For the 20th MDDS, lectures will be held both online and in-presence.
Master
Few Words about MDDS
The II Level Master’s Degree in Drug Design & Synthesis, now in its 20th year, has a European character and aims to train researchers and technicians specialised in the field of drug discovery and biotechnology for pharmaceutical companies.
Over the years, a teaching staff of absolute excellence has come together from various backgrounds, both in the public sector (universities, public research centres, etc.) and in industry.
The number of places available is fixed at 20.
Admission Request
For admission to the university master’s program, possession of one of the following requirements is required:
Degrees obtained under the provisions of the regulations preceding D.M. 509/99 – Access allowed to:
- Agricultural Plant Biotechnology (Biotecnologie agrarie-vegetali)
- Agro-Industrial Biotechnology (Biotecnologie agro-industriali)
- Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (Biotecnologie farmaceutiche)
- Industrial Biotechnology (Biotecnologie industriali)
- Medical Biotechnology (Biotecnologie mediche)
- Veterinary Biotechnology (Biotecnologie veterinarie)
- Chemistry (Chimica)
- Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology (Chimica e tecnologia farmaceutiche)
- Industrial Chemistry (Chimica industriale)
- Pharmacy (Farmacia)
- Chemical Engineering (Ingegneria chimica)
- Biological Sciences (Scienze biologiche)
Specialist degrees according to D.M. 509/99 and master's degrees according to D.M. 270/2004:
- Class LS14 – Pharmacy and Industrial Pharmacy (Farmacia e Farmacia Industriale)
- Class LS26 – Biomedical Engineering (Ingegneria Biomedica)
- Class LS27 – Chemical Engineering (Ingegneria Chimica)
- Class LS62 – Chemical Sciences (Scienze Chimiche)
- Class LS81 – Industrial Chemistry Sciences and Technologies (Scienze e Tecnologie della Chimica Industriale)
- Class LM-13 – Pharmacy and Industrial Pharmacy (Farmacia e Farmacia Industriale) [New curriculum under D.M. 270/04]
- Class LM-6 – Biology (Biologia) [New curriculum under D.M. 270/04]
- Class LM-7 – Agricultural Biotechnologies (Biotecnologie Agrarie) [New curriculum under D.M. 270/04]
- Class LM-9 – Medical, Veterinary, and Pharmaceutical Biotechnologies (Biotecnologie Mediche, Veterinarie e Farmaceutiche) [New curriculum under D.M. 270/04]
- Class LM-21 – Biomedical Engineering (Ingegneria Biomedica) [New curriculum under D.M. 270/04]
- Class LM-22 – Chemical Engineering (Ingegneria Chimica) [New curriculum under D.M. 270/04]
- Class LM-54 – Chemical Sciences (Scienze Chimiche) [New curriculum under D.M. 270/04]
- Class LM-71 – Industrial Chemistry Sciences and Technologies (Scienze e Tecnologie della Chimica Industriale) [New curriculum under D.M. 270/04]
Other cases
In addition, the following individuals may apply for admission:
- Candidates holding a qualification that is deemed equivalent, according to current regulations, to one of the access qualifications specified in Article 2, paragraph 1.
- Candidates holding an academic qualification obtained abroad, which is comparable solely for enrollment purposes in terms of level, nature, content, and academic rights (access to additional courses) to the Italian qualification required for admission to the chosen course.
The aforementioned requirements must be met by the deadline for submitting applications for admission to the university master’s program.
A student who has not obtained the access qualification by the application deadline indicated in the subsequent Article 3, paragraph 1, may enroll provisionally in the chosen university master’s program within that period. In this case, they must indicate the anticipated date of graduation in the self-declaration of certifications, which must be attached as a mandatory part of the online admission procedure.
Fees
The application fee is set at 3000.00 Euros and is payable in two instalments of 1500.00 Euros each, the first at the time of application and the second by 15 June 2025.
A number of scholarships are available to cover the full cost of enrolment, see Awards & Scholarships for details.
Didactical activites and stages
The course lasts a total of 18 months and involves a total of 60 ECTS credits, of which 25 ECTS credits are for lectures and didactic laboratory activities, 25 ECTS credits are for a 6-month internship in one of the affiliated organisations on a subject that corresponds to the training modules that make up the Master’s course, and 10 ECTS credits are for the final Master’s examination.
The teaching activities (lectures and workshops) will begin in March 2025 and end in July 2025 at the Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy of the University of Siena.
The internship activity can be carried out in a different period, agreed with the company, between March 2025 and January 2026.