BSc (Hons) Medical Pharmacology Bachelor's degree at Cardiff University
BSc (Hons) Medical Pharmacology at Cardiff University. Medical Pharmacology at Cardiff University focuses on how drugs interact with the human body, giving you a grounding in the science that underpins modern medicine and drug development.
About this course
BSc (Hons) Medical Pharmacology is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Cardiff University. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Pharmacology graduates from this provider, 95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 80% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £30,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Medicine & Dentistry, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 100% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- Skills for ScienceCore20 credits
- Structure and Function of Living OrganismsCore20 credits
- The Dynamic CellCore20 credits
- Biological ChemistryCore20 credits
- Genetics and EvolutionCore20 credits
- Foundations and Principles of PharmacologyCore20 credits
Year 2 5 modules
- Medical Pharmacology Research TechniquesCore20 credits
- Application of In-Vitro Pharmacology in ResearchCore20 credits
- Principles of NeuropharmacologyCore20 credits
- Infection, Immunity and HaematologyCore20 credits
- Pharmacology of Common Non-communicable DiseasesCore20 credits
Year 3 7 modules
- Critical Analysis of The LiteratureCore10 credits
- Advanced ImmunologyCore10 credits
- Research ProjectCore40 credits
- Drug Discovery and DevelopmentCore10 credits
- Advances in NeuropharmacologyCore10 credits
- Pharmacogenomics and PharmacogeneticsCore10 credits
- Cardiovascular Medicine: an Evidence-based ApproachCore10 credits
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
The course structure builds progressively, giving you room to develop from foundational knowledge through to independent research. You'll start with core theory covering the biological and chemical principles behind drug action, before moving into research & methods, where you learn how pharmacological studies are designed, conducted and analysed. Applied practice modules connect this theory to real scenarios, showing how pharmacological principles are used in clinical and laboratory settings. As you progress, you can explore specialist options such as areas of pharmacology that align with your particular interests, allowing some tailoring of the degree to your own goals. A significant part of the later stages is the independent project, where you take ownership of a piece of research from question to conclusion, applying the skills built up over the earlier years. Throughout, professional skills modules are woven in, covering the practical, communication and analytical abilities that matter in scientific and healthcare-adjacent careers. Together, these elements are designed to take you from broad scientific literacy to focused, self-directed capability by the time you graduate.
Who it's for
This course suits someone with a genuine curiosity about how the body works and how substances, from prescribed medicines to experimental compounds, change its function. If you enjoyed biology and chemistry at school or college and want to go deeper into the mechanisms behind treatment rather than just the outcomes, this is likely to hold your interest. You should be comfortable with detailed, evidence-based reasoning: much of the degree involves working through data, research papers and experimental results, so an analytical mindset and patience with precision matter more than any single natural talent. It also suits people who like the idea of gradually taking more control over their own learning, starting with structured teaching and building towards an independent research project you largely direct yourself. Most students accepted onto this course arrive with A-levels or equivalent, typically within the 160–175 UCAS tariff range, though this reflects who has historically enrolled rather than a fixed requirement. Studying this degree will feel scientifically rigorous at times, and by the final year, students take real ownership of a pharmacological question, working more like a researcher than a student attending lectures.
Careers & job market
Graduates from Medicine & Dentistry courses nationally report strong continuation into employment or further study: 89% are in work or further study 15 months after graduating, according to Graduate Outcomes data, and 75% of those working are in highly skilled roles or continuing their education. These figures apply across the field nationally rather than to this specific course or university, but they give a useful sense of the destinations open to pharmacology-related graduates. National earnings data (LEO) for the field shows starting salaries between roughly £27,000 and £32,000 at 15 months after graduation, moving to a range of £24,650–£34,800 after three years and £29,325–£41,400 after five years. These are national figures across the field and not guaranteed outcomes for any individual graduate, but they offer a broad picture of the sort of income trajectory associated with this area of study. Around 90% of students nationally continue past their first year of study in this field, which is a reasonable indicator of course engagement and manageable workload once students settle in.
University & format
This is a full-time, three-year BSc (Hons) delivered entirely in English at Cardiff University, a public, Russell Group institution founded in 1883 with over 30,000 students across the university. As a Russell Group member, Cardiff is part of a group of research-intensive UK universities, and the degree itself is nationally recognised as a UK degree-awarding qualification. The course code for UCAS applications is B210. It's worth checking the university's own funding pages directly for details on bursaries and scholarships, as availability and eligibility can vary and change from year to year.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 98%.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 95% |
| a foundation course | 5% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code B210). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page. Set under Wales's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at Cardiff University →If you normally live in Wales
2026/27 total maintenance support from Student Finance Wales. How much of it is grant and how much is loan depends on household income; the total does not. If you normally live elsewhere, use your home funding body.
Check your entitlement with Student Finance Wales →Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: paid directly to the university by Student Finance Wales.
- Maintenance support: a mix of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales, weighted to household income.
- Repayment: only above the income threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Wales runs its own system through Student Finance Wales; check studentfinancewales.co.uk for current rates.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
National funding for this subject
- NHS Learning Support Fund: Eligible nursing, midwifery and allied-health students can receive a non-repayable training grant. Official guidance
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Medicine & Dentistry graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £30,000 | £25,000 – £32,000 | 10 |
| 3 years after | £40,500 | £33,000 – £49,000 | 15 |
| 5 years after | £42,500 | £40,000 – £50,500 | 40 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in medicine & dentistry · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Medicine & Dentistry nationally
National figures for Medicine & Dentistry graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 10; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2021-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Medicine & Dentistry courses at the same study level.
Compared with 804 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 40% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Natural and social science professionalsSOC 2020 211 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £44,243
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 55; response rate: 70%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BSc (Hons) Medical Pharmacology worth it?
Yes, for most students BSc (Hons) Medical Pharmacology is well worth it. On its graduates’ median earnings, the course is worth about +£155,630 more over the first ten years of work than going straight to a job, after the fees you pay.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 3 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 8. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 3 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Medicine & Dentistry graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Medicine & Dentistry graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- The NHS
- Private practice
- Research & academia
- Public health
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Medicine & Dentistry graduates.
Medicine-Focused Veterinary Surgeon | Patient Care LeaderMedivet & PartnersMedicine Service Delivery Manager - Operations ImprovementNHSMedicine Occupational Therapist - StaffordshirePulse HealthcarePart-Time Palliative Medicine Consultant | 1-in-5 On-CallEvora Hospice (formerly Southern Area Hospice Services)Consultant Medicine - ElderlyPertemps Medical ProfessionalsSpecialty Doctor in Acute MedicineTriple West MedicalIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. If you normally live in Wales, Student Finance Wales can pay an eligible Tuition Fee Loan directly to the university, and maintenance support is a mix of grant and loan weighted to household income. You repay only above the income threshold.
Where graduates go
95% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £30,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.7 out of 10: NSS 95.7% · in work or study 95% · continued 100%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Cardiff University
Medicine and dentistry across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Cardiff University - Main Campus
4,125 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Medicine & Dentistry right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Cardiff University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is set per course by Cardiff University; international fees are typically £12,000–£30,000/year for classroom subjects and higher for lab/clinical ones. You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Cardiff University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Cardiff University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Cardiff University
Common questions
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