Pharmaceutical engineers are vital to improving health and the well being of society through the development, large scale production, packaging and delivery of health-care products. Graduates will be capable of directing development, commercialisation and manufacturing of components within the pharmaceutical industry. With a global shortage graduates will command lucrative national and international career opportunities. Pharmaceutical engineers work in industries such as pharmaceutical, nanotechnology, biotechnology, biomedical, food and food additives, nutrition, cosmetics and personal products. Pharmaceutical engineering is extremely rewarding for many different reasons. Working in the health industry as an engineer, speeding up delivery time of drugs to patients, making medications more affordable and more widely available, and designing new drugs to target very specific parts of the human body with fewer side effects. Pharmaceutical engineering is a high-tech program with an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to post-genomic engineering. It takes a sustainable approach, minimising waste and maximising the use of by-products. The degree is concerned with pharmaceutical process improvement. Students learn how to develop drug formulation processes at an industrial scale with high levels of efficacy and how to improve the economical delivery, manufacturing and packaging, and design of pharmaceutical products.
Related Programs
Master of Engineering (Advanced) (Chemical Engineering - Energy & Combustion)
Master of Engineering (Advanced) (Chemical Engineering - Environment & Sustainability)
Master of Engineering (Advanced) (Chemical Engineering - Food & BioProcessing)
You must not have completed more than 4 years full time equivalent university study (96 units). You must have gained a 'Recorded Achievement' in four SACE Stage 2 HESS (Higher Education Selection Subjects) General subjects (or interstate/International Baccalaureate equivalents). For a full list of SACE subjects and their HESS status please refer to the SATAC Tertiary Entrance Booklet. You compete for a place with your Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER).
You must have completed at least half a year full time equivalent higher education study. A Grade Point Average (GPA) is calculated for each separate program you have undertaken (apart from some double degree programs where the GPA is combined). You compete on the basis of your best GPA.
You must meet the following criteria: you must be 21 years or over on January 1st of the year that you will be studying*, you must not hold a completed higher education level award, and if you have been enrolled in a course leading to a higher education level award in the last 3 years, you must not have completed more than 2 years full time equivalent university study. If you meet this criteria, you will be ranked according to your result in the Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT). Your STAT result is weighted such that the verbal component contributes 35% and the quantitative component contributes 65% to your overall score. Personal Competencies (PC) and Employment Experience (EE) statements may also contribute to your rank. If you submit a PC or EE statement, and one of these ranks higher than your STAT score, then the highest ranking statement will contribute 50% to your overall rank and the STAT will contribute the remaining 50%. If you do not submit a PC or EE statement, or if the statements have a lower rank than the STAT, then you will compete for a place on the basis of your STAT result only. *The age restriction is 19 years or over if you have completed either the Flinders Foundation course or the UniSA Foundation Studies program or the UniSA Program for Adult Learners. Indigenous applicants may be eligible for entry through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access Scheme. See Wilto Yerlo for further information.
SACE Stage 2: Mathematical Studies and TWO of Chemistry, Biology, Physics or Specialist Mathematics IB: either Mathematics (SL grade 5/HL grade 3) and TWO of Biology, Chemistry or Physics (SL grade 5/HL grade 4); or, Mathematics (HL grade 4) and ONE of Biology, Chemistry or Physics (SL grade 5/HL grade 4)
* Students who have undertaken SACE Stage 2 Specialist Maths will be required to enrol in Maths IA followed by Maths IB. Students who have not taken SACE Stage 2 Specialist maths will be required to enrol in Maths IMA followed by Maths IA and Maths IB in summer semester to complete the requirements at Level 1.
^ Students with a Subject Achievement score of at least 13 in SACE Stage 2 Chemistry or equivalent must enrol in CHEM 1100 Chemistry IA / CHEM 1200 Chemistry IB. All other students must enrol in CHEM 1101 Foundations of Chemistry IA / CHEM 1201 Foundations of Chemistry IB.
CHEM ENG xxxx Statistical Quality Control (3 units)
CHEM ENG xxxx Design of Batch Processes (3 units)
CHEM ENG xxxx Materials in Biomedical Applications (3 units)
CHEM ENG xxxx Molecular Engineering (3 units)
Career Opportunities
Pharmaceutical Engineers can work in diverse fields such as:
Pharmaceutical
Nanotechnology
Biotechnology
Biomedical
Food & Food Additives
Nutrition
Cosmetics & Personal Products
Graduates will be capable of directing development, commercialisation and manufacturing of components within the pharmaceuticals industry. With a global labour shortage, graduates will command lucrative national and international career opportunities. Further graduates of this program will have the flexibility and option to practice as a Chemical Engineer.
Graduate Attributes
The objective of the undergraduate Chemical Engineering programs is to produce graduates with following attributes:
The ability to apply knowledge of basic science and engineering fundamentals.
Ability to communicate effectively, not only with engineers but also with the community at large.
In-depth technical competence in at least one chemical engineering discipline.
Ability to utilise a systems approach to design and operational performance.
Ability to function effectively as an individual and in multi-disciplinary and multicultural teams; with the capacity to be a leader or manager as well as an effective team manager.
Understanding the social, cultural, global and environmental responsibilities of the professional engineer, and the need for sustainable development.
Understanding of professional and ethical responsibilities and commitment to them; and expectation of the need to undertake lifelong learning, and capacity to do so.
Ability to focus on the integration of process safety considerations with environmental concerns, waste minimisation, and control system specifications.
Confidence to tackle real-world problems and issues central to engineering and to work as individuals and cooperatively in multidisciplinary and multicultural teams.
Enthusiasm and interest for undertaking life-long learning and the continual updating of their engineering skills.
The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.
Last updated:
Monday, 22 Dec 2008
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