You can study Pharmacology as a major in the Bachelor of Science (BSc).

The subject is taught in the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences by the Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology.

Pharmacology is the study of chemicals that are biologically active and can be used to modify, cure or prevent illness. In practice, this requires a detailed understanding of both how the body functions and the problems that can occur. By identifying cellular and chemical abnormalities of the disease state, it’s possible to design molecules to fix problems that arise.

As a Pharmacology student you’ll study how drugs work at the molecular level and in living organisms. You’ll also explore factors that influence safe and effective drug use in various populations. You’ll take courses that focus on the interaction of drugs with target molecules, the biochemical processes involved in achieving clinically relevant drug concentrations, and the way in which diseases in a variety of organ systems can be treated.

As part of your Pharmacology major you’ll complete a capstone course, PHARMCOL 399, where you'll work both individually and in small groups to apply the knowledge you’ve gained and demonstrate mastery of fundamental skills in Pharmacology. You’ll investigate the processes of drug development within the context of the ethical and legal framework for using experimental animals and human subjects in New Zealand.

Core concepts

You will learn the core concepts of pharmacology that broadly fit into two groups, pharmacodynamics (what a drug does to the body) and pharmacokinetics (what the body does to a drug), to understand the effective and safe use of medicines.

You will learn about the various target groups within the body such as receptors, enzymes and ion channels as well as using knowledge of the biological processes that influence the absorption, distribution metabolism and excretion of drugs.

Combining this knowledge helps to decide the dose, route and frequency to maximise clinical benefit and minimise the harmful effects of medicines in patients. It also helps predict and prevent adverse effects early in the drug development process.

Programme highlights

• Gain technical laboratory skills, learn to develop and follow protocols and generate data that is accurate, reliable and reproducible.
• Interactions with a variety of other disciplines such as biological sciences, physiology, pathology, medicinal chemistry and statistics.  
• Understand how models for exploring the activity of drugs translate to what happens in real people.
• Learn through clinically relevant and case-study based real-world examples, for example designing a clinical trial.
• Learn about the discovery, testing and regulatory processes required to bring a new medicine to the market.

• Explore the full programme structure in the Curriculum Catalogue

• Bachelor of Science majoring in Pharmacology

You can use our degree planners to help you plan the courses you need to take for your BSc. Go to the Science degree planners page. 

If you began your degree prior to 2019 we recommend you seek advice to make sure you are taking the correct courses. Contact Student Hubs for further guidance.

If you choose to do a double major in your BSc, we recommend the following majors to complement Pharmacology: Cell and Molecular Bioscience, Chemistry, Physics, Physiology, Psychology and Statistics.

Our graduates work in:

• Clinical Research: coordinating, implementing and analysing data from clinical trials that test new medicines in patients.
• Academia: Basic research and research-led teaching in universities.
• Laboratories: Quality and safety testing of pharmaceutical products, testing patient samples in clinical trials.
• Pharmaceutical Industry: Developing, producing, testing and marketing pharmaceuticals.
• Regulatory Affairs: Ensuring medicines meet safety, quality and performance standards, approving new medicines.

Further study options

• Bachelor of Science (Honours)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Science (PGDipSci)
• Master of Science (MSc)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

For further information and advice, please contact Student Hubs.