Pharmacology BSc (Hons)

**This is a Connected Degree**<br/><br/>Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after youve started your course.<br/><br/>**Overview**<br/><br/>If you love performing experiments in high-tech labs and want to study alongside researchers who are doing important work to understand how diseases such as Cancer, Alzheimers and Asthma can be treated, this BSc (Hons) Pharmacology degree is for you.<br/><br/>Pharmacology is the study of drugs and how they affect living systems. Using specialist facilities, youll deepen your chemistry and biology knowledge as you study how drugs – such as painkillers, antibiotics and even caffeine – alter the body. <br/><br/>Youll set yourself for a fulfilling career working in an industry that improves the lives of millions of people. You could work in areas such as new drug development, medical writing, regulatory affairs and pharmaceutical marketing.<br/><br/><br/>- Explore the latest techniques and methods for diagnosing and treating diseases<br/><br/><br/>- Investigate how cells communicate with each other and why peoples bodies respond differently to the same drugs<br/><br/><br/>- Look at how new medicines are developed, tested and launched<br/><br/><br/>- Enhance your CV on a laboratory-based work experience module and on a sandwich year in industry (subject to successful applications)<br/><br/><br/>- Have the opportunity to do summer research placement at one of our partner universities overseas<br/><br/><br/>**Accredited by:**<br/>This course is accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.<br/><br/>**Careers and opportunities**<br/><br/>From the medicines in your bathroom cabinet to the drug combinations used to treat cancer, the work of pharmacologists plays a crucial role in society. So theres always demand for pharmacology graduates.<br/><br/>**What can you do with a pharmacology degree?**<br/>With your degree in pharmacology, you could start a career in any part of the pharmaceutical industry, including:<br/>- drug development and testing<br/><br/><br/>- medical writing<br/><br/><br/>- marketing and sales<br/><br/><br/>- regulatory affairs<br/><br/><br/>You could specialise in a particular area of pharmacology, such as:<br/>- cardiovascular pharmacology<br/><br/><br/>- psychopharmacology<br/><br/><br/>- neuropharmacology<br/><br/><br/>- animal pharmacology<br/><br/><br/>Roles you could do include:<br/>- clinical trial assistant/administrator<br/><br/><br/>- pharmacovigilance officer<br/><br/><br/>- research and development scientist/technician<br/><br/><br/>- secondary school teacher (with additional training)<br/><br/><br/>- regulatory executive<br/><br/><br/>- operations scientist<br/><br/><br/>- research associate<br/><br/><br/>You can also continue your studies at postgraduate level on a PhD, MRes or MSc programme.<br/><br/>**Graduate destinations**<br/>Previous graduates have gone on to work for organisations including: <br/>- Bayer<br/><br/><br/>- Barts Health NHS Trust<br/><br/><br/>- Hammersmith Medicines Research<br/><br/><br/>- PharmaTargeting – a research house<br/><br/><br/>- Reckitt – health, hygiene and nutrition products<br/><br/><br/>- Molecular Dimensions – a supplier of specialist lab equipment<br/><br/><br/>**Work experience and placement year**<br/>To give you the best chance of securing a great job when you graduate, this course includes an optional sandwich year in industry and an optional lab-based work experience module (both subject to a successful applications). You could also do a summer research placement at a European university.<br/><br/>Previous students have completed work placements at organisations including pharmaceutical companies such as GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Catalent.<br/><br/>Our specialist team of Science and Health Careers advisors can help you with finding a work placement and improving your employability skills. Theyll provide you with a database of placement vacancies, support with your job search – including help with applications and interviews – and support throughout your placement year.

If you apply through Clearing, you'll be offered a guaranteed room in halls if you accept your offer within 24 hours of receiving it and apply for accommodation as a new full-time undergraduate student by 9am on 20 August 2025.<br/><br/>Sign up for Priority Clearing to get accommodation information straight to your inbox as well as access to Portsmouth's Clearing Visit Day on Thursday 7th August. Priority Clearing applicants will jump the queue on Results Day, get exclusive Clearing updates, invites to Portsmouth Prepare for Clearing Webinars and one-to-one application support.<br/><br/>Through the open day, students can get a feel for Portsmouth's welcoming campus and community before joining the university. With guaranteed accommodation, they can rest easy and ensure they are in the heart of the student community.