Program Overview

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BSc Pharmacology

Overview

Course overview

Gain experimental design and practical skills that will equip you to work in the pharmaceutical industry, the UK's top research sector. Spend one semester in Year 2 studying abroad. Improve your employability by taking this course with an integrated master's, industrial/professional experience, entrepreneurship or a modern language.

A study experience that makes a difference

We place social responsibility at the heart of your learning which means you can take advantage of unique ways to make a difference while studying with us, through your course or through extra-curricular activities.

• Complete our Ethical Grand Challenges to learn how you can create a better world and become more socially responsible.
• Work with an external organisation to tackle real-world sustainability problems through our University Living Lab.
• Discover subjects that broaden your horizon with our interdisciplinary learning opportunities.

Explore how you'll make your mark

Every course at Manchester contributes towards the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, so no matter what you're studying you'll be playing an active role in the protection of people and planet.

You will explore the following goals in your course:

• Goal 3: Good health and well-being

Entry requirements

A-level

• AAA - AAB, including two of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics (the Core Sciences). You must have a minimum of grades AB in at least two Core Sciences.
• Applicants predicted/who have achieved AAB in their A levels will receive an offer of AAB, while those predicted/who have achieved AAA or higher will be eligible for an offer of AAA.
• If you are taking only one of the above Core Science subjects, we can consider you for an AAA offer if you are also sitting an A level in at least one of Geography, Psychology, Environmental Studies or Physical Education in place of the second Core Science.
• If your predicted grades are one grade below our minimum entry requirements we may still make you an aspirational offer if you meet our contextual criteria.

A-level contextual offer

• AAB - ABC including specific subjects.
• Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
• Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.
• Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels.
• If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

UK refugee/care-experienced offer

• ABB- ABC Practical skills are a crucial part of science education and therefore will be a requirement to pass the practical element of any science A Level taken.
• Where applicants are applying for science and related degrees, this is likely to be made explicit in the offer you will receive.
• Applicants taking A Levels are normally expected to offer three full A Levels.
• If you’re taking more than three A Levels, these won’t be included in your offer. We will only make offers consisting of three A Levels.

International Baccalaureate

• 35 - 36 points overall. 6, 6, 5 to 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects, including two science subjects, normally Biology and Chemistry
• Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.

GCSE/IGCSE

• Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 4 or C in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and Mathematics.
• GCSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.

Other entry requirements

Other entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.

• Scottish requirements
• Welsh Baccalaureate
• Foundation year
• Pearson BTEC qualifications
• OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications
• Access to HE Diploma
• T Level
• Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

Fees and funding

Fees

• Fees for entry in 2026 have not yet been set. For entry in 2025 the tuition fees were £9,535 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2026 entry.

Policy on additional costs

• All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme.
• Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application.

Application and selection

How to apply

• Apply through UCAS.

Advice to applicants

• We would normally only consider applicants who obtained the relevant qualification within the three years prior to entry.
• Applicants who have left education for more than three years would normally be recommended to take an Access course or exceptionally considered for the Foundation Year.
• Applicants should contact the Admissions Office to discuss their particular circumstances.

Home-schooled applicants

• If you are a student who has followed a non-standard educational route, e.g. you have been educated at home; your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course for which you are applying.
• You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the specified academic entry requirements of the course.
• We will also require a reference from somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education.

Non-standard educational routes

• Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences.
• Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest.
• There is no such thing as a typical mature student at Manchester.

Course details

Course description

• Our BSc Pharmacology course explores drug actions on living systems - where they act, what they do, how they are metabolised, and how they exert toxic effects.
• Understanding all of this requires studying drug actions at levels ranging from the single molecule to the whole organism.
• As a result, our course includes aspects of molecular biology, chemistry, physiology and neuroscience, and you will examine both the actions of current drugs and the development of new drugs throughout the course.

Special features

• A range of study options
• Foundation Year available
• Flexibility to transfer between courses

Teaching and learning

• You will benefit from a wide range of teaching and learning methods that suit the content and aims of each course unit.
• These range from lectures and tutorials to practicals and research projects, including the final year project.

Coursework and assessment

• Assessment methods vary widely to suit the nature of the course unit and each level of study.
• Lecture units are usually assessed by written exam (multiple choice, short answer questions or essay-based), which are held at the end of an academic semester in either January or May/June.
• Practical units are usually assessed by experimental report and/or short written assignment and/or written exam.

Careers

Career opportunities

• Our graduates go into a range of careers.
• Many of our graduates secure jobs as researchers working in universities, pharmaceutical and bioscience companies and institutes.
• Some of our graduates progress into laboratory-based careers in clinical or technical roles that do not involve research.
• The transferable skills you will develop will also leave you well-equipped for a wide range of careers outside of the lab, such as marketing.

Global Careers

• Studying a bioscience course is a great way to explore your interests and prepare for an exciting array of careers.
• Our graduates progress into roles across the globe. Here are a few examples of the range of careers our bioscience students have progressed into:
  • Zoology graduate Anish is the founder of Think Wildlife Foundation (Biodiversity Conservation) in India.
  • Pharmacology graduate John is a business-focused marketer working in New York.
  • Biology graduate Mark is Vice President at Pfizer Vaccines R&D in New York.
  • Medical Biochemistry graduate Laura Ann is a communications consultant in Singapore.
  • Zoology graduate Rosie is a Creative and Content Marketing Manager in Valencia, Spain.