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Biomedical Science (Pharmacology)

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B

A minimum of 3 A Levels at ABB to include AB from Chemistry and another science or Mathematics subject - Biology preferred. For Second Year entry, a minimum of 3 A Levels at AAB to include Chemistry, Biology and Physics with AB from Chemistry and Biology. Also required: GCSE at C or above in English or English Language, Mathematics and in either Chemistry, Biology or Dual Award Science.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

34

A minimum of 34 points with 6 points at HL required from Chemistry and another science or Mathematics subject, Biology preferred. For Second Year entry, a minimum of 36 points with 6 points minimum at HL required from Chemistry and Biology. A minimum of SL or HL in English and Maths required.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H2,H3

5 subjects at Higher, with 4 at H2 and 1 at H3 H2 from Chemistry and H3 or above in at least one other Science or Mathematics Subject (Biology preferred)

Scottish Advanced Higher

A,B,B

For Second Year entry, a minimum of 3 AH at AAB, including 2 AH at AB from Chemistry and Biology. National 5 at grades C or above in English, Mathematics (but not Applications of Mathematics) and in either Chemistry or Biology.

Scottish Higher

A,A,A,B

Applicants who achieve AAAB or better over S4 and S5 are likely to be made an offer of admission. This may be unconditional or conditional, dependent upon academic profile. Good performance in additional Highers / Advanced Highers may be required. AB from Higher Chemistry and another science or mathematics subject, Biology preferred. Note: we do not double count a Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject, but we do consider that a B at Adv Higher is equivalent to an A grade at Higher. National 5 at grades C or above in English, Mathematics (but not Applications of Mathematics) and in either Chemistry or Biology.

UCAS Tariff

126-152

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Pharmacology

The primary goal of Biomedical Science is to enhance understanding of human body function in health and disease. In the first two years of your degree you will gain a broad knowledge of subjects related to medical science and in scientific research methods. In addition, you will enhance your critical analysis abilities while developing your interpersonal skills through team-working and oral/written communications.

Advanced knowledge of Pharmacology will be acquired in the third and fourth years of the programme. The University of Aberdeen has a distinguished history both in teaching pharmacology and of pharmacological innovation. The University has been recognised by the British Pharmacological Society as a site of special scientific interest based on its achievements in pharmacology and is associated with a Nobel Prize for research which led to the development of insulin as a treatment for diabetes. The University is also one of the top 10 UK Universities for spin-out company formation.

The Biomedical Sciences degree primarily prepares you to follow a broad range of careers in science relating to medicine. In this respect, the quality of your training will permit you to take advantage of international career opportunities in research and development. The degree can also form the basis for an application to enter Medicine or Dentistry.

The BSc Biomedical Sciences degree is not accredited by the Institute of Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) and thus our graduates do not achieve their HPC registration at graduation, but instead, if they choose this career path, will gain it following an additional conversion course within hospital laboratories.

**We are ranked 1st in the UK for Anatomy and Physiology in The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023.**

**5 year MSci degree**
This degree offers you the opportunity to undertake a year's placement in an industrial, commercial or research environment and graduate after five years with an MSci (an undergraduate Masters degree) instead of a BSc.

Modules

View all modules on the programme page to find out more about what you will be studying and when. University of Aberdeen modules are designed to give you breadth and depth to your degree. The range of modules you study will allow you to become proficient in all subjects which are directly relevant to your degree giving you greater career options.

Assessment methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods: coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course; practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course; and written examinations at the end of each course. The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£24,800
per year
International
£24,800
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£1,820
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

View the University of Aberdeen Online Prospectus programme page to find out about any scholarships and funding you may be eligible to apply for.

The Uni


Course location:

University of Aberdeen

Department:

School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

97%
Pharmacology

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Pharmacology

Teaching and learning

100%
Staff make the subject interesting
94%
Staff are good at explaining things
88%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
94%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

88%
Library resources
100%
IT resources
94%
Course specific equipment and facilities
88%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

71%
UK students
29%
International students
33%
Male students
67%
Female students
89%
2:1 or above
3%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
A

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Pharmacology

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,500
low
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

15%
Science, engineering and production technicians
13%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
12%
Natural and social science professionals

As only a relatively small number of students study pharmacology or toxicology, these statistics refer most closely to the graduate prospects of pharmacy graduates, so bear that in mind when you review them. Only a handful of students take first degrees in pure toxicology every year — the subject is more popular at Masters level. Pharmacology is a degree that tends to lead to jobs in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, and outcomes are improving again after a difficult time in the last few years. Jobs in pharmacology are often very specialist and so it’s no surprise that pharmacologists are amongst the most likely of all students to go on to a doctorate — if you want a job in research, start thinking about a PhD. As for pharmacy, unemployment rates are below 1% and 95% of pharmacy graduates had jobs as pharmacists (mostly in retail pharmacists) six months after they left their courses - employment rates have gone up significantly in the last couple of years.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
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Lower entry requirements
University of Aberdeen | Aberdeen
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BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 120-152
Nearby University
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Same University
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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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