The single-cycle Master's degree in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology (MCPT) currently activated at the University D'Annunzio of Chieti, requires an entry test and a maximum number of 100 students enrolled in the first year. The duration of the master's degree course is five years (single cycle) and is divided into ten semesters. To obtain the degree the student will have to acquire 300 credits distributed in about 60 credits for each year of the course. The educational path includes 900 hours of internship (30 ECTS), to be carried out entirely at pharmacies open to the public and/or at hospital pharmacies, subject to an agreement signed with the Department's Educational Secretariat. The teaching structure of the course of studies is essentially based on a two-year preparatory course including basic preparatory disciplines (mathematics and physics), chemistry (general and inorganic, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, biochemistry) and bio-medical disciplines (general biology, plant biology, human anatomy, microbiology, general physiology) and a three-year course of vocational disciplines (drug analysis, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical technology and legislation, pharmacology and pharmacotherapy, etc.) with various laboratories and courses chosen by the student. The course includes a final experimental thesis. The course of studies in MCPT aims to ensures a scientific-professional preparation and provide the multidisciplinary skills necessary for graduates to work in the design, production and control of drugs and medical specialities. The degree in MCPT confers a preferential qualification that allows the graduate to carry out his professional activity in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, food and nutraceutical industries, and more generally, in the chemical field, medicine control laboratories and health products, public and private research centers, pharmaceutical Services of the National Health Service, regional, national and European Agencies in the pharmaceutical field and, more generally, in the chemical field. The graduate in MCPT can access either a State Exam for the qualification to practice the profession of Pharmacist or take a State Exam for the registration to Section A of the professional register of Chemist. Graduates in the degree course in Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology (MCPT) must acquire during the course of studies:- the fundamental multidisciplinary knowledge for an in-depth understanding of the structure and activity of drugs in relation to their interaction with biological substrates, with particular reference to aspects concerning chemical-physical characteristics and the structure-activity relationship of drugs;- in-depth knowledge for the manufacture, preparation and control of conventional and innovative pharmaceutical forms;- chemical and biological knowledge, integrated with those concerning national and community laws that regulate the various activities of the pharmaceutical sector, according to what is provided for by the WHO regulations and by national and European directives;- the knowledge useful for the professional performance of the pharmaceutical service within the National Health Service, as well as to interact with other health professions;- in-depth knowledge for the design and synthesis of drugs;- knowledge on analytical, quality control and validation aspects of industrial pharmaceutical processes;- theoretical and practical knowledge and skills on various aspects relating to the activity of the pharmaceutical industry (technical management, quality control management, production management, etc.);- knowledge necessary to use fluently in written or oral form, of at least one European Union language besides Italian, with reference also to disciplinary vocabulary. Enrollment in the Master's Degree Program in MCPT requires a five-year secondary school diploma or another qualification obtained abroad recognized as suitable. A foreign language test is required for foreign students. Adequate initial preparation in the following subjects is required for students wishing to enroll in the Master's Degree Program in MCPT:1. mathematics (proportions, percentages, radicals, powers, logarithms, equivalences, first degree equations).2. physics (physical quantities, units and measurement systems).3. chemistry (periodic system of the elements; substances, elements, mixtures and compounds; concept of chemical reaction; state passages).4. biology (knowledge about the cell; basic knowledge of the main biological molecules). The admission test, prepared by the Study Program or by inter-university consortium, consists in the solution of multiple choice questions on topics of chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics and general culture/logic (examples of these questions are published on the website). Additional lessons will be carried out within the first year in order to obtain the so called obligations (OFA) in mathematics, physics, biology and general and inorganic chemistry, for candidates who were below an established assessment threshold during the admission test. This entry test also fulfills the obligation to verify the basic preparation of all students who enroll for the first time in the MCPT degree course.
