Overview

Understanding how drugs work in the body, from discovery through to treating disease, sits at the heart of pharmacology, a field where demand for skilled specialists continues to grow. The BSc (Hons) Pharmacology at the University of Hertfordshire begins with a broad grounding in bioscience alongside students from other disciplines, before moving into specialist study of drug development, clinical trials and the mechanisms behind treating conditions such as cancer, pain and neurodegenerative disease. Teaching takes place in a modern science building spanning five storeys of laboratories, with strong links to the pharmaceutical sector and accreditation from the Royal Society of Biology. The course suits students genuinely curious about how medicines are discovered and tested, with the flexibility to switch biomedical pathways early on and options including a placement year or study abroad.

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What You'll Learn

• Human physiology and basic pharmacology, including receptor theory and pharmacokinetics

• Molecular biology, genetics and core biochemistry underpinning drug action

• Cell and microbiology relevant to disease and infection

• Practical laboratory and data analysis skills, including bioinformatics

• The stages of drug development, clinical trials and their associated ethical questions

• The pharmacological treatment of major diseases, from cardiovascular conditions to cancer and pain

• Neurobiology and the mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disorders

• An extended research project exploring a specialist area of pharmacology in depth

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Learning Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to explain how drugs act at the receptor, tissue and whole-body level, and apply this understanding to the treatment of major diseases. They will be equipped to critically evaluate the stages of drug development, from preclinical research through to clinical trials and regulatory approval. Through extensive laboratory work and an extended research project, students will develop strong practical, data analysis and scientific communication skills. Graduates will leave with a professionally accredited, research-informed understanding of pharmacology, well prepared for further study or a wide range of careers across the pharmaceutical, healthcare and biotechnology sectors.