Pharmacology with Foundation Year
Pharmacology is the science of how drugs and other chemical compounds interact with living systems. It asks how medicines reach their target sites in the body, how they produce their effects at the molecular and cellular level, why individuals respond differently to the same drug, and how new therapeutic compounds are developed and tested. These questions sit at the heart of modern healthcare, because every treatment decision in medicine depends on an understanding of pharmacological principles, and the development of new medicines is one of the most significant scientific challenges of our era.
At the University of Keele, this four-year, full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing a structured entry route for students who need to build their scientific foundations before progressing to degree-level pharmacology. You will study the mechanisms by which drugs act on the body's systems, including the cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, and immune systems, and you will explore how those principles are applied in the development, testing, and clinical use of medicines. The programme spans from molecular pharmacology and biochemistry through to clinical pharmacology and the emerging technologies shaping drug discovery and development.
You will develop analytical, problem-solving, and practical laboratory skills that are directly valued by employers in the pharmaceutical industry and in biomedical research.
A typical entry tariff of 120 points reflects an accessible but demanding admissions profile. Graduates from pharmacology programmes go on to careers in pharmaceutical research and development, clinical trials, regulatory affairs, drug safety, healthcare science, medical communications, and biomedical research. The degree is also a strong foundation for graduate entry into medicine or for postgraduate study in pharmacology, toxicology, drug discovery, or related biomedical sciences.
Many graduates join the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, where their combination of scientific depth and practical skills is consistently sought.