About the Study Programs

Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences

The Bio-Pharmaceutical Sciences (BFS) program is a three-year bachelor's degree offered by the Faculty of Science (FWN). The aim of the program is to provide knowledge about drug development. Over the course of three years, all aspects and stages of drug development are covered. You will learn about the synthesis of new medications, how to deliver drugs to the correct location in the body, predict the body’s response, and much more. In addition to lectures, you will also attend practical sessions, where you will get a real sense of what research is like. Due to the combination of lectures and practicals, the study workload is high. The average BFS student thus spends long days and dedicates a lot of time to studying.

The Leiden Academic Centre for Drug Research (LACDR) provides a large portion of the education. They run many of the practicals, and in the third year, you will also do an internship in one of the departments. During your internship, you will participate in ongoing research and gain a good understanding of the practical side.

If you are unsure about which minor to choose, or have questions about internships, you can visit the study advisors. Hans Kruijer and Grada Degenaars are available for all your questions, and you can always drop by for a chat. Dr. R. Ramautar is the Program Director and is ultimately responsible for the curriculum.

More information about BFS can be found on the program website and on Facebook.

Pharmacy

Since 2016, the Pharmacy program has returned to Leiden, but as a master’s degree. This program is partly under „Aesculapius” and partly under the student association M.F.L.S. The master’s degree in Pharmacy lasts three years and can be followed if a student has chosen the Pharmacy specialization during their third-year minor period or if the student has completed a bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Utrecht, Groningen, or Leuven.

The goal of the program is to train students to become pharmaceutical care providers who have knowledge of both product care and patient care. The education is organized around medical themes, where theory is first covered, and then students work in the pharmacy. Through pharmaceutical clerkships in different pharmacies, students directly apply their gained knowledge. Since pharmacists are increasingly becoming healthcare providers and thus co-therapists, good collaboration with doctors is of great importance. This aspect is also highlighted in the curriculum.

LACDR and Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) jointly provide the education for this program. The program mainly takes place at the LUMC, but a small portion of the education (such as practicals) takes place in the Gorlaeus laboratories at LACDR. Lucia Creveld is the study advisor, and Dr. M. Mulder is the program director.

The program started with 25 students, and this year, 38 new Pharmacy students have joined. Currently, there is only an intake in September, but future intakes in February are expected.

More information about Pharmacy can be found on the program website and on Facebook.