Masters degrees in Pharmacology equip postgraduates with the skills to identify the source, composition and characteristics of drugs, and their effects on the tissues and systems in the human body. These include man-made and organic substances.
Related subjects include Experimental Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology. Entry requirements typically include an appropriate undergraduate degree such as Medicine, Biology, Biochemistry or Chemical Engineering.
This programme teaches advanced experimental approaches to dissecting the mechanisms of drug action (pharmacology), a science that has seen innovative theoretical and technical development at UCL for over a century.
In addition to providing experience of both classical and modern pharmacological techniques, the programme will help develop skills for literature search-based data acquisition and analysis; written and verbal communication of science; abstract writing; poster preparation; graphical processing; image preparation for publication; writing a scientific paper; and giving research presentations.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of three core modules (75 credits), one optional module (15 credits), and a research project (90 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
Students choose one of the following:
Dissertation/report
Students undertake an original research project which culminates in a 15,000-word dissertation and an oral presentation.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, journal clubs, practicals, tutorials and a laboratory project. Student performance is evaluated through formal examination, coursework, and the research project.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutics MSc
This programme is likely to lead to careers in biomedical sciences, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry and clinical laboratories, and extend to clinicians interested in moving towards a scientific career. Students will obtain a thorough knowledge of and practice in pharmacological assessment, drug design and development pathways. It is anticipated that graduates will move onto PhD programmes and/or build careers in industry or clinical investigations through employment as research associates/scientists in the pharmaceutical industry or academia.
Employability
The knowledge and transferable skills developed on this programme will be advantageous for those considering employment in any pharmaceutical or healthcare setting, or contemplating further studies in related fields. The programme will also provide excellent training in critical appraisal of complex data, which will transfer well to other disciplines.
The programme is jointly taught by UCL Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology (Division of Biosciences), and the Research Department of Pharmacology at the UCL School of Pharmacy. Both departments are historically and currently internationally leading in this field, and together provide cutting-edge education in theory, research practice and innovation in pharmacology.
The programme is designed to impart extensive experimental expertise applied to drug development and subsequent therapeutics. The combination of traditional and experimental approaches in pharmacology, coupled with current innovation in therapeutics and drug discovery and development, fosters a unique set of skills, which will enable graduates of the programme to engage in various aspects of pharmaceutical research globally.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Division of Biosciences
82% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
This Clinical Pharmacology degree programme offers focused training which integrates basic and clinical sciences, and equips students with the essential skills required to function effectively as a clinical pharmacologist in the 21st century. As a student on the MSc Clinical Pharmacology programme, you will acquire core skills, enabling an appreciation of how to apply clinical pharmacological, regulatory and ethical principles to the optimisation of therapeutic practice and clinical research. Crucially, in addition to a firm grasp of the principles of molecular pharmacology, you will also gain foundational knowledge in the emerging science of pharmacogenomics and personalised medicine.
You will attend lectures, seminars and tutorials and take part in lab, project and team work.
In addition you will undertake a dissertation/project.
Career opportunities include positions in academia, health care and the pharmaceutical industry; returning to more advanced positions within a previous clinical environment (eg pharmacicts, clinicians); and PhD study.
From inhalers that ease breathing to pills and injections that destroy cancer, pharmacology affects billions of people around the world as a powerful force for good. In our MSc Pharmacology programme, you’ll discover how to harness that power to save and improve countless lives.
At GCU, you'll develop a comprehensive understanding of the science behind drugs and their effects on the human body – and master the cutting-edge techniques, laboratory bench skills and critical thinking approaches you need to succeed.
As part of our thriving, diverse and globally networked research community, you’ll investigate how the body works and what goes wrong when a disease strikes – and learn how drugs are engineered to reverse and even prevent a wide range of medical conditions.
You’ll get a world-class education through a variety of teaching methods – including lectures, seminars, practical laboratory classes and a laboratory-based research project. The programme prepares you for industry and academia alike, whether you choose employment or pursue your PhD.
Skills for Professional Practice in Bioscience 1; Skills for Professional Practice in Bioscience 2; Current Topics in Pharmacology; Drugs and Cellular Communication; Advanced Topics in Neuropharmacology; Biomolecular studies; Drugs and Disease; Systems Pharmacology; and MSc Research Project.
The learning and teaching methods we use ensure that our programme is both vocationally relevant and academically challenging. Our approach is student-centred, practical, participative and relevant to the needs of employers.
We've moved away from the traditional teacher-centric learning to a more independent learning approach, where you are encouraged to develop critical thinking skills.
We use a wide range of learning and teaching methods to ensure that you have both the necessary knowledge and understanding of business and management and a portfolio of intellectual and personal skills.
Each module on the programme uses its own learning, teaching and assessment strategy to achieve learning objectives. Assessment methods vary between modules and may include unseen examinations, class tests, essays, management reports, case studies, presentations, and group work.
With an MSc Pharmacology, you’ll have the skills and knowledge you need to choose from multiple career paths.
Research pharmacology: Many of our graduates go on to work in laboratories at universities, government research institutes or in industry, conducting experiments to gain new insight into disease and developing life-changing new drugs.
Clinical pharmacology: After drugs are developed in the lab, clinical pharmacologists take the next step – focusing on application for human use. Our MSc Pharmacology prepares you for the additional training required to pursue a career in this field.
Pharmacology teaching: You might also choose to work at a university, college lecture theatre or laboratory – sharing what you've learned with the next generation.
This is an exciting time to be involved in cancer therapeutics. Based upon a greater understanding of the molecular aspects of cancer, new opportunities for therapeutic intervention have emerged that are effectively 'target orientated'. These new therapeutics are quite distinct from the classical chemotherapeutic agents and they offer the prospect of truly selective cancer therapies that are tailored towards the individual patient's tumour. Cancer pharmacology plays a key role in drug development. In both the laboratory and the clinic, cancer pharmacology has had to adapt to the changing face of drug development by establishing experimental models and target orientated approaches.
The programme is designed to provide you with a 'state-of-the-art' course in modern cancer pharmacology that meets the demand of employers and provides an expert view of the available cancer medicines and the development of new cancer therapies.
It promotes advanced scholarship within specialised areas at the same time as the development of key transferable skills (in IT, communication, and time management) and research techniques. The taught component of the course provides the in depth knowledge and skills necessary to work in cancer research, and is delivered across 2 semesters through lectures, workshops, practicals and 1-to-1 tutorials with ICT staff. You will then join one of our research teams to complete the MSc research project.
Top 200 - 2018 QS World University Rankings by subject
"I've had a really good time at Bradford. It has taught me a lot and provided me with a lot of good skills so that I am best prepared for the future. I have already got a job as a Physician Associate and I believe doing my Master's here helped me get this job."
Harpreet Singh Bains, MSc Cancer Pharmacology, 2015
The Cancer Pharmacology programme is designed to provide you with ‘state of the art’ learning opportunities in modern cancer pharmacology, focussed on the cancer biology of target and biomarker identification and validation, development of preclinical screening programmes in silico, in vitro and in vivo, mechanisms of anticancer drug action, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics.
It meets the demands of employers and students at taught postgraduate level, and has a strong track record in graduates progressing to employment in the field or PhD study.
Core Modules
Option Modules
A wide variety of teaching methods appropriate to the learning outcomes of the individual modules are employed throughout the programme; formal lectures from ICT research/teaching staff and visiting clinicians and industrial researchers, small group workshops and discussions with peers, laboratory practicals, journal clubs, group and one-to-one tutorials, and a large component of individual research. These are supported by material provided on Blackboard, the virtual learning environment, provided by the University. Students will also attend the Institute of Cancer Therapeutics Research Seminar programme. Self-directed independent learning forms a significant component at MSc level; students will be supported to develop the attributes and skills needed for life-long learning and continued professional development. Directed private study will involve you in a variety of activities, which include directed reading of selected textbooks and specified source literature, Blackboard (directed Web-based materials), report writing, preparing presentations to deliver to your peers, and other assignments.
Many students go on to study for PhDs either at Bradford or elsewhere.
Recent graduates are studying at Dundee, Newcastle and Glasgow universities, and at medical schools in the UK and abroad.
Those in employment are in research and development, clinical research and teaching roles.
The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the Careers website.
Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of our programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.
The University of Aberdeen is highly regarded for Clinical Pharmacology as the discipline has been taught and delivered for 30 years and research spans 50 years. The programme draws on strengths within the university and medical area within disease discovery and treatment. The major innovation of Insulin was first developed at University of Aberdeen in the 1920s, winning the inventors a Nobel Prize and giving the world a major step forward in the management and regulation of insulin. Since this time the discovery of drug process, treatment and design has been developed and researched at Aberdeen. The University is also known for its research in food and nutrition, bacteria, gut issues researched at the world famous Rowett Institute and growing knowledge of disease process and latest innovative treatments.
Clinical pharmacology forms a critical part of the drug development process and our graduates are employed in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. These industries are now in rapid growth due to a combination of innovations and strength within customised and other types of medicine and treatment industry areas. The industry is also a major contributor of GDP in the UK. Further innovations which link into this industry come from easier upscaling processes, customisation and the Internet of Things and more ability to treat and diagnose at source.
There is always a strong need for the discipline to provide a foundation to any new innovations which often come from multidisciplinary teams. Our aim is to train students in the major areas of clinical pharmacology including molecular pharmacology, drug metabolism and toxicology, therapeutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmcovigilance, regulatory affairs and experimental medicine. The programme aims to achieve this by a multi-disciplinary approach.
This programme is ideal for newly qualified graduates in medical science disciplines such as biomedical sciences, biochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacy, medicine and similar degrees. Careers can include work in clinical trials and NPD in pharmaceutical industries, doctoral research towards teaching, spin-outs and major innovations, regulation in the pharmaceutical industry and more.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about fees
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
The MRes Pharmacology course is divided into a taught element (60 credit points) and a laboratory-based research project (120 credit points). You will complete the extended research project in one of our highly rated research teams.
Develop an understanding of the interactions of drugs with macromolecules and modern molecular techniques, and how they are used in pharmacology and drug discovery / development. The course also explores a number of hot topics in molecular and cellular neuroscience, selected from current scientific literature.
The MSc Pharmacology course develops the theoretical and practical skills needed for a career in pharmacology by familiarising students with the latest advances in commercial pharmacological science. This course is ideal if you are looking for the professional skills needed to obtain a job, or competitive edge, in a pharmaceutical company
The course is delivered by experienced research academics and you have the possibility of completing a research project in industry. The MSc is divided into 60 credit point taught modules and the research project is worth 60 credit points.
Visit us on campus throughout the year, find and register for our next open event on http://www.ntu.ac.uk/pgevents.
This course increases your knowledge and skills in pharmacology and biotechnology to increase your competitiveness in the job market or complete research at PhD level. If you are already employed, this course can help you to further your career prospects.
The course is delivered by internationally recognised academics who are involved in biotechnology and pharmacology research. Research projects include studying the manipulation of proteins and their application to Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, ion channels and the development of novel drugs from natural products.
You learn in detail how drugs act at the molecular and cellular level and then how biotechnological techniques are used to produce new drugs. Examples include developing new and effective treatments for diseases, such as Alzheimer’s and rheumatoid arthritis.
You also gain experience of the latest techniques used by the pharmaceutical industry to produce and study the effects of novel drugs.
The course gives you
The masters (MSc) award is achieved by successfully completing 180 credits.
The postgraduate certificate (PgCert) is achieved by successfully completing 60 credits.
The postgraduate diploma (PgDip) is achieved by successfully completing 120 credits.
Core modules:
Optional modules:
Assessment is mostly by written examination and coursework including problem solving exercises, case studies and input from practical laboratory work. Research project assessment includes a written report and viva voce.
The course improves your career prospects in areas of • biomedical sciences • medical research in universities and hospitals • the pharmaceutical industry • biotechnology companies • government research agencies.
You also develop the skills to carry out research to PhD level in pharmacology and biotechnology.
Recent MSc Pharmacology and Biotechnology graduates jobs include • project specialist at PAREXEL • quality assurance documentation assistant at Vifor Pharma • PhD at the University of Manchester • clinical research associate at AstraZeneca • workplace services analyst at Deloitte India (Offices of the US) • regulatory compliance specialist for Selerant • senior product executive at PlasmaGen BioSciences.
The Clinical Pharmacology course will give you the advanced skills and knowledge to evaluate the safety of new medicinal products in preparation for medical approval. It is one of three modular programmes in Pharmaceutical Medicine designed for working physicians, clinical scientists and allied health professionals interested in the clinical development process.
Clinical Pharmacology is the study of how drugs influence human physiology and the way the body responds. This study forms a vital part of the clinical development of new medicines and requires an advanced understanding of pre-clinical science, as well as the ethical and legal requirements for specialist research programmes. A well-designed clinical pharmacology programme informs the final regulatory of a new medicine. Therefore, generating skilled clinical pharmacologists is critical for the efficiency of future drug development.
This course will provide you with a broad knowledge and understanding of the drug development process and the medical aspects of the marketing of pharmaceutical products. You will also have opportunities to undertake advanced research projects and the possibility of one or more thesis publications.
The study programme is made up of optional and required modules. The MSc pathway requires modules totalling 180 credits to complete the programme, including 60 credits from a dissertation of around 15,000 - 18,000 words. The Postgraduate Diploma pathway will require modules totalling 120 credits, while the Postgraduate Certificate will require you to study modules totalling of 60 credits to complete the course.
If you are studying full-time, you will complete the course in one year, from September to September. If you are studying for the MSc qualification part-time, your programme will take up to four years to complete. The Postgraduate Diploma and Certificate pathways are both part-time courses. The Postgraduate Diploma will take two to three years to complete and the Postgraduate Certificate up to two years.
This course is for those working in or seeking to work in the field of clinical drug development. It covers all aspects of the clinical development process through from the earliest studies to post marketing activities. It will enhance knowledge and skills in all aspects of clinical research, drug regulation and drug safety.
The primary method of assessment for this course is a combination of coursework and written examinations. The MSc study programme also requires a research and dissertation on the subject of clinical pharmacology.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they are subject to change.
Our Pharmacology MSc or MRes will give you a deep understanding of pharmacology, and allow you to put this into practice through laboratory practicals and projects in our world-class facilities. We will train you in the design and execution of practical approaches to the mechanisms by which drugs act. This programme will provide you with a strong platform from which to pursue careers in the pharmaceutical or research-related industries, or for further in-depth research in the field with a PhD.
The taught component of the programme includes a required lecture-based module in which you will study systems and cellular pharmacology, which is complemented by a lab-based practical module. You will also undertake projects to develop your critical thinking and research skills, such as a literature research module, a research design module and a lab-based practical research project.
On the MSc you will take 180 credits including a 60-credit research project.
On the MRes you will take 240 credits, the additional credits coming from an experimental research project, which will enable you to pursue an area of your own interest to a high level and to prepare for possible future research.
The programme provides training in the design and execution of practical approaches to the investigation of the mechanisms by which drugs act, and includes taught components that provide a comprehensive pharmacology knowledge base.
Teaching
You will have 20 hours of contact each week with our academic staff and we will expect you to complement this with 20 hours of self-study a week.
Typically, one credit equates to 10 hours of work.
Assessment
We will assess you through a combination of coursework, exams and practicals.
The study time and assessment methods detailed above are typical and give you a good indication of what to expect. However, they may change if the course modules change.
Regulating body
King’s College London is regulated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.
Location
This course is primarily taught at the King’s College London Guy’s campus, but will require attending some project work at Waterloo campus and possibly other campuses. Please note that locations are determined by where each module is taught and may vary.
Students go on to PhD research degrees or work in the pharmaceutical or research-related industries.
You'll receive the highest-quality teaching in the leading Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences in Scotland by staff dedicated to your personal and scientific development.
This course will provide you with a comprehensive three-part postgraduate life sciences training.
Firstly, unlike many MSc courses, we offer you dedicated training in a broad suite of practical laboratory skills.
Secondly, this is complemented by two unique classes that develop your transferrable skills in statistics, presentations, career development, and ethics, as well as honing your science writing skills and your ability to design experiments and analyse sophisticated datasets.
Thirdly, our taught classes capture the excitement of cutting-edge research fields and you'll be taught by active researchers or practising clinical professionals.
There's a choice of classes that allows you to select a pathway to suit your future aspirations. The MSc Advanced Pharmacology has a special focus on how drugs and other chemicals affect the body in health and disease. You'll explore the development of new and improved medicines and the treatment of disease.
The course provides the perfect springboard to future training at PhD level or gives you a range of skills and experience that will prove attractive to employers from industry or the health-care provision sector.
The course is taught in the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences. It’s located in our new building with state-of-the-art laboratories.
The course is delivered through lectures, tutorials and hands-on practical sessions.
If you successfully complete the required taught classes, you can go on to take a laboratory project for the MSc.
Assessment of taught classes is through the following:
The laboratory project is assessed through a written thesis.
After graduating, you'll be ideally qualified for positions in biomedical and pharmaceutical industries as well as hospitals and universities.
This course provides the background training for a career in:
Alternatively, you may wish to continue studies for an MPhil or PhD.
