Course summary

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.