BSc Pharmacology

You won’t just be reading about drug action—you’ll be in the lab, pipette in hand, running experiments and analysing results. King’s builds your confidence with real data, actual research projects, and access to facilities where breakthroughs in medicine are happening right now. The focus is on giving you practical exposure so when you graduate, you know the science and how to apply it.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• From Year 2, you can choose the MSci route that adds a professional placement year. That means stepping into a pharmaceutical company or academic lab and working on real-world problems.

• In your final year, you’ll carry out an independent research project. This could be lab-based—working with cutting-edge techniques—or desk-based, digging into data and literature with the same tools researchers use.

• You’ll spend time in specialised research laboratories equipped for pharmacology, biochemistry, and molecular biology. These aren’t teaching demos—they’re the same labs where ongoing drug research takes place.

• The Institute of Pharmaceutical Science houses facilities for drug discovery, analytical science, medicinal chemistry, molecular modelling, and clinical pharmacology, and students get exposure to this environment.

• Advanced equipment is part of the experience—imaging suites, spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, cell culture facilities, even ultra-high-field MRI and NMR technology are available across the School.

• Some modules are taught directly by scientists from the pharmaceutical industry, so you’re hearing from professionals applying these concepts every day.

Graduates from this programme often land work in pharmacology research, drug development, biotechnology firms, clinical trial support—or go on to graduate-entry medicine. It sets you up not just for a job, but a meaningful role where your skills matter. Here’s how King’s supports that journey, what you can expect, and how far the degree can take you:

• King’s Careers & Employability offers one-to-one guidance, workshops, networking fairs and internships. You’ll use their online tools, attend employer events, and get help building a CV or preparing for interviews. 

• Employment stats show about 90% of Pharmacology graduates are working or studying 15 months after graduation. Typical salaries for graduates are ~£32,000 after 3 years, rising to ~£36,000 after five years. 

• Through the Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and King’s Health Partners, there are real links with big pharma and NHS-based drug research units. You’ll benefit from CASE studentships, knowledge-transfer partnerships and collaborators like Pfizer, GSK, Novartis. 

• While the BSc doesn’t come with professional accreditation by itself, its close alignment with clinical research bodies and drug development hubs gives long-term credibility. Your experience in labs, with professional partners, gives you leverage when pursuing postgraduate roles. 

• After you finish, you’ll be ready to move into roles like early-career research associate, clinical trial assistant, regulatory affairs officer, or medical affairs specialist. And if you choose to study further—there’s room to grow into postgraduate masters or PhD routes.

Further Academic Progression:
After your BSc you’ve got options. You might transfer into the MSci route with a placement year for more research depth. If you're leaning toward clinical or medical research, there are taught master’s programmes like Clinical Pharmacology. And if you’re driven, King’s offers PhD paths through its Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences and via King’s Health Partners—especially in drug discovery, molecular pharmacology, or disease-modelling.