Master Dissertation

Initiate the student in research on topics related to the Research and Development of Medicines.

In general terms, the contents will focus on the field of Medicine Research and Development. The subject of specific work will be assigned by the academic committee of the master the each student, taking into account the research lines offered, the students preferences and the teachers availability .

The research work will end with the presentation of a written report in Spanish, Galician or English, and a presentation and defense of the results obtained in front of an evaluating Commission .

Written report

The report must be written following the characteristics of a scientific work. It should be concise, have an extension of 10-14 pages and include the following characteristic sections of a research article:

Title: Short (1 or 2 lines) and explicit.

Summary (maximum 250 words) in Spanish or Galician and in English.

Keywords: 5-6 words that define or situate the TFM in their field of knowledge, in Spanish and English.

Introduction: Sufficient description of the state of the art based on the available updated bibliography. It is necessary to situate the work in the general context and provide a description and justification of the experimental approach carried out. The introduction ends with the description of the objective / s of the study.

Materials and methods: Materials and protocols used in carrying out the work.

Results and discussion: Qualitative and quantitative description of the results obtained and their critical analysis with respect to previous studies.

Conclusions: They must respond clearly and concisely to the objectives raised.

Bibliography: according to Vancouver unified format

Acknowlegments. Mention the institutions that provided funding. In this section you can also thank personal contributions, the donation of equipment, assistance in the laboratory, help with statistics, critical comments on the first versions of the work, but try to be explicit.

The report must be submitted in paper and electronic format, using A4 pages, top and bottom margins of 3 cm and right and left of 2.5 cm. Simple line spacing. The text will be presented in a column for the title, summary and key words sections, and in two columns the other sections.

The pages should be numbered in the lower central area.

The selected letter must be Sans Sheriff (without curves) (Arial, calibri , verdana or similar). Its size in the text will be 10 and the legends of figures and graphics should not be lower than 8.

Tables and figures: The necessary ones will be prepared to present the results of the work. All must be accompanied by a legend, in its lower centered, numbered as (Table 1, Table 2, Figure 1, etc.), sufficient information is included to allow the reader the understanding without needing go back to the text. All tables and figures will be cited in the text.

Not applicable.

Learning outcomes
• Carry out a bibliographic review using correctly the sources of scientific information, including those found in English.
Competences: CB1, CB5, CG3, CE3, CE15
• Formulate a research hypothesis
Competences: CB2. CG2, CG10, CE2, CE3, CE8
• Join a research team
Competences: CB2, CG9
• Design and execute a research work
Competencies: CB2, CG6, CG11, CE4, CE5, CE6, CE7, CE10
• Present research results and conduct a critical discussion about them
Competences: CB3, CG1, CG4, CG7, CE9, CE12, CE14
• Prepare a written report on the results obtained in your research
Competences: CB3, CB4, CG5, CG8, CE11
• Prepare an oral presentation on the main results of your research
Competencies: CB4, CG8, CE13,
• Present and defend your research work before the members of an evaluation commission
Competences: CB4, CG8, CE1

Selection of topic and tutor
The specific work topic and the TFM tutor (and with the tutor, if applicable) will be assigned by the commission of the master's degree for each student, taking into account the research lines offered, the preferences expressed by the students, and the availability of teachers.
The Teaching and Research Staff (PDI) of the areas that teach in the degree may act as tutors or co-tutors. As it is a research-oriented master's degree, the PDI must be in possession of a doctoral degree.
A student may modify the tutor in exceptional cases, for which he must request it in a reasoned way by writing to the Commission of the Master's Degree through the secretariat of the Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology. The Commission will analyze the case, and if appropriate, will make a new assignment.

Work to do
The student will carry out the proposed laboratory work under the guardianship of the tutor (and with the tutor if applicable) and will carry out an original research work.


Group tutoring
Throughout the semester there will be a group tutoring that will have a Scientific Conference format. This Conference will take place in person or online depending on the circumstances.
On this day, each student will present, for a limited time, before their peers and a group of teachers of the Master, the basic approach of their research and their progress so far. Time will also be allocated to raise questions and resolve doubts.

This subject will be supported through a virtual platform for the coordination of the Master.

• Favorable tutor's report
Competences: CB5, CE12

• Written report * (50% of the final grade)
Competences: CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CG1, CG2, CG3, CG4, CG5, CG6, CG7, CG8, CG9, CG10, CG11, CE, CE2, CE3, CE4, CE5, CE6, CE7, CE8, CE9, CE10, CE1, CE12, CE13, CE14, CE15

• Oral defense * (50% of the final grade)
Competences: CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, CB5, CG1, CG2, CG3, CG4, CG5, CG6, CG7, CG8, CG9, CG10, CG11, CE1, CE2, CE3, CE4, CE5, CE6, CE7, CE8, CE9, CE10, CE11, CE12, CE13, CE14, CE15

* Rubrics available through the virtual classroom for the coordination of the Master in Drug R&D

Enrollment entitles the student to two exam opportunities. The dates established for the exhibition and defense of the work for the 2020-2021 academic year will be published in the virtual classroom.

For the preparation of the report, the oral presentation and the defense, the TFM regulations of the Master in R&D of Medicines will be followed (available through the virtual classroom of coordination of the Master)

Exhibition and defense of the Master's Thesis

All TFM students must present their work before a single evaluation commission, made up of three members elected annually from among the professors who teach in the Master of R&D in Medicines. In this commission both areas, Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Technology, must be represented. When the degree committee deems it appropriate, one of the committee members may be a drug R&D specialist who is not a professor on the Master's degree.

Subject of 24 ECTS

Activity ..................................... Tempo (h) ........ ............................ Methodology
Group tutoring ............................ 6 hours .......... Xornadas in Drug Research and Disinvestment . Formulation e
.........................................................................follow up of TFM. Assessment of two advances and proposals for progress
Supervised personal work.............593 hours


Avaliación session ...................... 1 hour .......... Oral presentation and defense of the project before the evaluation committee

Total ......................................... 600 hours

-The criteria for report assessment, oral presentation and the development of competences can be found in the virtual coordination classroom of the Master. You should review them in depth.

- Do a self-assessment exercise taking into consideration each of the sections that the tutor and the members of the evaluation board are going to take into account to assess your work.

- Deliver the writen report when you are convinced that you will get a high score in each of the sections.

-Value the slides of your presentation according to the instructions and suggestions to prepare PowerPoint presentations that you can find in the virtual USC of the Master.

-If you can, record your oral statement and assess it based on the criteria that members of the court will use.

-Ask someone you trust to attend the assay your oral presentation and the judge depending on the criteria used by members of the commission.

Always use the information available in the virtual coordination classroom of the Master.

All the information will be sent to you via your institutional email address (name@rai.usc.es)