Domain
Chemical Engineering
Type
Complementary
Presentation
The main objectives of the Master studies of “Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Products” are related to the formation of highly trained personal for fine organic synthesis (designing and performing laboratory experiments, synthesis optimization, scientific data interpretation etc.) with emphasis on the study of chemicals related to pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. One should not ignore the fact that, among the industrial branches of chemistry, Pharmaceuticals or Cosmetics are spearhead industries, billions of euros/dollars being granted each year for research and production. Thus, our students are given, upon graduation of this Master program, two options: either fundamental research (hence the theoretical and practical laboratory training provided in the syllabus) or industry R&D, as illustrated by the versatility of the proposed curricula.
Since this Master course is open to graduates of various backgrounds, the curricula proposed is well-balanced between recaps of organic chemistry disciplines, state-of-the-art modern disciplines in the chemistry, biochemistry and analysis of pharmaceutical and cosmetic organic compounds, as well as marketing or rules of good practice in these particular industries. Through judiciously chosen disciplines that harmoniously combine the above-mentioned topics (see program fact-sheet), along with an original research project carried out by each student (under the supervision of a tutor), the training of the future graduates is aimed to a final entwining of a design engineer (perfectly fitted for research and bench-work) with a manufacturing engineer (well prepared for all tasks relating production management to marketing and selling). The acquired skills prepare our graduates for various domains as chemistry in life sciences (pharmacology, cosmetology, natural products), in green chemistry (sustainable or environmental chemistry) or in matter functionalization (advanced materials, nanochemistry). Moreover, due to the large scope of the fields (research of new biologically-active new compounds, development of new strategies and synthetic procedures, environmental concern etc.), future Master graduates can chose to further specialize by completing a Ph.D. program, being able to start a carrier in the academia.
The total duration of the “Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Products” Master program is 4 semesters, 3 of which are assigned to the development of theoretical skills (through various courses and tutorials) and practical skills (laboratories in the fields of organic synthesis, natural product isolation, separation procedures – GC, GC-MS, HPLC – and structural analysis through several methods – IR, UV, NMR), while the last semester is destined to the finalization of the Master research project. A special requirement for our Master is that the main achievement of the student’s research project is at least an original research paper, which serves as a supplementary training in the field of redacting, editing, presenting and publishing a scientific work.
Skills and abilities acquired
As a graduate of our Master program course, you will be competent to conduct, optimize and streamline conventional and unconventional synthesis experiments, to develop an original research topic, targeting biologically active compounds, their isolation or their method of synthesis, to apply traditional and unconventional methods of extracting natural compounds, to perform structural and compositional analysis of a mixture of organic substances, to know how to apply the principles of conditioning pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, to evaluate the innocuity of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, to know the rules of good practice and legal requirements in pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, the basic rules of marketing, knowledge and effective communication in the corresponding field. On a much larger scale, you will acquire both awareness of the need for lifelong learning and self-improvement, as well as strong knowledge of the great problems of modern society, by understanding the global implications of socio-economic and environmental impacts of technological development and the need for sound management of natural resources.
Employment opportunities
The students that graduate the “Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Products” Master program can successfully apply for various jobs into workplaces such as manufacturing or assembly plants in the field of synthesis and / or conditioning of pharmaceuticals, cosmetic products, food supplements with therapeutic effects (nutraceuticals), cosmetics with therapeutic effects (cosmeceuticals), in analytical laboratories for quality control of pharmaceuticals or personal care products (e.g. shampoos, creams, hair dyes etc.). Graduates can also join R&D programs, either in well-known companies or in research institutes.
Through the skills acquired in this master's degree program, graduates have the opportunity to work in industrial commercial companies, in scientific research and technological development units, in higher education, in laboratories for analysis and certification of the composition and quality of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, in firms that process natural resources to provide food supplements, plant extracts etc., or in the field of technical-scientific consultancy.
Further professional development of graduation
A main requirement for the future graduates of the “Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Products” Master program is achieving an original research study which opens for them numerous opportunities for further carrier developments related to R&D programs.
One such important opportunity is a continuation of professional training with Ph.D. studies in Organic Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or other related fields. Ca. a quarter of the graduates of the “Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Products” Master program have chosen to continue their studies in such Ph.D. programs offered by UPB or other universities (national or abroad).
Human resources and logistics for student education
The program is supervised by Department of Organic Chemistry "Costin NENITESCU".
The quality of the educational process is determined by the level of teachers’ training, as well as the way in which courses are presented, the quality of the teaching materials, the efficient use of time for tutorials, projects and laboratory activities.
The master’s curriculum is relying on a team in which experienced professors blend with enthusiastic younger researchers. All staff members are well-trained in the respective fields of study developed in this master program, all being owners of a Ph.D. degree. Part of the teaching staff is specialized through training abroad, and the teaching/research facilities are appropriate (teaching classes, libraries, laboratories, computer clusters etc.). Students of the “Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Products” Master program are invited to actively participate to the various fundamental / contractual researches, a respectable number of publications/communications being co-authored by them.
The Department of Organic Chemistry that manages the Master program has adequate facilities for its deployment. The laboratories in which all didactic and research activities are carried out are suitably supplied for supporting all activities of the curriculum and have appropriate space and equipment for the educational process.
Curricula
Curricula for this master of science degree program is available here.
Contact
Secretariat
