Pharmacology degrees

Two students in white coats and blue gloves working in a clinical laboratory

A degree in pharmacology will enable you to understand how drugs interact with living systems and affect our bodies, which is crucial to health in our society.

You will study how new drugs are developed, potential side effects, therapeutic uses, and the societal and regulatory context.

Whether you study for an MSci or BSc in Pharmacology with placement year or study abroad options, your degree will help you to tackle future healthcare challenges.

You’ll benefit from being taught by academics from Lancaster University’s high-ranking Biomedical Sciences department and get hands-on practical experience in our fantastic labs.

Discover more and unlock a world of career opportunities in Pharmacology.

All Courses

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Hands-on study

The pharmacology facilities at Lancaster are excellent. Our state-of-the-art life science teaching laboratories provide the ideal environment to develop your practical skills.

Here, you’ll get practical experience using equipment like microscopes, plate readers and thermocyclers to gain the skills needed for a successful laboratory career.

Careers

A degree in pharmacology can open up a world of job opportunities.

Pharmacology graduates often enter a range of jobs within the fields of science and research, including the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors.

Other potential career paths include scientific communication and publishing, science policy, medical licencing and regulatory affairs.

Because the degree offers many transferable skills, you might also consider graduate-level employment in sectors such as finance or management.

Example career options include:

  • Pharmacologist
  • Analytical chemist
  • Biochemist
  • Biomedical scientist
  • Medical sales representative
  • Pharmaceutical manufacturer
  • Research scientist
  • Science writer
  • University lecturer
  • Patent lawyer
  • Policy advisor
  • Quality assurance manager
  • Toxicologist
  • Postgraduate researcher

Every aspect of learning

Our academics are leaders in their fields of research and deliver enthusiastic and engaging teaching through a range of methods.

  • Assessment

    The assessment process varies across modules but includes laboratory reports, essays, independent projects reports, group presentations, multiple-choice tests and exams. Assessment is an on-going process, rather than being left solely until the end of the degree. This means we are able to offer feedback to you throughout your degree as part of your on-going preparation for when modules are examined at the end of each year.

  • Lectures

    Lectures provide an introduction to the key issues and findings in each topic and are delivered by an expert in that particular area. They usually last one hour and should be complemented by further independent study by reading the relevant literature on the topic. We generally provide digital recordings of lectures for revision purposes and online reading lists of suitable books and journals that are available either digitally or in print from our library.

  • Tutorials

    Group tutorials are usually one-hour sessions where you will be encouraged to discuss your learning with fellow students, under the guidance of an academic tutor. During these in-depth study sessions, you will learn key skills and discuss key skills that relate to your degree.

  • Academic support

    We foster a highly supportive learning environment, making sure you are fully supported to achieve your full academic potential. This includes assigning you an Academic Tutor with whom you will meet regularly throughout your degree to discuss your academic progress and access to our Student Learning Developers, who offer workshops and advice on improving your academic skills.

  • Practical classes

    These are designed to help you to discover the key principles underpinning the topic of study, whilst also developing your skills which you will be able to put to use throughout your degree and future career. Practical classes could include experiments conducted in our teaching laboratories, research projects, workshops, field trips and residential field courses.

Related subject areas

We have other related areas of study within the realm of biosciences.

  • Biochemistry

    Biochemistry is an exciting and rapidly developing subject and the primary investigative science within biology and medicine. You will examine the structure and function of living organisms at the molecular and cellular level, studying core modules in biochemistry and chemistry.

  • Biology

    Tailor your degree to match your specific interests by choosing from a wide variety of modules. You can develop your knowledge of a range of biological processes, learn how plants and animals are affected by the challenges of the 21st century and have the option to specialise, for example, in the biomedical, biochemical or environmental aspects of biology.

  • Biomedical Science

    Our flexible Biomedicine and our IBMS-accredited Biomedical Science degree courses are aimed at those with a broad interest in human life processes and disease and give you the opportunity to gain an in-depth understanding of the techniques and issues associated with modern biomedical research.

  • Ecology and Conservation

    You will examine the ecology and conservation of different ecosystems, in which organisms are locked in complex interactions with one another and their environment. It's a diverse field and your degree will focus on areas including animal behaviour, evolution and global change biology.