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University of Nottingham

UCAS Code: B23B | Master of Science - MSci

Entry requirements

A level

A,A,B

including Chemistry and at least one further science A level from Biology, Maths/Further Maths or Physics. The third subject can be chosen from a wide range of subjects, but General Studies, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Studies, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives and Research are not accepted. A Pass in the practical element is required for science A levels if assessed separately.

Access to HE Diploma

D:45

including 15 credits in Chemistry (including organic chemistry) and 15 credits in at least one of Maths, Biology or Physics.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

including HL6 and HL5 in Chemistry and a second science or 665 in 3 HL certificates including Chemistry and a second science

Considered on a case-by-case basis.

This qualification is only acceptable when combined with A levels including Chemistry and possible one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics depending on the BTEC content.

Considered on a case-by-case basis.

Scottish Higher

A,A,B,B,B

This qualification is only acceptable when combined with Advanced Higher grades AA including Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics.

This qualification is only acceptable when combined with A level Chemistry and one of Biology, Physics or Maths/Further Maths.

UCAS Tariff

136-147

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

About this course

Course option

4years

Full-time | 2025

Subjects

Pharmacy

Pharmacology

Learn about the discovery and design of medicines at a world top 5 university for pharmacy and pharmacology*. Prepare for a career where you can develop new drugs and medicines to transform people's lives. Improve your employability with a year spent working in industry in an area related to pharmaceutical sciences.

You'll study the core sciences that make up pharmaceutical sciences throughout the first two years:

**Chemistry**
- drug design and discovery using organic chemistry

- analytical chemistry to study the structure and purity of drug molecules

**Pharmaceutics**
- the science of designing and formulating medicines

- understand the properties of drugs and medicines through physical chemistry

**Biosciences**
- understand disease and drug action through biology and pharmacology

- the design of complex biological drugs

You'll study diseases and some of the most commonly prescribed medicines. You'll also learn about regulations, patenting and business skills in a national and global context.

*QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022 and 2021.

Modules

Our teaching methods include lab sessions, lectures, tutorials, workshops, and problem classes.

In year one you will study fundamental areas of pharmaceutical sciences. This will introduce you to a wide range of topics and provide you with a solid foundation of knowledge. You'll learn about cardiovascular disease, drug structure, and the science of medicines.

In year two, you still study more advanced modules at a higher level of expertise. You will learn about the synthesis of complex drugs, advanced drug discovery and drug design.

In year three you will complete a research project in an area of pharmaceutical sciences of your choice. This will involve collecting, analysing, and interpreting your own data.

In year four, you will work with an industry partner on a placement year. This will involve a year-long research project that will be supported by the university and your placement company. This will give you the skills and experience needed to start your career in the industry.

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
£28,600
per year
International
£28,600
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni

Course location:

University Park Campus

Department:

School of Health Sciences

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.

91%
Pharmacy

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.

Pharmacy

Teaching and learning

84%
Staff make the subject interesting
95%
Staff are good at explaining things
87%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
89%
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

81%
Library resources
83%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
78%
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?

57%
UK students
43%
International students
30%
Male students
70%
Female students
84%
2:1 or above
7%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

Pharmacology

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

78%
UK students
22%
International students
42%
Male students
58%
Female students
84%
2:1 or above
7%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
B

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.

Pharmacy

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.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

99%
Health professionals
1%
Business, finance and related associate 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.

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.

£21,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education
100%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

99%
Health professionals
1%
Business, finance and related associate 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.

Pharmacy

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

£28k

£28k

£40k

£40k

£39k

£39k

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.

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.

£28k

£28k

£40k

£40k

£39k

£39k

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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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here