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Medical Pharmacology

Entry requirements


A level

A,A,B-B,B,B

Including Chemistry and one other STEM subject (including Psychology, but not Geography).

Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

We recognise the EPQ as an excellent indicator of success. If you are predicted a grade B or above in the EPQ, you will receive an offer with a one grade reduction, to include your EPQ with a grade B.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

GCSEs: GCSE profiles will need to include a English and Maths minimum Grade C Wales (England Pre-2017) or Grade 4 (England Post-2017)

Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*DD

A strong Chemistry profile is essential plus a good profile in a second STEM subject

Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

UCAS Tariff

120-136

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Pharmacology

Learn about the science behind drugs and medicines, their effects on living systems, and their role in treating disease on our Medical Pharmacology degree course.

You will cover a diverse range of topics, including toxicology, chemistry, genetics, reproductive biology, physiology, immunology, pharmacogenomics, neuroscience, and drug development.

You will gain a thorough grounding in the science underpinning drug and medicine development, learning about the science behind drugs and medicines, their effects on living systems, and their role in treating disease. You will develop excellent analytical and project management skills, and learn how to design experiments and plan work programmes.

Our course is delivered via a mix of compulsory and optional modules give you the scope to tailor your studies to your interests, career goals, or plans for post-graduate study.

The Medical Pharmacology course curriculum has been developed following the guidance of the British Pharmacological Society, of which our Programme Director, Professor Lisa Wallace is a Vice President.

You will benefit from access to the state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities at the Medical School, including our research laboratories.

This degree is part of our ‘Medical Science in Practice’ Pathway to Medicine programme. Provided you meet the minimum entry requirements for Graduate Entry Medicine, and have successfully completed the Pathway, you will be guaranteed an interview for our flagship Graduate Entry Medicine MBBCh course.

Our academic staff are active in a diverse range of research fields, offering an unrivalled mix of academic excellence and cutting-edge practice.

In addition to your formal studies, we hold regular research talks with Swansea University staff and guest expert speakers from other universities, industry, the NHS and research institutions.

Medical Pharmacology has been identified as a critical undergraduate degree, required to fill the current work force and skills gaps in medicine and pharmaceutical development.

You will join a university that is ranked 5th in the UK for Pharmacology and Pharmacy Research Quality according to the Complete University Guide 2023.

Modules

• Year 1
• Introduction to Genetics and Evolution
• Microbiology
• Introduction to Toxicology: The Dose Makes the Poison
• Human Physiology
• Organic Chemistry: an Introduction for Life Sciences
• Chemical Analysis: from Composition to Structure Elucidation; an Introduction for Life Sciences.
• Year 2
• Metabolic Regulation: Enzymes & Signal Transduction
• Human Immunology
• Communicating Medical Sciences
• Introduction to Pharmacology: Dynamics and Kinetics
• Pharmacogenomics: Genes on Drugs
• Antimicrobial therapy and resistance
• Advances in Toxicology: Pick Your Poison
• Year 3
• Being a Medical Scientist
• Advances in Pharmacology
• Human Biology and the Environment
• Drug Development and Regulation

Assessment methods

Assessments will include Laboratory practicals, written exams, oral presentations, written assignments, and clinical skills assessments. The range of assessment methods is chosen to develop and demonstrate a range of skills transferable to the modern healthcare environment including reflection, oral and written communication, confidence and competence.

The Uni


Course location:

Singleton Park Campus

Department:

Swansea University Medical School

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

74%
Pharmacology

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below 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

Teaching and learning

64%
Staff make the subject interesting
79%
Staff are good at explaining things
75%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
46%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

67%
Library resources
82%
IT resources
86%
Course specific equipment and facilities
61%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
47%
Male students
53%
Female students
91%
2:1 or above
7%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
B

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.

£22,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
high
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

79%
Nursing and midwifery professionals
14%
Health professionals
2%
Therapy professionals

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.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

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:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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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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