Pharmacology and Molecular Genetics
UCAS Code: BC24
Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Please note that A-level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and Global Perspectives are not accepted by King's as one of your A levels. Must include Chemistry and Biology. NOTE: If you are taking linear A levels in England, you will be required to pass the practical endorsement in all science subjects
Access to HE Diploma
Access to Science (or similar subject). Level 3 study must include at least 15 credits in Chemistry and at least 15 credits in Biology.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
Please note that Global Perspectives is not accepted by King’s as one of your Pre-U Principal subjects. Combinations of Pre-U principal subjects and other qualifications (such as A-levels) will be considered. Must include Chemistry and Biology
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
including 6,6,5 at Higher Level. Note the total point score of 35 includes TOK/EE. Must include Chemistry and Biology at Higher Level.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
Must include Chemistry and Biology
Please see our online prospectus for further details on our BTEC entry requirements.
Scottish Advanced Higher
Must be combined with three Scottish Highers. We do not count the Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject. Must include Chemistry and Biology
Scottish Higher
Must be combined with two Scottish Advanced Highers. We do not count the Higher and Advanced Higher in the same subject
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their effects on the human body, while genetics is the study of the structure and function of genes and genomes – the genome is the entire genetic material of an organism – in order to understand how they determine inherited characteristics.
Genomics is a powerful tool in the study of human genetic variation: the small differences in alleles between individuals can affect their characteristics and health. It is closely related to the term 'pharmacogenetics' which is the study of variation of a drug's effectiveness and toxicity between individuals in relation to variation in their genome. Genomics also comes into play in the term 'toxicogenomics' in which changes in gene expression are investigated as a means of classifying and understanding the harm produced by toxic substances.
This joint honours course combines two important disciplines and will enable you to contribute to these rapidly growing fields, or to pursue career opportunities in biomedicine and medicine.
This course forms part of the suite of ‘Common Year one’ courses within the School of Bioscience Education. These comprise Anatomy, Developmental & Human Biology; Biochemistry; Biomedical Science; Medical Physiology; Molecular Genetics; Neuroscience; Pharmacology; Pharmacology & Molecular Genetics. Once you have successfully completed year one, you can choose to switch to any other course within this suite.
Alternatively, in year one you can apply to transfer to one of our four-year MSci courses: Biochemistry MSci; Molecular Genetics; Neuroscience MSci. In year three you can apply to transfer to the four-year Integrated Pharmacology and Physiology for Research MSci.
In year two you may also choose to study abroad at one of our partner institutions, or to undertake an extra-mural or work placement, usually at a leading biomedicine employer.
Teaching
Teaching on this course takes place in lectures, seminars and tutorials and through practical laboratory work. The rest of your time will be spent on self-study, including reading, research and writing assignments.
If you choose an extra-mural placement this will be assessed through a written dissertation and a poster presentation and which will be deemed equivalent to 60 credits at level 6 (the normal level of year 3 study).
Study abroad
You will also have the opportunity to study abroad for your second year at one of our partner universities, which currently include:
The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden
The University of Melbourne, Australia
National University of Singapore
The University of California
The University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill
This is a competitive process and you may be required to fulfil additional entry requirements for this option.
Extra-mural year
Alternatively, you may apply for an extra-mural year, to be taken between the second and third years if selected. Students apply directly to placement providers through a process facilitated by the university. Placements, either in the UK or overseas, may be in a pharmaceutical company, a government research establishment or academic research institute. courses incorporating the extra-mural year are accredited by the Royal Society of Biology.
Integrated Pharmacology & Physiology for Research MSci
During year three you can apply to transfer to the four-year MSci Integrated Pharmacology and Physiology for Research, on which you will be required to take a 90-credit research project usually at an external industrial provider within the UK during your fourth year.
A contribution by the university is given to cover additional living costs during the project up to a maximum of £2,000.
Course accreditation
In recognition of its focus on research and academic excellence, our Pharmacology and Molecular Genetics with extra-mural year BSc has been given Degree Accreditation by the Royal Society of Biology.
Tuition fees
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The Uni
King's College London, University of London
Pharmacology and Therapeutics

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How do students rate their degree experience?
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Pharmacology
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Genetics
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
Pharmacology
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?As only a relatively small number of students study pharmacology or toxicology, these statistics refer most closely to the graduate prospects of pharmacy graduates, so bear that in mind when you review them. Only a handful of students take first degrees in pure toxicology every year — the subject is more popular at Masters level. Pharmacology is a degree that tends to lead to jobs in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, and outcomes are improving again after a difficult time in the last few years. Jobs in pharmacology are often very specialist and so it’s no surprise that pharmacologists are amongst the most likely of all students to go on to a doctorate — if you want a job in research, start thinking about a PhD. As for pharmacy, unemployment rates are below 1% and 95% of pharmacy graduates had jobs as pharmacists (mostly in retail pharmacists) six months after they left their courses - employment rates have gone up significantly in the last couple of years.
Genetics
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?Only a few hundred people take genetics courses every year and graduates from these courses are amongst the most likely to go on to do a doctorate when they graduate, as that's the level of qualification you need to go into a career in research in this important and fast-moving field. Lab jobs were the most popular outcome for genetics graduates, but whilst other science and technical occupations were also common, you could also find genetics graduates in a range of other roles, particularly business and finance.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Pharmacology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£23k
£29k
£34k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
Sorry, no information to show
This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.
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It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.
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Graduate field commentary:
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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