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Five careers for Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science graduates
 Bradford Life Blog

  • By University of Bradford
  • Tagged under: Careers

A degree in pharmaceutical and cosmetic science can help you launch a fantastic career. Here are some of the career paths you could find yourself in.

This new degree can open doors to a range of pharmaceutical, chemical, and biotechnological roles. Here are five potential career paths for graduates. 

You may need further study and work experience for some of these roles. 

Product developer

Design, develop and manufacture pharmaceutical, cosmetic and personal care products.

Product developers impact the everyday lives of consumers. As a product developer, you could be involved in:

  • screening and presenting new product ideas
  • investigating the commercial viability of new products
  • ensuring the safety of new products
  • sales and marketing
  • quality control
  • regulatory affairs

This is a role that takes place away from the lab. The lab work is called product formulation.

Cosmetic chemist

Focus on beauty product manufacturing and development.

You may need to call on both scientific and creative skills in this role.

You could find yourself:

  • researching current trends and customer needs
  • creating cosmetic shades and colours
  • experimenting with pigments, perfumes, and packaging materials
  • developing ingredients for skincare, personal care and colour cosmetic products
  • testing batches for production and quality control

With experience, you could progress into senior and managerial roles. You could even branch out into marketing and sales roles later in your career.

A student in a lab coat in a lab setting, looking at a small pot.

Pharmaceutical scientist

Develop and manufacture new pharmaceutical medications for market.

Pharmaceutical scientists work in labs. They are responsible for preparing pharmaceutical drugs for market. The final product is known as the dosage form.

As a pharmaceutical scientist, you may:

  • develop strategies to design suitable routes of administration
  • design the dosage forms, such as a tablet, injection and ointment
  • select the additives required to make the dosage forms
  • design the method of manufacturing and packaging of the dosage forms

Science writer

Write clear, accessible and persuasive scientific content.

Science writers combine research, editing and copywriting skills with scientific knowledge.

The role often involves turning complex scientific copy into clear, easy to read content. Your work could be published in:

  • scientific news articles and features
  • business, trade and professional publications
  • general media articles

Science writers work in various communications organisations, agencies, or on a freelance basis. The role can bring the benefit of flexible and remote working.

Medical sales representative

Promote and sell medical products to healthcare professionals.

As a 'rep', you'll sell medicines and medical equipment to:

  • GPs
  • hospital doctors
  • pharmaceutical companies
  • pharmacists
  • nurses

You'll usually work in a specific geographical location and with one or more products.

Sales roles can offer variety. You'll need to meet targets and may have to give presentations and organise events. You'll also need to build working relationships, use data, and travel to meet clients.

Rewards include high earning potential and professional development training.

Find out more about our Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Science courses and apply.