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Pharmacology

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-A,B,B

Including 2 science GCE A Levels (or equivalent) one of which must be a grade B in either biology or chemistry (acceptable A levels are Human Biology, Psychology, Geography, Maths, Physics, ICT and Sports Studies). Pass required in A level science practical.

Access to Science Diploma with 45 Level credits at merit profile.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

English Language 4/C Maths 4/C Double Science 4/C

IB offer 120-128 points from a minimum of 2 HL subjects at H4 or above to include Biology or Chemistry and one other Science (with the remaining points to come from a combination of HL, SL and Core)

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

BTEC Extended Diploma in Applied Science (depending on optional units studied) with DMM profile.

UCAS Tariff

120-128

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Full-time with time abroad | 2024

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Pharmacology

The massive research expenditure of Britain's pharmaceutical companies, and the fierce competition in the field, ensures a continual demand for well trained pharmacology graduates. This degree will give you a thorough understanding of pharmacology, and an advanced knowledge of the design, mechanism of action, breakdown, and potential toxic effects of drugs used in the treatment of disease, and the design of new drugs.

The University of Hertfordshire has a longstanding reputation teaching pharmacology and is located within 50 miles of most of the UK pharmaceutical industry. In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), 69% of Research in Pharmacy and Pharmacology was rated as world leading or internationally excellent.

The Pharmacology course is taught as one pathway in the Biosciences Programme. This starts off with a broad based first year and builds up to a final year that provides a detailed understanding of the actions of medicines on biological systems from mechanisms at a molecular level to effects on the whole body.

Tuition fees

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

England
£9,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Hertfordshire

Department:

Biosciences

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.

100%
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

80%
Staff make the subject interesting
80%
Staff are good at explaining things
60%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
50%
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

80%
Library resources
70%
IT resources
70%
Course specific equipment and facilities
80%
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?

85%
UK students
15%
International students
31%
Male students
69%
Female students
85%
2:1 or above
13%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

E
C
C

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
med
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education
86%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

66%
Health professionals
7%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
4%
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.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Pharmacology

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£22k

£22k

£29k

£29k

£37k

£37k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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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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