Pharmacology (Placement Year) Lancaster University

A pharmacology degree is your opportunity to study and research new and existing drugs; how they work; how they affect our bodies; and how they can be used to change lives and tackle global healthcare challenges.

With plenty of practical study, you will learn how drugs interact with living systems, how they affect our bodies and communities and their important role in society.

Unlock the power of medicine

Our four-year Pharmacology BSc (Placement Year) will provide you with a deep understanding of how drugs and medicines interact with living systems and affect our bodies which is 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, as well as new drugs being developed.

We’ve designed the content of our course to align with the British Pharmacological Society’s core curriculum, equipping you with the skills and knowledge you need to understand and work in the world of pharmacology.

Together with your year placement year, your degree is an ideal basis for a host of careers across drug sciences offering you the scientific knowledge, practical lab skills and career-ready mindset to succeed. Plus, you will pay just 20% of the standard tuition fee during your placement year.

And, because you will build your skills and competence in experimental design, data recording, analysis, presentations, effective project management, teamwork and communication, you will have highly-transferable skills valued by employers both within the sciences and in broader fields such as marketing, finance and management.

Your journey through pharmacology

Our academics have carefully designed this course to provide you with a progressive training in pharmacology.

The course content is highly structured as it is aligned with the British Pharmacological Society’s core curriculum. The majority of modules are compulsory.

• In Year 1 you will gain a thorough grounding in the biomedical basis of pharmacology by studying core topics including an introduction to pharmacology, the molecules of life, genetics and molecular biology.

• In Year 2, you will study more advanced topics within the field of pharmacology, including molecular genetics, microbiology and immunology, and drug design and development. This will enable you to grow your practical skills that provide you with an understanding of the experimental techniques used in modern pharmacological research.

• You will spend Year 3 on a work placement in industry, building your professional toolkit and gaining valuable insights into a career in pharmacology. You will return to Lancaster to complete your fourth year with renewed confidence and drive to achieve your goals.

• In Year 4, you will focus on themes such as neuropharmacology and advanced drug design and development and you will put your learning into practice with an independent research project. This is an exciting opportunity for you to address a significant contemporary research problem in an area of pharmacology that fascinates you. You will be supported by our research-active academics whose research includes neglected tropical diseases like leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis and snakebite as well as cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and inflammatory conditions like asthma and psoriasis.

A hands-on course

The pharmacology facilities at Lancaster are excellent. Our state-of-the-art life science teaching laboratories 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.

Here, you will get hands-on experience (depending upon your specialisation) of using equipment such as:

• our bioimaging facility

• protein purification and characterisation facilities

• cell sorters

• confocal microscopes

• flow cytometers

• PCR thermocyclers

• cell culture facilities

Entry requirements

These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. This section will tell you whether you need qualifications in specific subjects, what our English language requirements are, and if there are any extra requirements such as attending an interview or submitting a portfolio.

A levels

AAB. This should include Biology and Chemistry.

Access to HE Diploma

Considered on a case-by-case basis. Our typical entry requirement would be 36 Level 3 credits at Distinction plus 9 Level 3 credits at Merit, but you would need to meet the subject requirements.

Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales

We accept the Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales in place of one A level, or equivalent qualification, as long as any subject requirements are met.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDD, considered alongside A level Chemistry grade B, and to include sufficient Biology content. We require Distinctions in the majority of relevant science units.

BTEC in combination with A levels

Our typical entry requirement would be A level grade B plus BTEC(s) at DD, or A levels at grade AB plus BTEC at D. This would need to include A level Chemistry, and either A level Biology, or sufficient Biology content in the BTEC(s). We will typically assess this on a case-by-case basis.

International Baccalaureate

35 points overall with 16 points from the best 3 HL subjects including 6 in HL Biology and 6 in HL Chemistry

Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers

We are happy to admit applicants on the basis of five Highers, but where we require a specific subject at A level, we will typically require an Advanced Higher in that subject. If you do not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone, we will consider a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers in separate subjects. Please contact the Admissions team for more information.

T levels

Not accepted

GCSE requirements

Mathematics grade 5/B, English Language grade 4/C.

We will also look at your overall GCSE profile when considering your application as a whole.

We do have flexibility when considering GCSE requirements. Go to our GCSE information for more details.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with at least 6.0 in each component for this programme. English language qualifications for undergraduate study.