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Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutics MSc

London, Bloomsbury

Gain first-hand experience of the latest experimental approaches in pharmacology and drug development, on this one-year, full-time Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutics MSc, jointly taught by globally-renowned academics at UCL’s School of Pharmacy and Division of Biosciences.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£20,500
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£39,800
Duration
1 calendar year
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

Normally a minimum of an upper second-class UK Bachelor's degree from a UK university, in life sciences, pharmaceutics, biotechnology or pharmacy, or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Professional or other qualifications obtained by written examinations and approved by UCL, together with at least three years of appropriate professional experience, will also be considered.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

The programme brings together the expertise of two internationally-leading UCL academic groups: the Research Department of Pharmacology at the UCL School of Pharmacy, and the Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology in the UCL Division of Biosciences. 

Taught through a mix of lectures, journal clubs, practicals, tutorials and a laboratory project, the Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutics MSc offers such extensive experimental experience.

Covering both traditional and advanced approaches, coupled with current innovations in therapeutics, it’s the ideal foundation for a PhD, or for a career in the pharmaceutical industry, working on clinical investigations or drug regulation.

Who this course is for

This master’s is for graduates in science-based subjects looking to complete a PhD in pharmacology and therapeutics, or move onto pharmacological research or drug development.  

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

Join us for this one-year multidisciplinary master’s to build your knowledge and gain practical experience in today's most up-to-date experimental techniques used in pharmacology, including modern cell biology, fluorescent techniques in receptor pharmacology, antibody-based therapies, gene and cell therapy, and bioinformatics.

Exploring everything from how drugs interact with the body, their efficacy and side effects, to how to make them clinically safe – you’ll work on your own research-based experiments, receive mentorship from UCL’s experts, and be well-equipped to rapidly engage in scientific research globally.

What you can gain from this course:

  • Study at the Research Department of Pharmacology at the School of Pharmacy, and the Research Department of Neuroscience, Physiology & Pharmacology in the Division of Biosciences – working with UCL academics who are internationally leading in this field. UCL is ranked 4th in the world for pharmacology and pharmacy (QS Rankings 2024) and 2nd in the world for pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences (Shanghai Rankings 2023). 
  • Gain cutting-edge education in theory, research practice and innovation in pharmacology, and first-hand insight into globally-significant research underway in areas like drug development and therapeutics.
  • Learn the theory and experimental skills in classical and modern pharmacological techniques, and gain extensive experience in carrying out your own pharmacological experiments.
  • Develop the diverse skills needed to be successful as a researcher, including literature search-based data analysis, how to write about and interpret your findings, and how to analyse, discuss and present data to informed and non-informed audiences.
  • Benefit from small group sizes, which means a significant proportion of time spent in practical laboratory sessions.
  • Build the programme around the aspects of pharmacology that most interest you, with options available in everything from molecular pharmacy and drug design to the pharmacology of inflammation and translational neuroscience.
  • Spend eight months working on an original piece of laboratory-based research project. Several students of this course have gone on to have their work published.
  • Leave well equipped to pursue PhD-level research or to build a career in the pharmaceutical industry, clinical investigations or drug regulatory authorities.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

Graduates of this course have gone on to work with organisations such as the National Health Service (NHS), King Faisal University, Hikma Pharmaceuticals and Thermo Fisher Scientific. 

This data is aggregated from the Graduate Outcomes survey data from 2017-2022. 

Employability

The mix of traditional and experimental approaches, coupled with current innovation in therapeutics and drug discovery, will give you a unique skill set, putting you in a strong position to contribute to pharmaceutical research. 

You could take your skills into a career in biomedical sciences, the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry or clinical research – working on clinical investigations as a research associate or scientist. The knowledge and lab experience you gain will also stand you in good stead for progressing onto a PhD. 

Networking

You’ll have regular opportunities to connect, collaborate and build professional contacts as part of your master’s.  

  • Become a full member of one of our academic research groups and build networks with other master’s and postdoctoral students and academics within UCL’s School of Pharmacy.
  • Take part in careers events through UCL Careers during the academic year, and enhance your CV writing and interview skills.  
  • Meet alumni at School-wide events and socials to hear about their experiences and how the course has helped them progress in their careers.
  • Attend workshops in areas like pharmacology and therapeutics, and exploring research opportunities across the world.
  • Participate in research lectures with external speakers from various partners and other institutions. 

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, journal clubs, practicals, tutorials and a laboratory project.

Student performance is evaluated through formal examination, coursework, and the research project.

Typically, a 15-credit module includes 150 hours of notional student learning time comprised broadly of teaching time, independent study, assessment, and feedback.

This time may include activities that take place in in-person-on-campus contexts such as on-campus lectures, seminars, tutorials, labs, and workshops, as well as tutor-mediated activities that take place in online environments.

On an average week, students will have 10-12 contact hours, and up to 15 hours of self-study.

Modules

In terms one and two, you will study pharmacology and develop a range of essential research skills through two compulsory taught modules: Investigative Pharmacology and Practice of Science, along with two optional modules chosen from a portfolio of nine. These optional modules cover specific areas of pharmacology, ranging from molecular and cellular pharmacology and drug design to clinical pharmacology.

The dissertation project consists of an original piece of laboratory-based research carried out over approximately a ten-month period, which is assessed in September.

Compulsory modules





Optional modules










Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MSc in Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £20,500
Tuition fees (2025/26) £39,800

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees.

Additional costs

For Full-time and Part-time offer holders a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

There are no additional costs for this course.

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutics at graduate level
  • why you want to study Experimental Pharmacology and Therapeutics at UCL
  • what particularly attracts you to the chosen programme
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this challenging programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2025-2026

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

School of Pharmacy
School of Pharmacy

sop.pgt@ucl.ac.uk

UCL is regulated by the Office for Students.