Pharmacology
University of Nottingham
UCAS Code: B211 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Including Chemistry and Biology.
Access to HE Diploma
Access to HE Diploma 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction and 15 Level 3 credits at Merit. 12 Level 3 credits must be in Biological Science at Distinction and 12 Level 3 credits must be in Chemistry at Distinction. The modules will be considered on an individual basis; you may need to take certain modules and achieve a specified grade in those modules. Please contact us to discuss the transferability of your qualification.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
including chemistry and biology.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
GCSE English Language or Literature and Mathematics at grade 4 (C) or above also required.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
including 6,6,5 at Higher level, including Higher Level Chemistry and Higher Level Biology. Grade 4 in standard level maths and either grade 4 in English A at standard level or grade 5 in English B at standard level.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)
RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Certificate at D plus 2 A Levels grades AB in Biology and Chemistry.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Applications are assessed on an individual basis.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Applications are assessed on an individual basis.
Pearson BTEC Subsidiary Diploma (QCF)
QCF Level 3 BTEC Subsidiary Diploma D plus 2 A Levels grades AB in Biology and Chemistry.
Scottish Advanced Higher
including chemistry and biology. Considered in conjunction with grades AABBB in the Scottish Highers.
Scottish Higher
In combination with grades AA in the Advanced Scottish Highers, including chemistry and biology.
Please contact us to discuss the transferability of your qualification.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
Accepted in combination with 2 science A-levels at AA, to include chemistry and biology.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Pharmacology is the study of how drugs work in the body. This includes any type of chemical or biological agent that produces an effect on the body including medicines, drugs of abuse, poisons, and chemicals in the food we eat and drink. There are two aspects to pharmacology: the effect of the drug on the body, and the effect of the body on the drug.
In this course we aim to answer some of the biggest questions we have surrounding drugs and medicine today and for the future. In year one, you will study a number of core modules covering physiology, biochemistry, neuroscience and medicinal chemistry. In the second year, you will start to focus on the pharmacology of current drugs and drug targets, and in the third year you will learn about the recent advances in pharmacology, and the application of pharmacology in the drug discovery process.
Pharmacologists are at the centre of developing medicines to revolutionise the treatment of diseases. These include:
- life-saving antibiotics
- hypertension
- asthma
- depression
- statins to reduce cardiovascular disease
- revolutionary retroviral drugs to manage HIV
- biologic based medicines (RNA, antibodies)
Pharmacology can lead to a fulfilling career in medicines research or an industry that improves the lives of people around the world in areas such as drug discovery, medicines development, medical writing, regulatory affairs and pharmaceutical marketing.
Modules
In the first year you'll take core modules in cell biology and human physiology. You'll also begin to learn pharmacology-specific skills and to understand the basics of drug design.
Teaching in the second year focuses on scientific knowledge related specifically to pharmacology and drug discovery. You'll learn many of the core concepts outlined in the British Pharmacological Society core curriculum, and relate these to the treatment of disease.
In year three the modules place emphasis on current and possible future advances in pharmacology. You'll learn about more advanced topics in pharmacology, toxicology, therapeutics and medicines production. There is also a lab-based research project in your final year.
For the most up-to-date module information and full details, please visit the course page on our website.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
University Park Campus
School of Life Sciences
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.
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
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?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Chemistry
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry
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.
Top job areas of graduates
Around 2,500 graduates got degrees in this demanding but valuable subject last year. Graduates who want a career in research usually take postgraduate qualifications - over a third of graduates in the subject took this option - but those who want to start work when they graduate have a lot to choose from. Laboratory work and other jobs in the biosciences are popular, as well as in education, but many biochemistry graduates find their way into the finance industry and as a consequence, graduates from these disciplines are particularly likely to get jobs in London and the South East.
Chemistry
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.
Top job areas of graduates
Chemistry graduates are in demand from a wide range of industries, from the food, oil, chemicals and pharmaceuticals to consultancy, technical analysis and teaching. They're also prized by business and finance employers for their research and data handling skills — anywhere there is research and data to be explained, you can find chemistry grads. If you want a career in research, you need a doctorate, so start planning now if you fancy one of these exciting and challenging jobs - but good students can usually get grants to take a doctorate, so don't worry about the financing if you think you have what it takes. The recession wasn’t too kind to chemists, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry (one of the key employers for chemists), but things are getting back to normal for this flexible group and it's one of the few degrees that is bucking the current trend and increasing graduate numbers.
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.
£28k
£40k
£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.
Molecular biology, biophysics and biochemistry
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£21k
£25k
£30k
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.
Chemistry
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£21k
£30k
£31k
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 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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