Undergraduate pharmacy student

Pharmacology BSc

Medical School Building and University Park Campus, Nottingham, UK

Course overview

Pharmacology is the study of how drugs work in the body. This includes any type of chemical or biological agent that produces an effect on the body including medicines, drugs of abuse, poisons, and chemicals in the food we eat and drink. There are two aspects to pharmacology: the effect of the drug on the body, and the effect of the body on the drug.

In this course we aim to answer some of the biggest questions we have surrounding drugs and medicine today and for the future. In year one, you will study a number of core modules covering physiology, biochemistry, neuroscience and medicinal chemistry. In the second year, you will start to focus on the pharmacology of current drugs and drug targets, and in the third year you will learn about the recent advances in pharmacology, and the application of pharmacology in the drug discovery process.

Pharmacologists are at the centre of developing medicines to revolutionise the treatment of diseases. These include:

  • life-saving antibiotics
  • hypertension
  • asthma
  • depression

Indicative modules

Mandatory

Year 1

Genes, Molecules and Cells

Mandatory

Year 1

Human Physiology

Mandatory

Year 1

Core Skills in Pharmacology

Mandatory

Year 1

Drug Structure

Mandatory

Year 1

Fundamentals of Neuroscience

Mandatory

Year 2

Drugs and Diseases

Mandatory

Year 2

Mechanisms of Therapeutic Drugs

Mandatory

Year 2

Experimental Pharmacology

Mandatory

Year 2

Drug Design

Mandatory

Year 2

Communicating Science

Optional

Year 2

Neurobiology of Disease

Optional

Year 2

Complementary and Alternative Medicines

Optional

Year 2

Life on Earth

Optional

Year 2

Structure, function and analysis of genes

Optional

Year 2

Infection and Immunity

Optional

Year 2

Synthesis of Simple Drugs

Optional

Year 2

Structure, Function and Analysis of Proteins

Mandatory

Year 3

Molecular Pharmacology and Advanced Quantitative Pharmacology

Mandatory

Year 3

Pharmacology Research Project

Mandatory

Year 3

Drug Discovery and Future Medicines

Mandatory

Year 3

Toxicology and Safety Pharmacology

Mandatory

Year 3

Pharmacology Research Skills

Optional

Year 3

Complementary and Alternative Medicines

Optional

Year 3

Reproductive Pharmacology

Optional

Year 3

Psychopharmacology and Non-Medicinal Use of Drugs

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About modules

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Monday 13 January 2025. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

Course data

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Data for Pharmacology (Full time) at University of Nottingham, the

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Open Day June 2022