BSc Pharmacology with Study in Industry

You won’t sit in lectures the whole time — you’ll actually do stuff, inside labs and outside in real industry. From hands-on experiments in early years to a full industrial placement in Year 3, your learning is designed to be practical and relevant. The facilities at Bristol support all this with excellent labs, computer-assisted learning tools, and connections to industry partners. What this looks like practically:

Year 1 & 2 labs and practicals in physiology, pharmacology, molecular biology etc., plus computer-assisted tools (like “eBiolabs”) to support self-directed learning. 

In Year 3: placement year with pharmaceutical / biotech companies or research organisations, giving exposure to industrial workflows, R&D challenges, product development, regulatory environments etc. 

Final year research project: you design, conduct, analyse, and report on a piece of pharmacology research under faculty supervision. 

Seminars, small-group tutorials, and professional skill development (communication, data analysis, ethical issues in drug development etc.) built into curriculum.

Graduates of this course leave Bristol with strong scientific and industrial experience, which makes you more attractive to employers in pharma, biotech, health tech or research. With hands-on industry experience under your belt, you're more likely to start in roles that involve real drug development, lab research, regulatory affairs or quality control.

Here are more specifics:

University services that support employability: Bristol’s School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience helps students with securing placements, career advice, networking with companies, and skills in data analysis and scientific communication.

University–industry partnerships: The third-year placements are arranged with major pharmaceutical, biotech or research companies in the UK and abroad. 

Further Academic Progression:
After finishing the degree, you can continue as follows:

Do a Master’s (MSc) in pharmacology, drug discovery, or related biomedical fields.

Pursue a PhD if you want deep research or want to work in academia.

Move into industry roles that may provide further training or certifications (e.g. quality assurance, regulatory science).

Some graduates might also switch into allied fields like healthcare management, regulatory affairs, or public policy where your scientific background plus industry experience is an advantage.

Long-term accreditation / value: While this BSc is not a pharmacy registration degree, the industrial year gives you real world proof of ability. Employers value that you’ve already worked in industrial settings, which often accelerates early career progression. 

Employment stats & salary figures: For pharmacology graduates at Bristol in general: about £26,000 median salary 15 months after graduation; ~£31,000 after 3 years; and higher (£35,000-£40,000) further out. Range depends on sector. 

Graduation outcomes: Students go into R&D roles in pharma/biotech, regulatory affairs, medical/scientific communications, graduate schemes, further study (MSc, PhD) etc. The industry experience from Year 3 makes you more competitive.