BSc Hons Medical Pharmacology

In this program you don’t just sit and listen — you’ll be working in labs, collaborating on real research, getting access to high-end scientific tools, and doing projects that mirror what professionals do. Swansea’s Medical School gives you access to its research labs, the Mass Spectrometry Facility, and the Institute of Life Science, where you’ll work on live biology, drug science, and data. Along the way you’ll do group work, workshops, and optionally placements or study abroad, so your learning is active and connected to what’s happening in the science and pharma world.

Here are specific features and opportunities in this program:

• The Mass Spectrometry Facility (NMSF): you’ll use tools like LC-MS, GC-MS, and MALDI-MS for analysing small molecules, biomarkers etc. This is part of Swansea’s Medical School. 

• Institute of Life Science 1 & 2 (ILS1 & ILS2): includes labs for biomolecular analysis, DNA sequencing, flow cytometry, confocal microscopy and bioinformatics. 

• Computer-Aided Drug Design (CADD): Swansea Chemistry department provides the software and hardware for molecular modelling, virtual screening, hit-to-lead optimisation, homology modelling etc. You’ll get exposure to in silico tools for drug discovery. 

• Year in industry / placement option: the 4-year version of the degree allows you to do a full year in industry, gaining direct work experience. 

• Year abroad option: you might spend a year studying in another country, which boosts your CV, intercultural skills, and gives global perspective. 

• Independent research project in final year: you work under supervision on original lab or data-driven project, integrating what you’ve learned. 

• Digital / virtual tools: recorded lectures, virtual labs or simulations, online resources via the Virtual Learning Environment (Canvas), quizzes, and discussion forums. 

• Facilities for teaching & skills training: medical school teaching labs, anatomy and clinical skills spaces, teaching of lab practice, data handling, workshops etc. 

• Student groups / societies: “Medpharm” society offers lab visits, research opportunities, mentoring, and networking, which helps you apply learning outside formal classes. 

Graduates from this degree leave with strong analytical, lab-based, and research skills. Typical job roles include: pharmaceutical researcher, clinical trials coordinator, regulatory affairs officer, medical writer, and health-technology analyst. Because Swansea ties the curriculum closely to industry standards (via the British Pharmacological Society etc.), many students move into industry, research labs, regulatory bodies or postgraduate study soon after graduation.

Here’s how Swansea helps make this real for you:

• The Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) offers workshops, employer-talks, careers fairs, help finding internships/placements, and volunteering opportunities to build real experience. 

• Students choosing the 4-year BSc with a year in industry get direct exposure to companies, work projects, and practical roles that employers recognize. 

• The Medical Science in Practice pathway is built into the programme: for students meeting certain standards, this leads to a guaranteed interview for Swansea’s Graduate Entry Medicine (MBBCh) course. 

• Employment data suggest very low unemployment (< 1 %) for graduates of this course who are not studying further, ~£25,000 average salary ~15 months after graduation. 

• Long-term value: Because the curriculum follows the British Pharmacological Society’s guidelines and inclusive principles, the qualification is strong, relevant, and respected in pharma, regulatory affairs, and academia.

Further Academic Progression:

After completing the BSc (Hons) Medical Pharmacology, here are paths you can take if you want to keep learning:

• Pursue a Master’s (MSc) in subjects like Pharmacology, Toxicology, Drug Development, Biomedical Sciences, Regulatory Science, etc.

• Go for research-based postgraduate degrees (MSc by Research or PhD), especially if you enjoyed your independent project and want to specialise (for instance in pharmacogenomics, nanotoxicology, or neuroscience).

• If you completed the “Medical Science in Practice” pathway and meet the criteria, apply for Graduate Entry Medicine (MBBCh) at Swansea.

• Certifications, short courses or additional training in regulatory law, clinical trial management, or medical writing can strengthen your profile and open up specialized roles.