This course is designed to give you the necessary academic background and specialist skills needed to carry out clinical drug development in a contract research organisation, pharmaceutical industry or health service environment. The programme will: Give you an understanding of the regulatory framework underlying clinical research; Teach you to understand the principles of laboratory methodologies applied to clinical trials; Give you understanding of the steps involved in developing and implementing new drugs; Cover the key areas of expertise needed for a successful clinical research programme; Develop your skills and understanding in clinical microbiology, and will give you a thorough knowledge of associated subjects such as molecular biology. Clinical drug Development is based at The William Harvey Research Institute, the largest university-based pharmacological research institute in the UK. Our success in this area is illustrated by our publications in high-impact journals, accompanied by renewal and additional funding of one Medical Research Council and five Wellcome Programmes, which we lead or support as co-investigators. The Institute has strong links with the pharmaceutical industry both in the UK and abroad. Distance learning students will have access to the college online library facilities. This gives access to a large number of relevant journals. Students will have access to other academic literature and journals in the same way as on-site students. The taught modules are subject to 100 per cent by continuous assessment, with your submission of essay-style answers, a series of shorter answers or a mixture of both. Your work will be marked and returned to you according to the timetable given in the Programme Handbook. You will not have a final written examination.