Progress from our established BSc (Hons) Cosmetic Science course or a related discipline such as chemical engineering or chemistry. Specialise in the higher-level knowledge and skills required by the cosmetics sector and become employable in it.
Overview
This course will equip you with the skills needed to work in the cosmetics, personal care and fragrance industries in the UK and around the world, including formulation, quality control, safety and claims substantiation testing, regulatory framework, and business skills.
You will be taught by a wide range of academic staff and selected external experts, allowing you to gain skills and knowledge in a thematically coherent manner via lectures, teamwork, group presentations, new product development exercises, dermatology, and working in skin and hair technology labs.
Why us?
- Make extensive use of the advanced technology and laboratory infrastructure in our Sciences Complex
- The University has over 100 years of expertise in teaching science
- Guest lectures from key stakeholders in the cosmetics industry
- A unique curriculum which captures all aspects of Cosmetic Science
- Sunderland has worked with GlaxoSmithKline for over 20 years, and Pfizer has funded research projects at Sunderland for more than ten years
Course structure
We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include lectures, group tasks, problem-based learning (PBL) and lab experiments.
Assessment methods include written PBL group presentations, written examinations (both open and closed book), lab reports and a lab-based creative project. You will take four 30-credit modules in Stages 1 and 2, and a 60-credit Research Project in Stage 3.
Facilities
Sunderland's exceptional facilities include state-of-the-art equipment for pharmaceutics, synthetic, analytical and medicinal chemistry and pharmacology. This includes a human anatomy resource, a new state of the art clinical skills suite and bioscience laboratories and a patient simulation suite/theatre.
The laboratory infrastructure in the Sciences Complex supports all of the practical components of the curriculum, including:
- Formulation labs with all necessary equipment for the formulation of solid (eg eye shadow), semisolid (eg creams, gels, lipsticks etc) and liquid products (eg face toner and foundation)
- Material characterisation equipment eg a rheometer, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), tensile strength for hair, microscopy (scanning electron microscopy and polarised), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)
- Claim substantiation equipment for measuring skin properties eg transepidermal water loss (TWL), skin elasticity, hydration, surface texture, sebum content and sun protection factor (SPF)
Career ready
As a Cosmetic Science graduate, you'll have a wide range of employment options in the cosmetic and related pharmaceutical industries. Sunderland is well-regarded by employers in the pharmaceutical sector and have worked with GSK for over 20 years.
Career options
The cosmetics and personal care industry is looking for appropriately trained cosmetic scientists; this is evidenced in wide-ranging vacancies worldwide. The current BSc Cosmetic Science course utilises a number of specialist speakers drawn from a cross-section of the industry and these contacts have highlighted a need for appropriately qualified graduates at both graduate and postgraduate levels in their specialist areas.
This course has been designed in consultation with our partners to ensure a relevant and contemporary curriculum, enabling you to develop the academic knowledge and practical skills required by companies involved in the regulation, manufacture, safety, marketing and distribution of cosmetic products.
Cosmetic Scientist salary
According to the Society of Cosmetic Scientists, newly qualified cosmetic scientists can earn around £20,000 per year, rising up to over £50,000 per year as you gain experience and standing in the sector.
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