Pharmacology BSc (Hons)

at Coventry University

Why you should study this course

This broad-based science degree is designed to enable you to pursue careers in integrative medical and pharmacological science or drug development.

It has been designed in response to the growing demand for a new breed of scientist who can apply scientific knowledge and skills to speed up the critical task of translating basic laboratory medical research into commercially ready medical technology and drugs that can be used to diagnose and treat patients. This emerging area of science is known as ‘translational medicine’.

Throughout the degree you will apply pharmacology and physiology to topics including diagnosis, understanding and treatment of disease, classical clinical trial design and health outcomes, supported by our excellent laboratory facilities. Core subject areas you will study include human biology in health and disease, clinical physiology, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacogenomics, drug development, bioinformatics, numeracy, statistics and computing, and a wide range of instrumentation and analytical techniques.

Following British Pharmacological Society (BPS) guidelines, this course is designed to give you a solid foundation in areas of biology that support an understanding of pharmacology. You will study human biology at all levels – from molecules and cells to whole body systems.

Our multi-million-pound Alison Gingell Building features a suite of analytical and biological laboratories where you can gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge industry techniques.

This course can be studied full-time over three years with the option of taking a placement or study abroad year after the second year, either studying abroad or on professional placement in an appropriate laboratory or other relevant setting, such as medical publishing. Past students have undertaken a variety of placements, working in roles involving clinical assay evaluation, pre-natal developmental research and safety testing of drugs.

What you'll study

Year one
The first year of the course is shared with other biosciences courses (Biomedical Science BSc and Human Biosciences BSc) and provides underpinning knowledge, laboratory and data analysis skills relevant for Pharmacology. This shared approach allows you to appreciate a diversity of applications and roles for biosciences and to gain a broad topic understanding.

Modules

• Human Physiology from Cells to Systems - 20 credits

• Genotype to Phenotype - 20 credits

• Structure, Function and Analysis of Biomolecules - 20 credits

• Academic and Professional Development for Life Sciences - 0 credits

• Enzymes and Metabolism - 10 credits

• The Microbial World - 20 credits

• Drugs, Receptors and Responses - 10 credits

• Professional Practice for Life Scientists - 10 credits

• Add+vantage - 10 credits

Year two
In the second year there is a greater emphasis on the biology of disease. You will begin to specialise in pharmacology and related areas including physiology, biochemistry, immunology and genetics.

Laboratory work is a key component of the course, enabling you to learn the experimental techniques and develop the key experimental, data handling and reporting skills required for careers in science. Practical sessions will introduce you to modern laboratory techniques and clinical approaches to diagnosing and treating disease, while your research skills are broadened to include an understanding of research methodology and design, medical statistics and methods of data analysis.

Practical exercises will investigate the use of biochemical techniques and their application to the study of drug action, as well as some of the methods used in molecular biology and to culture mammalian cells and micro-organisms such as bacteria. You will learn how to prepare and use isolated tissues to study the actions of drugs, analysing and recording responses appropriately.

Modules

• Pharmacology and Pathophysiology 1 - 20 credits

• Cell and Molecular Biology for Pharmacologists - 20 credits

• Pharmacology and Pathophysiology 2 - 20 credits

• Immunology and Inflammation - 20 credits

• Research and Professional Skills Development - 10 credits

• Research and professional skills development

• Add+vantage - 10 credits

Final year
The final year of your course gives you the opportunity to carry out an independent research project in an area of pharmacology, physiology or cell biology, as well as an in-depth study of applied pharmacology, cancer biology, chemotherapy and genetics.

Modules

• Cancer Biology and Therapeutics - 20 credits

• Advanced Topics in Cardiovascular and Neuropharmacology - 20 credits

• Synoptic assessment in pharmacology - 0 credits

• Research Design for Pharmacology - 10 credits

• Drug Discovery: Past, Present and Future - 30 credits

• Toxicology, Addiction and Abuse - 10 credits

• Independent Research Project for Pharmacology - 20 credits

• Add+vantage - 10 credits

English language requirements

• IELTS: 6.0 overall (with no component lower than 5.5)

International Tuition Fees:

£18300 per year

A large number of medical scientists are employed by companies in the pharmaceutical industry, where they are involved in discovering and developing drugs and carrying out clinical trials. Medical scientists may also work for contract research organisations (CROs) or academic departments within universities on research projects. There are also career options within government laboratories (including environmental agencies), charity-funded research organisations, such as the Medical Research Council (MRC), and with other research institutes. 

The scientific knowledge and skills you acquire during the course can be a useful basis for a career in: teaching; technical and scientific writing (such as medical writing or writing for the media); clinical trials; drug registration, patenting or monitoring; medical publishing or other information services; regulatory affairs or sales and marketing. Opportunities also exist for postgraduate study upon successful completion of the course, at both master’s and PhD level.