want to find out more about your modules?
Take a look at the Chemical Engineering module descriptions for more detail on what you will study.
Compulsory modules
Optional modules
For more information on typical modules, read Chemical Engineering MSc in the course catalogue
We use a variety of teaching and learning methods including lectures, practicals, tutorials and seminars. Independent study is also an important element of the programme, as you develop your problem-solving and research skills as well as your subject knowledge.
You’ll be assessed using a range of techniques including problem sheets, technical reports, presentations, in-class tests, assignments and exams. Optional modules may also use alternative assessments.
The research project is one of the most satisfying elements of this course. It allows you to apply what you’ve learned to a piece of research focusing on a real-world problem, and it can be used to explore and develop your specific interests.
Recent projects by students in MSc Chemical Engineering have included:
A proportion of projects are formally linked to industry, and may include spending time at the collaborator’s site over the summer
Career prospects are excellent. There is a wide range of career opportunities in the chemical and allied industries in process engineering, process design and research and development as well as in finance and management.
Graduates have gone on to work in a variety of roles at companies like National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement, the National Centre of Science and Technology Evaluation, Invensys Operations Management, Worley Parsons, Hollister-Stier Laboratories, BOC, ASM Technologies and more.
Our innovative MSc Health Psychology programme applies the theories, methods and techniques of psychology to issues of health and illness.
These are integrated into the psychological processes related to the maintenance of health, the promotion of the psychological wellbeing of the physically ill, and the normal and pathological responses to ill health and stress.
Our MSc Health Psychology programme will equip you with a sound knowledge of theories and practical issues relevant to health psychology.
You will consider the psychological and physiological responses of the individual to ill health, as well as the social and community contexts of health-related behaviours and healthcare systems.
The programme will equip you with a sound knowledge of theories and practical issues relevant to health psychology, in addition to a solid understanding of quantitative and qualitative approaches to research.
The programme, which is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), provides the academic component (Stage One) on the route towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The aims of the programme are:
The programme provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, skills, qualities and other attributes in the following areas:
Knowledge and understanding
Students will gain knowledge and understanding of the following:
Intellectual / cognitive skills
Students will be able to:
Professional practical skills
Students will have the skills to:
Key / transferable skills
Students will be able to:
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
The MSc Attachment Studies course provides students with a specific qualification in the assessment of child and adult attachment, parenting and family functioning. Designed for health and social care professionals, our aim is to prepare you to be at the forefront of the next generation of attachment scholars and practitioners.
This course is best suited for professionals who are interested in broadening their skills in assessing attachment, improving the outcome of interventions with their clients and conducting small or large scale research projects. Central to the programme is the Patricia Crittenden’s Dynamic Maturational Model of attachment combined with a culturally sensitive approach uniquely applicable to alleviate the suffering of distressed and traumatised people.
A unique feature of this programme is the opportunity to learn how to apply and conduct a wide range of assessments and procedures for forensic, clinical or research purposes. All students are required to learn to code at least one procedure where you will be able to achieve clinical or research levels of reliability in analysing the results. You can also learn to give and to analyse bio-physiological measures such as cortisol levels, EEG and heart rate variability.
Although this course does not offer therapeutic training, you will be taught by experts in the field to gain the necessary knowledge to formulate intervention plans and select therapeutic approaches that will benefit your clients.
You will gain a comprehensive understanding of attachment theory including the latest developments in the neuroscience of attachment relationships and parenting. Our systemic approach broadens the study of attachment from mothers and infants to the attachment of older children, adults, family systems and the wider social and community networks.
The interdisciplinary focus on both practice and research is invaluable for students interested in a research career in the field of attachment studies. Examples of recent and current PhD students’ research include the development of the Meaning of the Child to the Parent Interview, the physiology of developmental trauma (PTSD) in children, the effectiveness of play therapy with traumatised children, and attachment in chimpanzees reared by humans.
In this course, you will gain a variety of skillsets and knowledge through a substantial coverage of the underpinning attachment theory and research. This includes an understanding of the latest development in the neuroscience of attachment and trauma. You will study core concepts of attachment and Dynamic Maturational Model theory, family systems and object relations theory and primatology.
You will also gain a comprehensive knowledge in learning how to administer a wide range of validated attachment and family assessments applicable for use with adults and children of all ages. Examples of these procedures are:
This programme offers innovative modules such as the infant mental health module, research methods and the formulation of intervention plans. The infant mental health module is designed to deepen your knowledge of early years development and includes an introduction to the Infant CARE-Index. You will also observe a young child in a natural setting. Besides observing a traditional mother-child relationship, this assessment module also includes observations of older children, adults, family and wider systems.
The research methods module prepares you to design and carry out single case study or small sample empirical research. You will also be able to learn how to administer and analyse bio-physical assessments such as heart rate variability, cortisol and EGG and eye tracking.
The formulation module teaches you to interpret the results of attachment assessments and select the intervention most likely to succeed with a particular client or family. We also offer a forensic model of assessment designed for use with courts and other decision-making forums.
Modules
Here are examples of the modules:
Postgraduate Certificate
Designed for busy social care professionals, the Certificate in DMM Attachment based family assessment and intervention enables you to build upon your skills at a pace that suits you.
The Certificate is available for students who would like to apply directly to the University of Roehampton, or it can be delivered by your workplace for employees with a minimum of ten students.
Careers in psychology and social work.
September, February.
This course is for students wishing to achieve Health and Care Professions Council registered status as practitioner psychologists. With an emphasis on guided knowledge, applied experience, specialist input and evidence based-practice, you will become a well rounded practitioner.
On this course you can:
Achieve Registered status as a Practising Forensic Psychologist
Become fully versed in formulation-based assessment and ethical practice
Engage in specialist fields of forensic mental health and disorder
Be supported through placements by experienced and expert staff
Learn how to deliver expert evidence and training
Use the wealth of academic expertise at the University to underpin evidence-based practice
Enjoy a range of placement opportunities
Be well supported in a positive and collegiate atmosphere
The course is primarily aimed at those wishing to become practising forensic psychologists. ‘Forensic psychologist’ is a legally protected title and this course will enable you to use it and apply your skills with confidence. You will be well equipped as a practitioner and supported by experienced practitioner academics throughout the process.
Here are some routes our graduates have pursued:
Working as BPS Chartered and HCPC Registered forensic psychologists in settings such as: prison, community and NHS secure units and developing their own private practice initiatives
Training design and training delivery
Project management
Academia
Teaching will be delivered in blocks at the beginning and end of each semester so you are in regular contact with the University and feel well supported. Placements will be supported and a range of issues will be covered including: practitioner skills – the use of supervision, workload management, professional relationships and reflection; assessment and formulation skills; intervention approaches – to include desistance, environmental impact and rejection sensitivity research and forensic mental health and disorder – a unique unit not delivered anywhere else which focuses on a specialist area of increasing relevance in multi-disciplinary working approaches in forensic psychology.
Core units include:
Practitioner Skills
Forensic Mental Health and Disorder
Forensic Practice Placements
Training Skills
Approaches to Intervention
Options to choose from include:
Research Skills
Forensic psychology in context
Practitioner Skills 2
Staff are experienced practitioners and well regarded in the profession, having held national leadership roles including Chair of the British Psychological Society (BPS) Division, Chair of the BPS Training Committee and many others. Staff are BPS Chartered and HCPC registered practitioner psychologists supported by REF-entered psychologists in a department with long established forensic psychology links. They will bring this extensive experience as practitioners to their teaching which is applied, collegiate and supportive. Supervisors will engage with you in a positive working relationship and your needs will be addressed by staff at the earliest stage.
We assess you in a variety of ways throughout the course, including through empirical research, systematic review, oral presentations and more:
Case Formulation Exercise (x2 – one for assessment and one for intervention)
Placement Reports and Reflective Practice Diaries
Design and delivery of training package
Group presentation/ discussion
Report Writing
This course is specifically tailored for individuals seeking to become a forensic psychologist. This is a unique course which provides a blended approach to gaining these qualifications in one programme of work. We would expect this course to be appealing to those interested in a career in becoming a practising forensic psychologist.
School of Social Sciences- a nationally and internationally recognised centre for the study of engaged social science
Department of Life Sciences – a leading international centre for research and training in ecology, evolution, conservation and the environment
