Find the perfect course for you - chat with Diggory, our new AI uni coach.

Lancaster University

UCAS Code: B212 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Entry requirements

A level

A,A,B

A level Chemistry and one other science subject from Biology, Mathematics or Physics

Access to HE Diploma

D:36,M:9

in a relevant subject

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

35

with 16 points from the best 3 Higher Level subjects including 6 in HL Chemistry and 6 in one further HL science subject from Biology, Mathematics or Physics

Considered alongside A level Chemistry

UCAS Tariff

136

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

About this course

Course option

4years

Full-time with time abroad | 2025

Subject

Pharmacology

Pharmacology at Lancaster University will provide you with a deep understanding of how drugs interact with living systems and affect our bodies – something crucial to health in our society. In addition to studying drug development, mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses, and potential side effects, you'll also gain insight into the wider societal and regulatory context in which drugs are used and new drugs are developed.

This four-year degree is ideal if you wish to experience overseas study as part of your pharmacology degree. Overseas study can broaden your horizons, build your confidence, offer a different perspective on your subject, and make you stand out from the crowd in a competitive job market.

Taught as part of the Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, where Biomedical Sciences was ranked 1st in the UK for satisfaction with teaching and 2nd in the UK for graduate prospects, by The Guardian University Guide 2024, you’ll be joining the best in the field.

In your first year, you will gain a through grounding in the biomedical basis of pharmacology through the study of 15 wide-ranging core modules, including Introduction to Pharmacology, Drug Discovery and Development, and Protein Biochemistry.

In your second year, you will study core theory modules such as Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Genetics. These are complemented by skills-based modules that give you an understanding of the experimental techniques used in modern pharmacological research.

You will spend your third year at one of our overseas partner universities building your global outlook and connectivity. On your return to Lancaster, for your final year, you'll study core modules such as Neuropharmacology and Advanced Drug Design and Development.

You'll also have the opportunity to tailor your studies to your own interests with optional module choices that include Clinical Immunology and Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology. The pharmacology facilities at Lancaster are excellent. Our state-of-the-art life science teaching laboratories provide you with the ideal environment in which to develop your practical skills. Here, you’ll get hands-on experience of using equipment like microscopes, plate readers and thermocyclers, to gain the skills needed for a successful laboratory career.

During your degree, you will also conduct your own research project. This gives you the opportunity to put what you've learned into practice, while benefiting from the research experience of our internationally renowned academics Their work is helping to tackle globally important healthcare challenges such as infection, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and inflammatory conditions like asthma and psoriasis.

Lancaster University will make reasonable endeavours to place students at an approved overseas partner university that offers appropriate modules. Occasionally places overseas may be withdrawn if core modules are unavailable. If you are not offered a place to study overseas, you will be able to transfer to the BSc (Hons) Pharmacology degree and complete your studies at Lancaster.

Lancaster University cannot accept responsibility for any financial aspects of the year abroad.

The Uni

Course location:

Lancaster University

Department:

Biomedical and Life Sciences

Read full university profile

What students say

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.

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.

£26,000
low
Average annual salary

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.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
place
Lancaster University | Lancaster
Pharmacology
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time with time abroad 2025
UCAS Points: 144
Lower entry requirements
place
University of Hertfordshire | Hatfield
Pharmacology
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time with time abroad 2025
UCAS Points: 120-128
Nearby University
place
University of Central Lancashire | Preston
Pharmacology
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time with time abroad 2025
UCAS Points: 104-120
Same University
place
Lancaster University | Lancaster
Pharmacology (Placement Year)
BSc (Hons) 4 Years Full-time with time abroad 2025
UCAS Points: 136

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

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