Pharmacology BSc (Hons)

Study level: Undergraduate
Two female pharmacologists one working with a microscope

Explore how drugs work and are developed through an approach combining human physiology, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology. Gain hands-on laboratory experience and prepare for roles in the pharmaceutical industry.

Course features

Course option

Year of entry

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich

UCAS codes

BB92

Start date

September 2027
November 2027
January 2028
March 2028
May 2028
July 2028


Course overview

Explore how drugs affect the body and how they’re used to treat disease. Learn how new medicines are discovered, developed and tested, and how science helps improve health.

  • Discover the power of pharmacology: explore how drugs interact with the human body, from molecular mechanisms to novel therapeutics and how they can make a real difference in human health.
  • Hands-on learning: master advanced techniques like cell culture and flow cytometry in our SuperLab and prepare for a career in pharmacology.4
  • Launch your career: gain the skills and knowledge valued by employers and prepare for a range of career paths within the pharmaceutical industry in research, development, clinical trials, regulatory affairs and more.
A star in the centre of a rosette.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2026

Why you should study this course

  • Contemporary facilities4: learn techniques from mammalian cell culture and flow cytometry to Western blotting and HPLC in the SuperLab. Gain hands-on experience with real-time PCR, organ baths and physiological testing like electromyography, electrocardiography and spirometry.
  • Common first year: collaborate and work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions.
  • Industry expertise: our ties with industry experts, guest speakers and alumni could help you get access to real-world insights and networking opportunities2.
  • Student-centred active learning: this course will be delivered through a blend of hands-on laboratory-based sessions, physiological simulation, interactive lectures and discursive workshops. Apply your knowledge and skills to an independent research project in the final year.
  • Placement opportunities2: elect to apply for either a one-year professional training placement, or an international experience year to enhance learning and gain a competitive advantage in the workplace after graduation. 

Our Award-winning Green SuperLab

With space for over 250 students and packed full of industry-standard equipment, the Coventry University SuperLab is an amazing place to learn, experiment and discover. Find out what we’re doing in our SuperLab to make it greener and reduce our waste and carbon emissions.


What you'll study

Your first year is shared with students from closely related courses. This approach allows you to learn alongside other disciplines, broaden your perspective and develop strong collaboration skills from the very start.

The common first year also offers flexibility. If you discover a stronger interest in another subject area, you may have the opportunity to transfer to a related course at the end of the year, subject to meeting progression requirements.

Common first year courses

  • Biomedical Science BSc (Hons)
  • Biotechnology BSc (Hons)
  • Human Biosciences BSc (Hons)
  • Pharmacology BSc (Hons)

Modules

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 science4. 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.

Modules

A placement year2 provides optional first-hand industry experience and helps you discover where your skills and interests truly lie. Taken between your second and final years, it allows you to step into a professional environment, apply your learning and gain valuable insight into your chosen sector.

By spending an extended period in industry, you should develop confidence, build professional networks and strengthen the transferable skills that employers value most. This experience offers a powerful way to explore career paths and return to your final year with real -world expertise and a clearer sense of direction.

Key opportunities

  • Complete an approved work placement: gain practical experience aligned with your course and career ambitions, typically lasting at least 26 weeks.
  • Reflect on professional development: recognise and document the specific skills, knowledge and experience you gain during your time in industry.
  • Broaden your global perspective: optionally undertake an international work or study placement to experience a different professional or cultural context.

While this optional year is non-credit-bearing, successful completion ensures your experience is formally recognised on your final degree certificate to showcase your expertise to future employers.

Students sponsored by the University who opt for an international work placement must ensure they comply with the UKVI immigration regulations and should contact us for further guidance.

In the final year, you will apply your knowledge gained from years one and two.

Modules

We regularly review our course content to keep it relevant and current for our students. Consequently, we may update modules to reflect the latest industry standards.


How you'll learn

Throughout your studies, you will have the opportunity to develop a good knowledge of a range of disciplines and how they apply to human health and disease and how drugs are developed, work and used in the treatment of disease.

Your learning experience will include a mix of both theory and lab-based classes.

Teaching and learning methods may include:

  • lectures
  • seminars
  • tutorials
  • presentations
  • group projects
  • workshops
  • practical workshop sessions
  • practical lab sessions.

Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 30-credit module requires 300 hours of study. Study hours are made up of teaching contact hours and guided and independent study.

Teaching hours

Teaching hours may vary, depending on where you are in your studies, but on average, you will have between 12 and 15 teaching and learning hours each week. You will also have the option to attend additional sessions, including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You will be digging deeper into topics, reviewing what you’ve learnt and completing assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress to the end of your studies, you’ll spend more time on independent learning.

Online learning

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods, including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.


Assessment

Assessment methods align to transferable industry skills, providing you with practical, real-world skills designed to enhance your professional readiness and career prospects.

Assessment methods may include:

  • online tests
  • essays and critical reviews
  • pitches
  • case studies
  • proposals
  • portfolios
  • group work for presentations, lab projects and reports
  • individual presentations
  • laboratory reports
  • lab skill competency
  • posters and other information resources (e.g. videos, websites, briefing papers)
  • independent research project.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


International experience opportunities

Medical research takes place in higher education institutions, research institutes, hospitals and industry throughout the world. This international perspective is reflected in a number of modules on the course, which deal with issues of global importance, such as drug discovery and development from natural products including treatments for malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and worm infections (helminths).

There may be an opportunity for online collaboration with overseas institutions on a joint problem-based learning assignment. For example, previous students have joined others from University of Seville investigating the prevalence and approach to managing neurodegenerative disorders and the differing policies with regard to legal highs within the UK and Spain. Our sandwich degree option also allows a year’s work placement or study, which can be taken abroad2.

Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements are therefore not guaranteed2.


Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

Requirement What we're looking for
UCAS points 120
A level BBB to include Biology. Excludes General Studies.
GCSE GCSE maths, English and two sciences at grade 4 / C or Functional Skills Level 2, or other equivalent Level 2 awards.
BTEC DDM in a Biological Science related subject.
IB Diploma 32 points to include 5 points in Biology at Higher Level.
Access to HE The Access to HE Diploma to include 30 Level 3 credits above Merit of which 15 must be at Distinction in Biology units. Plus GCSE English and Mathematics at grade 4 / C or above.

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual/Fair Access Offers

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Offer, you could automatically receive a contextual offer which is 16 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Offer.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:


You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

English language requirements

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

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Not got the required grades? We offer this degree with an integrated foundation year.


Fees and funding

Student Full-time Part-time
UK 2027/28 fees TBC
2026/27 fees: £9,790 per year
Not available
International 2027/28 fees TBC
2026/27 fees: £19,200 per year
Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement2 or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee3 to cover your academic support throughout your placement year. Students commencing their professional placement in the academic year 2028/29 will pay £1,575 if they are paying UK fees, or £1,900 if they are paying international fees.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the table above for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with the Retail Price Index (RPI), a UK measure of inflation that tracks changes in the cost of living.

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement or study abroad year, the University will charge the tuition fees stated above for those on a placement during Academic Year 2028/29. The University will review professional placement tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, the University may increase fees for each subsequent year of study, but such that it will be no more than 5% above RPI.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) you may be charged the tuition fees in force at the time you take that additional period of study, and/or in line with any legislative changes that apply at that time.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad) which may include costs of travel, accommodation, equipment or uniform required for the placement and any visa-related costs.

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.


Facilities

The course will be predominantly taught in the Alison Gingell Building on the Coventry University main campus. It is home to microbiology, cell culture, molecular biology/genetics, biochemistry and forensic science laboratories, allowing you to work in a professional environment from day one4.

  • Superlab: Our SuperLab4 has facilities for cell culture and equipment for microscopy, DNA, RNA and protein analysis, and forensic testing.
  • Analytical Chemistry Suite: Students apply their practical and theoretical knowledge to real-life working scenarios e.g. use of new generation chromatography technique to analyse products ranging from pharmaceutical agents to cosmetics, drinks and toxins.
  • Physiology Suite: Separate physiology and health laboratory facilities enable the measurement of physiological parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, lung function test and neuromuscular functioning.

 

Students in the biochemistry lab

Alison Gingell Building

The Alison Gingell Building is home to microbiology, cell culture, molecular biology/genetics, biochemistry and forensic science laboratories, allowing you to work in a replicated professional environment from day one.

Laboratory with people wearing white coats taking samples

SuperLab

Our SuperLab has facilities for cell culture and equipment for microscopy, DNA, RNA and protein analysis, and forensic testing.

Students using physiology testing equipment

Physiology suite

Separate physiology and health laboratory facilities enable the measurement of physiological parameters such as heart rate, blood pressure, lung function test and neuromuscular functioning.

Facilities are subject to availability4. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.


Careers and opportunities

Upon successful completion of this course, you may look to be employed by companies in the pharmaceutical industry, involved in discovering and development drugs and carrying out clinical trials. You may also find the opportunity to work for contract research organisations (CROs) or academic departments within universities on research projects. Or you could pursue a career 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.

The graduate destinations listed above illustrate potential career paths. You may need to gain additional qualifications or practical experience, pass professional examinations, complete training, cover associated costs and meet specific visa or immigration requirements to secure employment in these fields.

Where our graduates work

Previous graduates have gone on to careers in drug discovery and development, clinical trials development and governance within the pharmaceutical industry and university and hospital departments. Examples include:

  • regulatory strategist and trials manager for Pfizer
  • education administrator for Education for Health
  • activities coordinator for the TLC group.

Others have used their qualifications to progress into teaching careers, as well as postgraduate study to obtain MSc, MPhil and PhD qualifications.

Further study

The course is an excellent foundation for further postgraduate studies leading to an MSc or PhD. We run a range or related taught MSc courses that allow our graduates to specialise in the area that they have a passion for and would like to pursue a career in.

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