Pharmacology

Pharmacology is the scientific study of how drugs interact with biological systems, how they produce their therapeutic effects, and what happens when things go wrong. It sits at the interface of chemistry, physiology, and medicine, asking at the molecular and cellular level why particular compounds affect the body as they do, how drugs are absorbed, distributed, metabolised, and excreted, and how the design of new medicines can be guided by a deep understanding of those processes. Pharmacology is central to drug discovery and development, and it underpins the evidence base for clinical practice in every area of medicine.

At University College London, one of the world's leading research universities, this three-year full-time programme gives you a pharmacology education of exceptional depth and rigour. UCL's research strengths in neuroscience, cardiovascular biology, cancer, and infection feed directly into the programme, and you will encounter ideas and findings at the very frontier of the discipline. The typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the competitive nature of the programme and the high academic standards expected.

You will study the mechanisms of drug action across different body systems, the pharmacokinetics that govern how drugs behave in the body, the principles of drug design and development, and the clinical and regulatory context in which medicines are approved and used. Laboratory work is a significant part of the programme, developing your practical skills in experimental design, data collection, and analysis.

Pharmacology graduates are highly valued across the pharmaceutical and biomedical sectors. Careers in drug discovery and development, regulatory affairs, clinical research, pharmacovigilance, and science communication are among the most common destinations. UCL's reputation and its location in London, the UK's leading life sciences hub, give graduates strong professional networks and access to a remarkable range of employers.

Many graduates go on to postgraduate study, including research degrees in pharmacology, toxicology, and related fields, as well as postgraduate entry to medicine and other clinical professions. The skills pharmacology develops, quantitative reasoning, experimental design, and critical evaluation of evidence, are also valued in medicine, biotechnology, and policy roles.