Pharmaceutical Sciences - BSc (Hons)

University of Nottingham

Learn about the discovery and design of medicines on a course that equips you with the scientific depth, practical skills and interdisciplinary mindset needed to shape the future of healthcare. On our BSc Pharmaceutical Sciences, you’ll study the core science of drug discovery, the formulation of medicines and the diseases for which they are designed – developing your understanding of how drugs and medicines work and why they’re used. You’ll also explore current and potential future advancements in the field, as well as pharmaceutical regulations and business aspects of drug discovery. We’ll prepare you for a career where you can develop new drugs and medicines to transform people’s lives – whether that’s in industry or academia.Throughout your first two years, you’ll bring together the core sciences that make up pharmaceutical sciences – chemistry, pharmaceutics and biosciences.Chemistry will help you to learn about:* drug design and discovery using organic chemistry* using analytical techniques and physical chemistry to determine the purity and properties of drugs and medicinesPharmaceutics will cover the science of designing and formulating medicines. \ \While Biosciences includes: * understanding disease and drug action through biology and pharmacology * the design of complex biological drugsIn your third year, we’ll focus on current and possible future advances in drug discovery and pharmaceutical innovation – ensuring you keep up to date with cutting-edge developments in the field. You’ll also learn about pharmaceutical processes, intellectual property, licensing and regulatory affairs in a national and global context. This means you’ll build not only your scientific knowledge but also your understanding of the pharmaceutical industry.Increasingly, you’ll be able to focus on areas of pharmaceutical science that match your interests and career ambitions. You’ll undertake a substantial research project, where you can put all the knowledge you’ve gained into practice.Throughout your studies, our dedicated Faculty of Science careers team will be on hand to support you. Our previous graduates have gone on to work for top employers such as AstraZeneca, GSK, Nutrivitality, Merck Group and Pharmaron. **Why choose this course?**\ \Course highlights* Gain extensive, practical lab experience throughout the course* Learn from our active research staff, who can share with expertise and the latest research developments with you* Opportunities to study abroad or even complete your research project overseas\ \ **Proven Results*** We’re ranked 12th in the world and 5th in the UK for pharmacy and pharmacology (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).* The average starting salary for pharmaceutical sciences undergraduates within 15 months of graduation was £31,126 (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2021/22-2022/23).

School of Pharmacy