Required qualification:
Upper secondary school diploma
Knowledge required for admission
Admission to the Master’s Degree Programme in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology requires possession of an upper secondary school diploma or another qualification obtained abroad, recognized as suitable according to current regulations. Basic knowledge in scientific disciplines (mathematics, physics, biology and chemistry), logical reasoning skills and reading comprehension abilities, typically provided by upper secondary education, are required.
Assessment of the knowledge required for admission is carried out through the TOLC-F test administered by CISIA or through equivalent tests. In case of failure to pass the assessment, Additional Learning Requirements (OFA) are assigned and must be fulfilled within the first year of the programme.
Specific Educational Objectives and Description of the Educational Path
Specific educational objectives
The Master’s Degree Programme in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology aims to train graduates with a solid scientific background and adequate theoretical and practical preparation for the practice of the pharmacist profession, as well as for roles of responsibility and coordination in all public and private sectors directly or indirectly connected to the design, development, production, quality control, dispensing and post-marketing surveillance of medicines, diagnostic products and healthcare products.
The five-year Master’s Degree Programme in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (CTF) aims to train graduates provided with the scientific foundations and the theoretical and practical preparation necessary for the practice of the pharmacist profession and to operate, in positions of responsibility and coordination, in all public and private sectors directly or indirectly connected with the design, development, production, control, dispensing and post-marketing surveillance of medicinal products, diagnostic products and healthcare products.
In particular, the Master’s Degree Programme in CTF provides advanced scientific training suitable for educating a professional figure with expertise in medicines, capable of operating preferentially in the pharmaceutical industrial sector, being able to address the entire sequence of the complex multidisciplinary process that, starting from the design of a new molecular entity, through the appropriate phases of pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic optimisation, leads to industrial production and quality control of a new medicinal product for therapeutic use, in accordance with the regulations in force.
The programme therefore aims to train a professional figure who, by virtue of the multidisciplinary knowledge and skills acquired, is able to meet the needs of the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, medical device and food supplement industries, as well as of public and private research and regulatory bodies in the healthcare sector.
The overall set of educational activities of the Degree Programme aims to provide graduates with: the acquisition of the scientific method of investigation, applied in particular to issues related to the pharmaceutical industrial sector; the multidisciplinary knowledge fundamental for understanding medicines, their structure and activity in relation to their interaction with biomolecules at cellular and systemic levels, for the identification and validation of new pharmacological targets; for the identification of new drugs based on experimental evidence of efficacy and safety, as well as for activities related to the design, preparation and control of medicinal products; the skills necessary for the preparation and formulation of the various pharmaceutical dosage forms, and for other aspects of pharmaceutical technology, including innovative drug delivery technologies.
The programme also provides knowledge of the legislative and ethical regulations necessary for the exercise of professional activities, as well as of national and European laws governing the various activities of the sector. Such knowledge is essential to ensure the safety, quality and efficacy requirements laid down by WHO regulations and by national and European directives for medicines and healthcare products.
Finally, the programme provides knowledge of at least one European Union language in addition to Italian, with specific reference to disciplinary terminology.
Description of the Educational Path
The educational path of the Master’s Degree Programme in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (CTF) is structured to provide students with comprehensive multidisciplinary training, with solid scientific foundations and practical skills.
Within the area of basic educational activities related to mathematical, statistical and physical disciplines, students acquire fundamental knowledge of mathematics and physics, necessary to address the other disciplines of the Course.
Within the area of basic educational activities related to chemical disciplines, students are required to acquire knowledge of the fundamental principles of general and inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and analytical chemistry.
Within the area of basic educational activities related to biomedical disciplines, students are provided with fundamental knowledge of cell biology, principles of human anatomy and physiology, as well as principles of pathology and etiopathogenesis of human diseases, and elements of microbiology.
These competencies, mainly acquired during the initial two-year period, constitute the basis for the acquisition of more advanced skills, divided into three main core educational areas:
- Pharmaceutical and Food Sciences
In this area, students acquire knowledge and skills related to:
a) the design and synthesis, physicochemical properties, mechanisms of action at the molecular level, and structure–activity relationships of the main classes of drugs;
b) analytical methods for the identification and quantitative determination of medicinal products and their metabolites;
c) biotechnologies applied to the development of new drugs and biotechnological pharmaceutical products;
d) food, dietary and nutritional products;
e) medicinal plants as sources of pharmacologically active molecules. - Technological, Regulatory and Economic-Managerial Disciplines
In this area, students acquire knowledge and skills related to:
a) the preparation of various pharmaceutical dosage forms, both galenic and industrial medicinal products;
b) basic and advanced knowledge of pharmaceutical technology, with particular reference to industrial production cycles, production plants and quality control of medicinal products;
c) legislative and ethical regulations necessary for the exercise of the various aspects of professional activity. - Biological and Pharmacological Disciplines
In this area, students acquire knowledge and skills related to:
a) biomolecules and their involvement in cellular metabolism;
b) pharmacology, pharmacotherapy and toxicology, aimed at comprehensive knowledge of drugs and aspects related to their administration, metabolism, action, toxicity and interactions;
c) pharmacognosy of medicinal plants and their pharmacologically active principles.
The Single-Cycle Master’s Degree Programme in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology includes numerous practical laboratory activities within the core disciplines, in order to ensure that students acquire adequate knowledge and skills to operate in the pharmaceutical, healthcare and healthcare products sectors, covering the entire process from design to dispensing and post-marketing surveillance.
In accordance with European directives and pursuant to Law No. 163/2021 and Interministerial Decree No. 651 of 5 July 2022, the degree programme includes a six-month Practical and Evaluative Professional Internship (TPV) carried out at a community pharmacy and/or a hospital pharmacy or at territorial pharmaceutical services under the supervision of the pharmaceutical service.
The Practical Evaluative Internship is an integral part of university education and is carried out through the assisted and supervised participation of the student in the activities of the host structure. It must include mandatory minimum contents of technical-scientific and practical-operational relevance related to the pharmacist’s activity, including the following areas: professional ethics, organisation and management of the pharmaceutical service, administration/dispensing, storage and preparation of medicinal products, services provided within the National Health Service, health information and education of the population, entrepreneurial management of the pharmacy, and all services provided by current legislation.
The training programme concludes with a final examination, which includes a Practical Evaluative Test (PPV) of the skills acquired during the internship and the discussion of an experimental thesis.
Final Examination Characteristics
The final examination consists of the presentation and discussion of a dissertation derived from an experimental research activity carried out by the student under the supervision of a supervisor. This examination aims to certify the student’s ability to work independently, the acquisition of the skills necessary for the development of the project, and a solid command of the topics addressed.
In accordance with Articles 1 and 3 of Law No. 163/2021, the final examination for the award of the Master’s degree includes a Practical Evaluative Test (PPV), aimed at verifying the professional competencies acquired during the Practical Evaluative Internship included in the degree programme. This test, which precedes the discussion of the Master’s thesis, is intended to assess the candidate’s level of technical preparation for the purpose of qualification to practise the pharmacist profession.
The evaluation criteria for the final examination, which are decisive for the attribution of the final degree grade (expressed out of 110, with possible honours), are detailed in the Teaching Regulations of the Master’s Degree Programme in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology.
Official language(s) of instruction and assessment
Italian
Dublin Descriptors
I – Knowledge and Understanding
Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology must possess solid knowledge and understanding of topics related to the mathematical, physical, chemical, biological and medical disciplines, which are fundamental for acquiring familiarity with the scientific approach necessary to solve problems in the various professional fields.
This knowledge represents the basis for acquiring knowledge and understanding in the core pharmaceutical-food, technological-regulatory and economic-managerial, biological and pharmacological disciplines which, taken together, contribute to the education of a pharmaceutical professional capable of understanding the entire sequence of the complex multidisciplinary process leading to the development of a new medicinal product.
This pathway includes all stages, from the design of potentially bioactive molecules to chemical synthesis, evaluation of biological activity and study of mechanisms of action, up to the preparation of pharmaceutical dosage forms and the analysis and quality control of both active pharmaceutical ingredients and final formulations.
The educational path is designed to provide graduates with solid cultural foundations, necessary both for continuing with third-cycle university studies and for immediate entry into the pharmaceutical profession, both in community and industrial settings.
Teaching methods used to develop such knowledge and skills include lectures and theoretical-practical classes, accompanied by individual laboratory exercises in chemical-pharmaceutical analysis, pharmaceutical synthesis and pharmaceutical technology laboratories, as well as laboratory or classroom exercises for other chemical and biological disciplines.
Assessment of acquired knowledge and skills is carried out through oral and/or written and/or practical examinations, depending on the discipline and the teaching method adopted.
II – Applying Knowledge and Understanding
Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology must be able to apply knowledge and understanding in multidisciplinary professional and working contexts typical of pharmaceutical sciences. In particular, graduates must be able to:
a) apply basic chemical and chemical-pharmaceutical knowledge to the design and synthesis of new active pharmaceutical ingredients, as well as to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of medicinal products;
b) use biological and pharmacological knowledge to experimentally study the mechanisms of action of bioactive molecules and to evaluate their efficacy and safety;
c) apply pharmaceutical technology knowledge to the preparation of galenic formulations, the design of new formulations and the technological control of pharmaceutical dosage forms, in compliance with the Italian Official Pharmacopoeia and the European Pharmacopoeia;
d) apply knowledge of pharmaceutical legislation to properly carry out the pharmacist profession.
These competencies are acquired through a teaching organisation that emphasises the practical application of theoretical knowledge, including within basic disciplines. Courses are structured sequentially to promote the integration of knowledge, transforming it into specific and distinctive competencies of the professional profile of graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology.
Teaching tools adopted include, in addition to lectures, laboratory activities (also with individual practical exercises), problem-solving exercises and the analysis of case studies, which students address individually or in teams.
Achievement of the educational objectives is assessed through oral examinations and/or written assignments aimed at evaluating mastery of knowledge and the ability to apply it in concrete contexts.
III – Making Judgements
Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology develop the ability to take part in decision-making processes with autonomy and a sense of responsibility, thanks to the multidisciplinary nature of the degree programme and the balance between theoretical and practical-experimental educational activities.
These activities stimulate the ability to analyse and interpret the multiple issues related to the pharmaceutical sector and to propose solutions to potential problems. Critical learning is one of the fundamental objectives of the degree programme and is pursued through a systematic approach that encourages discussion and comparison among lecturers, tutors and students.
The experimental final dissertation represents an opportunity to consolidate the ability to carry out original projects, addressing their scientific and organisational complexities, and to enhance personal skills and aptitude for teamwork.
Teaching tools used to achieve these objectives include individual and group exercises, preparation of technical reports on practical activities and the development of a research project forming the basis of the Master’s thesis. These activities play a crucial role in developing autonomy of judgement, allowing students to engage with real professional environments and to assess their ability to operate in such contexts.
The acquisition of autonomy of judgement is verified through intermediate and final examinations, evaluation of reports and technical documentation, as well as through oral presentations in core disciplines that include laboratory activities. A further verification is represented by the final examination, which assesses the originality of the chosen topic, methodological rigour and scientific accuracy of the presentation, thereby certifying the achievement of the expected learning outcomes.
IV – Communication Skills
Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology are able to communicate effectively, both in written and oral form, in a clear and scientifically appropriate manner, with both specialists in specific fields and non-specialist interlocutors. They are able to understand problems in the fields in which they operate and to propose effective solutions.
They are also able to collaborate within interdisciplinary groups composed of experts from different sectors and to appropriately disseminate the results of research activities conducted. Their competencies also include interpersonal skills that enable effective interaction with the public, providing information and advice to patients and acting as a link between patients, physicians and healthcare facilities.
In addition, graduates are able to communicate fluently in both Italian and English, using tools and terminology appropriate to the scientific and professional context.
Communication skills are developed throughout the educational pathway, particularly through activities such as the preparation and presentation of written and oral reports on laboratory experiences, participation in examinations, the Practical Evaluative Internship and the preparation of the thesis.
Assessment of these skills takes place through the evaluation of examinations and, in particular, during the discussion of the Master’s thesis, which may be supported by the use of multimedia tools.
V – Learning Skills
Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology must have developed learning skills essential for the continuous updating of their knowledge on developments in sciences and technologies related to the pharmaceutical field. This includes competence in the use of advanced IT tools for consulting databases and specialised scientific literature.
These skills enable graduates to successfully and independently undertake postgraduate education pathways, such as second-level Master’s programmes, Schools of Specialisation and PhD programmes.
The acquisition of learning skills is fostered throughout the entire educational pathway, with particular emphasis on interactive participation in teaching activities, active involvement in research for the preparation of the Master’s thesis and experience gained during the Practical Evaluative Internship.
Verification of these skills is carried out through the assessment of individual educational activities, the Practical Evaluative Test and the discussion of the Master’s thesis, which represents the culminating moment for demonstrating autonomy and maturity in learning.
Professional Profile and Career Opportunities for Graduates
PHARMACIST AND INDUSTRIAL PHARMACIST
Role in the Professional Context
Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, in accordance with European Directive 2013/55/EU and Law No. 163/2021, are qualified to practise the profession of pharmacist and perform the following functions:
- preparation of pharmaceutical dosage forms;
- manufacture and control of medicinal products;
- control of medicinal products in drug control laboratories;
- storage, conservation and distribution of medicinal products at the wholesale level;
- procurement, preparation, control, storage, distribution and dispensing of safe and high-quality medicinal products in community pharmacies;
- preparation, control, storage and distribution of safe and high-quality medicinal products in hospital and territorial healthcare facilities;
- dissemination of information and advice on medicinal products, including their correct use;
- reporting adverse drug reactions to the competent authorities;
- personalised support for patients practising self-medication;
- contribution to institutional public health campaigns.
Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology also possess the scientific foundations and theoretical and practical preparation necessary to operate, as experts in medicines, at the industrial level, performing the following functions:
- design and synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients;
- research and development of new pharmaceutical dosage forms;
- industrial production of medicinal products;
- formulation development and industrial manufacture of medicinal products, medical devices, food supplements, cosmetics and healthcare products;
- physical characterisation of excipients and active ingredients;
- development and validation of analytical methods for quality control and stability assessment of active ingredients alone, in formulations or in complex matrices;
- development and validation of in vitro models for drug studies;
- production and control of medical devices and medico-surgical products;
- preparation of regulatory documentation;
- pharmacoeconomics and activities aimed at rationalising drug consumption;
- promotion of drug-related information and documentation;
- development of pharmacovigilance activities;
- dissemination of scientific information on medicinal products;
- formulation, production and packaging of cosmetic and dietary products;
- analysis and quality control, as well as stability evaluation, of cosmetic and dietary/food products.
Skills Associated with the Professional Role
The Master’s Degree Programme in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology provides the set of theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in the chemical, biological, pharmaceutical and technological fields that are essential for practising the pharmacist profession in community and hospital settings, and for addressing, within the pharmaceutical industry, the entire sequence of the complex multidisciplinary process that starts from the design of potentially active molecules and leads to synthesis, experimentation, production, control, registration and marketing of medicinal products, in accordance with sector-specific regulations.
Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology:
- have knowledge of the chemical structure and pharmacological and toxicological activities of active ingredients contained in synthetic, natural or biotechnological medicinal products;
- possess transversal skills for qualitative and quantitative analysis of medicinal products;
- possess transversal skills for chemical and biological control of raw materials used in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and dietary sectors;
- possess technological skills for the preparation and quality control of pharmaceutical formulations;
- possess transversal skills for pharmacovigilance management;
- possess transversal skills for providing information and documentation on medicinal products to the population and healthcare professionals;
- possess transversal communication-relational, organisational-managerial and planning skills, in accordance with the level of autonomy and responsibility assigned and with the organisational and working methods adopted;
- have developed self-learning skills and the ability for continuous professional updating.
Career Opportunities
Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology possess solid theoretical and practical preparation that enables them to carry out their professional activities in:
- pharmaceutical and biotechnological industries;
- pharmaceutical manufacturing plants;
- public and private research centres;
- laboratories for quality control of medicinal products and healthcare products;
- bodies responsible for the development of technical regulations and/or quality certification;
- structures dedicated to pharmacovigilance and clinical research;
- cosmetic product industries;
- dietary and food product industries;
- diagnostic product industries;
- private or public pharmacies;
- retail outlets referred to in Article 5 of Law No. 248/2006;
- intermediate distributors (wholesalers and depositaries);
- herbalist shops or companies producing active ingredients of natural origin.
Graduates in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, after obtaining the Specialisation Diploma in Hospital Pharmacy or an equivalent qualification, may work in hospital pharmacies and in territorial pharmaceutical services.
Furthermore, graduates in CTF may continue their education and further develop their professional preparation through various opportunities, such as second-level Master’s programmes, PhD programmes and Schools of Specialisation.