Pharmaceutical Science (Placement Year)

BSc Hons

  • UCAS code B202
  • Entry year 2026
  • A level requirements AAB
  • Duration Full time 4 years
Open days
Request a prospectus
Virtual tour

We welcome applications from the United States of America

We've put together information and resources to guide your application journey as a student from the United States of America.

Overview

Study pharmaceutical science and join the next generation of scientists developing treatments for some of the world’s greatest disease challenges.

Spanning biology, chemistry and pharmacology, our Pharmaceutical Science BSc (Placement Year) will provide you with a deep understanding of drug design from conception to market and use in a medicinal setting.

The power to change lives

Pharmaceutical scientists can change lives by developing medicines and treatments for conditions from cancer to inherited disorders.

On our Pharmaceutical Science BSc (Placement Year), you will study themes across the disciplines of biology, chemistry, and pharmacology to understand the principles of drug design, development, synthesis, function, characterisation, delivery and side effects.

You will also explore the wider societal and regulatory context of drug development and use and how laboratory drugs are translated into viable consumer products.

You will be taught by our academics whose extensive pharmaceutical science research experience includes the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of various cancers; developing new chemistries for making drugs; and biomedical imaging agents to probe drug activity in cells.

This degree is ideal if you are looking for a career in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries, offering you the scientific knowledge, practical lab skills and career-ready mindset to succeed. You will also build transferable skills and analytical training that will open up potential careers in other fields such as management, teaching, marketing and finance.

Along with your placement year, your degree will be an excellent foundation for a career both within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries and beyond, offering you the scientific knowledge, practical lab skills and career-ready mindset to succeed. Plus, you will pay just 20 per cent of the standard tuition fee during your placement year.

Your journey through pharmaceutical science

Our academics have carefully designed this course to provide you with a structured, progressive training in pharmaceutical science.

  • In Year 1 you will lay the foundations of your knowledge that you will build upon through the following years of your degree. You’ll cover core themes including infection and immunity, cell structure and function, organic and inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry and pharmacology.
  • In Year 2 you will gain a deeper understanding of biochemistry (how biological processes work on a molecular level), organic synthesis (how drugs are synthesised), and their action within the body (pharmacology), along with how we can probe and understand their actions and interactions.
  • You will spend Year 3 on a work placement in industry, building your professional toolkit and gaining valuable insights into a career in pharmaceutical science. You will return to Lancaster to complete your fourth year with renewed confidence and drive to achieve your goals.
  • In Year 4, you will study advanced topics in both pharmacology and chemistry which will further develop your skills and knowledge.

You will apply your skills by undertaking a major research project as part of one of our research groups, alongside postgraduate students and postdoctoral staff. This is an exciting opportunity for you to address a significant contemporary research problem and apply your learning to global health challenges.

A hands-on course

You will develop your practical skills from the start of your studies in our modern, research-grade teaching laboratories.

They will be at the centre of your degree and are where you will put the knowledge you have acquired from lectures and tutorials into practice.

As a pharmaceutical science student you will benefit from our biomedical and life sciences labs and our chemistry labs and analytical facilities.

You will gain hands-on experience (depending upon your specialisation) of using equipment and facilities such as:

  • our bioimaging facility
  • protein purification and characterisation facilities
  • cell sorters
  • confocal microscopes
  • flow cytometers
  • PCR thermocyclers
  • cell culture facilities
  • advanced chemical synthesis techniques
  • chemical characterisation, including infrared (IR), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and mass-spectrometry
  • chemical separations, including high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)

In addition to laboratory practical classes and workshops, you will learn through lectures, workshops, tutorials, laboratory reports, essays and case studies, presentations, tests and exams. You will also benefit from digital resources through our online learning environment which will support your independent learning.

Altogether, your classroom learning and practical experience means you will graduate well-prepared for a successful career in pharmaceutical science or in other scientific and non-scientific fields.

Stand out from the crowd with a placement year

There are so many benefits to completing a placement year as part of your degree:

  • Get practical experience in the workplace over a 12-month placement
  • Boost your CV with experience in a role related to your course
  • Return to your fourth year with more confidence and maturity
  • ‘Road test’ your ideal job and see if it’s really what you’re looking for in a career
  • Build your professional network – your connections in industry could stand you in good stead for the future
  • Graduate employers are increasingly using placement schemes as a way to identify suitable candidates for upcoming job opportunities

With our placement year option, you will spend your third year on an industrial placement, which may be science or non-science-based. The University will use all reasonable effort to support you to find a suitable placement. Your placement will offer you valuable experience working at a graduate level to gain a wide range of professional skills.

If you are unsuccessful in securing a suitable placement or prefer to keep studying at Lancaster in your third year, you can transfer to the non-placement degree scheme to finish your degree after your third year. The University offers a range of shorter placement and internship opportunities to which you can apply.

If you successfully secure a placement for your third year, you will return to Lancaster for your final year of study, where you will focus in greater depth on specific aspects of your chosen subject.

Three people talk whilst standing in a modern wood-paneled office.

Careers

The breadth and depth of your Pharmaceutical Science BSc will stand you in good stead for careers across the pharmaceutical, chemical, health and education sectors.

Potential roles include:

• Pharmacologist
• Veterinary pharmacologist
• Toxicologist
• Pharmaceutical Scientist
• Analytical Chemist
• Academic Researcher
• Science Communications and Public Engagement
• Medicine Monitoring and Licencing
• Regulatory Affairs
• Teacher
• Research Manager
• Forensic Scientist
• Research Scientist
• Sales and marketing roles
• Health and Safety Assurance
• Biomedical Researcher
• Science Writer
• Drug Safety Associate
• Clinical Trial Project Manager
• Pharmaceutical Representative
• Microbiologist
• Medical Publisher
• PhD student

You will become competent in experimental design, gain practical lab skills and become adept in statistical analysis, data recording and presentation skills.

And, because professional skills are embedded throughout our curriculum, you will develop wider expertise valued by employers, including project management and problem-solving skills, ethical and environmental awareness.

Your placement year will help to further set you apart in a competitive jobs market.

As well as enhancing your CV with practical work experience in a pharmaceutical science-related role, your placement year will help you to build a valuable network of professional contacts.

Altogether, you will graduate with a scientific understanding of pharmaceutical science as well as the mindset, confidence and workplace experience to stand out in the competitive world of employment.

Employability at Lancaster: preparing you for the world of work
Lancaster University is dedicated to ensuring that you gain a highly reputable degree. We are also committed to ensuring that you graduate with relevant life and work-based skills.

Because professional skills are embedded throughout our curriculum, you will develop wider expertise valued by employers including communication, teamworking and negotiation skills, project management and problem-solving skills, ethical and environmental awareness.

We are unique in that every student is eligible to participate in The Lancaster Award, which offers you the opportunity to complete activities such as work experience, employability/career development, campus community and social development.

Visit our employability section for full details.

Entry requirements

These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. You may need to have qualifications in relevant subjects. In some cases we may also ask you to attend an interview or submit a portfolio. You must also meet our English language requirements.

Find more about these qualifications and others not shown here

Learn about how we will assess your application

Qualifications and typical requirements accordion

Contact Admissions

If you are thinking of applying to Lancaster and you would like to ask us a question, please complete our enquiry form and one of our team will get back to you.

International foundation programmes

Delivered in partnership with INTO Lancaster University, our one-year tailored foundation pathways are designed to improve your subject knowledge and English language skills to the level required by a range of Lancaster University degrees. Visit the INTO Lancaster University website for more details and a list of eligible degrees you can progress onto.

Contextual admissions

Contextual admissions could help you gain a place at university if you have faced additional challenges during your education which might have impacted your results. Visit our contextual admissions page to find out about how this works and whether you could be eligible.

Course structure

Enhancing our curriculum

We continually review and enhance our curriculum to ensure we are delivering the best possible learning experience, and to make sure that the subject knowledge and transferable skills you develop will prepare you for your future.

We will publish more detailed information about the structure of this degree course for 2026-entry in June 2025, ahead of our summer undergraduate open days. This will include overviews of the core modules you will take and examples of optional modules which may be available to you.

Fees and funding

We set our fees on an annual basis and the 2026/27 entry fees have not yet been set.

Fees and funding information

Additional fees and funding information accordion

Scholarships and bursaries

Details of our scholarships and bursaries for students starting in 2026 are not yet available.

You can use our scholarships for 2025-entry applicants as guidance.

Important information

The information on this site relates primarily to 2026/2027 entry to the University and every effort has been taken to ensure the information is correct at the time of publication.

The University will use all reasonable effort to deliver the courses as described, but the University reserves the right to make changes to advertised courses. In exceptional circumstances that are beyond the University’s reasonable control (Force Majeure Events), we may need to amend the programmes and provision advertised. In this event, the University will take reasonable steps to minimise the disruption to your studies. If a course is withdrawn or if there are any fundamental changes to your course, we will give you reasonable notice and you will be entitled to request that you are considered for an alternative course or withdraw your application. You are advised to revisit our website for up-to-date course information before you submit your application.

More information on limits to the University’s liability can be found in our legal information.

Our Students’ Charter

We believe in the importance of a strong and productive partnership between our students and staff. In order to ensure your time at Lancaster is a positive experience we have worked with the Students’ Union to articulate this relationship and the standards to which the University and its students aspire. View our Charter and other policies.

Undergraduate open days 2025

Our summer and autumn open days will give you Lancaster University in a day. Visit campus and put yourself in the picture.

Undergraduate Open Days
two students sitting and reading on some outdoor steps

  • Virtual tour

    Take five minutes and let us show you what Lancaster has to offer, from our beautiful green campus to our colleges, teaching and sports facilities.

  • Accommodation guide

    Most first-year undergraduate students choose to live on campus, where you’ll find accommodation to suit different preferences and budgets.

  • The city and beyond

    Our historic city is student-friendly and home to a diverse and welcoming community. Beyond the city you'll find a stunning coastline and the picturesque Lake District.