Gain the skills required to generate therapeutics for improving human or animal health with this intensive one-year taught programme, unique in New Zealand.
Your studies will combine the biological sciences with chemistry, giving you the skills to target, design, synthesise, create, and assess new drugs. Learn how to identify drug targets and develop these into new therapeutics. Develop skills to protect intellectual property, assess the financial viability of drugs, and consider the path to pre-clinical and clinical trial processes.
Tailor your studies to your strengths, interests, and career goals. You'll learn a mix of academic and practical skills that are closely aligned with the needs of industry.
The Master of Drug Discovery and Development is best suited to capable students with a background in chemistry or relevant science-subjects such as biochemistry, biomedical science, pharmacy, or pharmacology.
Fill in the form to find out more about your study options in our Wellington Faculty of Science Postgraduate Handbook.
Download the handbookLearn from academics and professionals who are leaders in the field and have experience in successfully taking drugs to market. Courses are taught by at least three academic and industry specialists, giving you access to the widest possible range of real-world research and development expertise.
This programme is taught by the Ferrier Research Institute and partners with the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences, the School of Biological Sciences, and the Centre for Biodiscovery.
You will get first-hand experience with the research activities within the Ferrier Research Institute that focuses on drug design and development. If you are studying towards a Master's, you will have the opportunity to work alongside the more than 50 scientists who make up the largest carbohydrate research team in the world. The Institute also has its own manufacturing facility, giving you the opportunity to observe the drug development process from discovery to product.
The programme links with the Centre for Biodiscovery where you will interact with the wider Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington research community as they actively discover, design, and assess novel bioactive compounds.
Learn about the real-world issues facing pharmaceutical development. Make the most of the hard-earned experiences of staff who have worked in the local and international biotech industry. Learn how to handle chemicals on a large scale in a way that is safe, reliable, and robust.
Become part of an active community of scientists. Postgraduate study at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington will help you build valuable relationships and networks with peers, university staff and future colleagues. This course gives unprecedented access to world industry leaders who visit as guest lecturers and run seminars with students.
The Postgraduate Students' Association can give you information about postgraduate study and provides a voice for you on campus.
Live and study in New Zealand's creative, compact and beautiful capital. With more scientific research organisations here than anywhere else in New Zealand, you'll be part of a thriving scientific community.
You can look for scholarships based on your level of study, subject area, and background.
Develop the broad skills you need to work in drug discovery in companies, universities, research institutes, or with drug regulatory authorities. Graduates from this programme have enjoyed success with commercial pharmaceutical drug development, veterinary therapeutics, patent assessment, further research undertaking PhD studies, and activities across government, research, and commercial organisations.
Once you’ve completed your MDDD, if you want to pursue an academic or research career, you’ll be eligible to apply for PhD programmes. Full-time candidates usually complete their PhD within three to four years, carrying out original and sustained research under supervision from world-class academics in the Wellington Faculty of Science.
As a PhD candidate at Victoria University of Wellington you will also be supported by the Faculty of Graduate Research.
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