Pharmacology

University of Portsmouth
Undergraduate BSc (Hons) Full-time 3 Years Pharmacy, pharmacology, and toxicology

A-Level Entry

BBB - BBC

UCAS Points

112 - 120 points

Avg. Graduate Salary

£25,000

About this course

This is a Connected Degree

Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.

Overview

If you love performing experiments in high-tech labs and want to study alongside researchers who are doing important work to understand how diseases such as Cancer, Alzheimer's and Asthma can be treated, this BSc (Hons) Pharmacology degree is for you.

Pharmacology is the study of drugs and how they affect living systems. Using specialist facilities, you'll deepen your chemistry and biology knowledge as you study how drugs – such as painkillers, antibiotics and even caffeine – alter the body.

You'll set yourself for a fulfilling career working in an industry that improves the lives of millions of people. You could work in areas such as new drug development, medical writing, regulatory affairs and pharmaceutical marketing.

  • Explore the latest techniques and methods for diagnosing and treating diseases

  • Investigate how cells communicate with each other and why people's bodies respond differently to the same drugs

  • Look at how new medicines are developed, tested and launched

  • Enhance your CV on a laboratory-based work experience module and on a sandwich year in industry (subject to successful applications)

  • Have the opportunity to do summer research placement at one of our partner universities overseas

    Accredited by: This course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.

    Careers and opportunities

    From the medicines in your bathroom cabinet to the drug combinations used to treat cancer, the work of pharmacologists plays a crucial role in society. So there's always demand for pharmacology graduates.

    What can you do with a pharmacology degree? With your degree in pharmacology, you could start a career in any part of the pharmaceutical industry, including:

  • drug development and testing

  • medical writing

  • marketing and sales

  • regulatory affairs

    You could specialise in a particular area of pharmacology, such as:

  • cardiovascular pharmacology

  • psychopharmacology

  • neuropharmacology

  • animal pharmacology

    Roles you could do include:

  • clinical trial assistant/administrator

  • pharmacovigilance officer

  • research and development scientist/technician

  • secondary school teacher (with additional training)

  • regulatory executive

  • operations scientist

  • research associate

    You can also continue your studies at postgraduate level on a PhD, MRes or MSc programme.

    Graduate destinations Previous graduates have gone on to work for organisations including:

  • Bayer

  • Barts Health NHS Trust

  • Hammersmith Medicines Research

  • PharmaTargeting – a research house

  • Reckitt – health, hygiene and nutrition products

  • Molecular Dimensions – a supplier of specialist lab equipment

    Work experience and placement year To give you the best chance of securing a great job when you graduate, this course includes an optional sandwich year in industry and an optional lab-based work experience module (both subject to a successful applications). You could also do a summer research placement at a European university.

    Previous students have completed work placements at organisations including pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Catalent.

    Our specialist team of Science and Health Careers advisors can help you with finding a work placement and improving your employability skills. They'll provide you with a database of placement vacancies, support with your job search – including help with applications and interviews – and support throughout your placement year.

  • Entry Requirements

    A-Level Grades BBB - BBC
    UCAS Tariff Points 112 - 120 points
    BTEC DDM - DMM

    Study Options

    This course is available in 2 study options:

    Full-time Shown above

    Duration: 3 Years

    Qualification: BSc (Hons)

    Location: Portsmouth

    Avg. Salary: £25,000

    Sandwich

    Duration: 4 Years

    Qualification: BSc (Hons)

    Location: Portsmouth

    Avg. Salary: £25,000

    Career Prospects

    Graduates from this course typically go into the following occupations:

    2111 Chemical scientists
    3111 Laboratory technicians
    3115 Quality assurance technicians
    2113 Biochemists and biomedical scientists
    3219 Health associate professionals
    2112 Biological scientists

    Course Details

    Qualification
    Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
    Study Mode
    Full-time
    Duration
    3 Years
    Start Date
    2025
    Academic Year
    2025
    Campus / Location
    Portsmouth
    Scheme
    Undergraduate
    Subjects
    Pharmacy, pharmacology, and toxicology
    Avg. Graduate Salary
    £25,000