MPhil/PhD and MRes Study
Additional information and an overview of the UCL School of Pharmacy postgraduate study programmes.
Overview
UCL School of Pharmacy is a world-leading centre for research in pharmacy, medicinal chemistry and drug discovery, pharmaceutics and pharmacology. The School has maintained this status over decades, being recently ranked 3rd in the world for Pharmacy and Pharmacology in the QS worldwide rankings, and 3rd in the Top Student Cities 2026 list.
The School has a well-established track record in high-quality research including the discovery of new chemical entities, the development of gene and other advanced therapies for neurological disease, the use of nanofabrication for innovative and personalised drug delivery, the use of big data to study patient populations in terms of medicines usage and safety and the development of spinout companies that have attracted significant investment for bringing new therapeutic strategies to the patient.
UCL has come second within the UK for research power in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF), with 93% of our research being classed as ‘world leading’ and ‘internationally excellent’. We’re proud to have maintained our position as top in the UK for research power in ‘medicine, health and life sciences’, demonstrating the impact our research has worldwide.
MPhil/PhD and MRes students benefit from and contribute to this research culture.
Research departments
Students participate in advanced hypothesis-driven research yielding publications in top journals which change thinking in their chosen fields, typically falling within the remit of one of four research departments:
- Research Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry
- Research Department of Pharmaceutics
- Research Department of Pharmacology
- Research Department of Practice and Policy
Research community
The UCL School of Pharmacy attracts the leading figures in the field to contribute to our diverse programme of events, seminars, lectures, debates and conferences, focusing on critical issues in pharmacy, pharmaceutical sciences, biomedical research and pharmaceutical industry.
The School is well integrated into the wider research community at UCL which received 100 % under the research environment in REF 2014. The extensive collaborations within the UCL and beyond greatly facilitate research activities at the UCL School of Pharmacy.
The UCL School of Pharmacy integrates the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Accelerated Medicines Design and Development, and participates in two other prestigious doctoral training programmes, the BBSRC-funded London Interdisciplinary Biosciences PhD Programme and the MRC-funded UCL/Birkbeck Doctoral Training programme. We also have an MRes in Pharmaceutical Research.
PharmAlliance, the research, education and practice partnership between the UCL School of Pharmacy, and the Monash University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Schools of Pharmacy, provides our PhD students with a unique opportunity to form collaborations and participate in international exchange through designated small grant funding system.
The School is a member of ULLA, a European Consortium for postgraduate training in the field of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The primary objective of the ULLA network is to enhance collaboration within education and research in pharmaceutical sciences between the European universities, through various activities including ULLA Postgraduate Summer School and grants for PhD traineeships and courses.
How to apply
For further information on how to apply for a PhD at the UCL School of Pharmacy, see the UCL School of Pharmacy Doctoral Training programme site. For our MRes in Pharmaceutical research, visit our prospectus page.
CDT in Accelerated Medicines Design and Development
Learn more about the Centre for Doctoral Training in Accelerated Medicines Design and Development