A model of DNA strands
DNA model in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History
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MSc in Pharmacology

About the course

The aim of the MSc taught course in Pharmacology is to provide students with the necessary theoretical knowledge and practical training that will enable them to integrate post-genomic molecular biology with physiological function and drug discovery.

The course is taught over one year from October to September, comprising three 10-week terms and a fourth summer term.

The first term covers core material using lectures, tutorials and practical work, and aims to ensure that all students achieve the core knowledge of the principles and practice of pharmacology. The subjects covered include cell and receptor pharmacology, tissue and organ pharmacology, and pharmacology of the nervous system. At the end of the term, students sit a computer-based qualifying exam; passing this exam allows them to continue the course.

At the start of the second term, students follow a short course in quantitative pharmacology, covering aspects of receptor pharmacology and pharmacokinetics.

During the following weeks, students attend lectures in advanced pharmacology topics which represent the research expertise of academic staff in the department. The lectures are organised into five themes or modules

  • Cell Signalling
  • Cardiovascular Pharmacology
  • Neuropharmacology I: Neurodegeneration
  • Neuropharmacology II: Psychopharmacology
  • Drug Discovery

Lectures are combined with weekly laboratory sessions, discussion forums, journal clubs and small group tutorials to promote critical analysis of primary research literature.

Students are expected to spend 15 hours per week on independent reading throughout the first and second terms.

The third term is mainly taken up by a hypothesis-driven research project which is expected to involve four months of experimental work, extending throughout the term and into the long vacation term.

Applicants are advised to visit the Department of Pharmacology website to obtain further information on current research themes.

Attendance

The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements.

Resources to support your study

As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of world-class resources including libraries, museums, galleries, digital resources and IT services.

The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK. It includes the main Bodleian Library and libraries across Oxford, including major research libraries and faculty, department and institute libraries. Together, the Libraries hold more than 13 million printed items, provide access to e-journals, and contain outstanding special collections including rare books and manuscripts, classical papyri, maps, music, art and printed ephemera.

The University's IT Services is available to all students to support with core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities. IT Services also offers a range of IT learning courses for students, to support with learning and research.

The Department of Pharmacology offers excellent IT facilities and support, up-to-date lecture and seminar room facilities. Meeting rooms are also available for social and networking events organised by the department and its students.

The department is well-equipped with state-of-the-art scientific equipment for electrophysiology, proteomic studies, confocal and live imaging, and molecular biology.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course, either within the Department of Pharmacology or other University departments, is the responsibility of the Department of Pharmacology and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Project supervisors may be found outside the Department of Pharmacology subject to approval from the department. 

Most students have the opportunity to meet their supervisors on a weekly basis during their research project.

Students also have the opportunity to meet termly with the Course Director, who acts as academic supervisor, to discuss academic progress

In the case of students who require specific help to adjust to an academic programme or to a new range of skills, the Course Director will ensure additional support is provided.

Assessment

The short quantitative course, which takes place at the start of the second term, will be examined in a written paper.

The material covered during the advanced pharmacology modules is examined in a two-part paper at the start of the third term. In this exam students are required to:

  • demonstrate synoptic knowledge of advanced topics in writing;
  • critically analyse a research article.

At the end of the third term, students submit their dissertation and produce a poster presenting their research project. The latter forms the basis for a final oral examination.

Graduate destinations

In the past few years, of the students who graduated from the course, around 60% pursued further postgraduate studies (PhD, MD/PhD and MBA) and 15% found employment in research positions either in academia or industry shortly after graduation. The remainder embarked in careers in medical communications (10%) and in consultancy (10%). A minority chose careers in other sectors (5%), eg medical sales, patent lawyers and regulatory affairs.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made if a pandemic, epidemic or local health emergency occurs. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Entry requirements for entry in 2025-26

Proven and potential academic excellence

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.

We know that factors such as socio-economic circumstances and school performance can make it difficult for students to demonstrate their full potential. This course is taking part in an initiative to use contextual data to help us to better understand your achievements in the context of your individual background. For further details, please refer to the information about improving access to graduate study in the How to apply section of this page.

Please be aware that any studentships that are linked to this course may have different or additional requirements and you should read any studentship information carefully before applying. Contextual data may also be used in the assessment of studentships. 

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

  • a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in a biological or chemical science, but applications from high-calibre candidates with mathematical and physical science backgrounds may be considered.

However, entrance is very competitive and most successful applicants have a first-class degree or the equivalent.

For applicants with a bachelor's degree from the USA, the minimum overall GPA that is normally required to meet the undergraduate-level requirement is 3.5 out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

  • Preference may be given to those who have studied in a biological or chemical science, but applications from high-calibre candidates with mathematical and physical science backgrounds are welcome.
  • Evidence of training or laboratory experience may be an advantage, and the relevance of the course to future career development plans may be considered.
  • Publications are not required.

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's higher level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level are detailed in the table below.

Minimum scores required to meet the University's higher level requirement
TestMinimum overall scoreMinimum score per component
IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) 7.57.0

TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition'

(Institution code: 0490)

110Listening: 22
Reading: 24
Speaking: 25
Writing: 24
C1 Advanced*191185
C2 Proficiency191185

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

References

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

Interviews are normally held as part of the admissions process.

Applicants will be shortlisted for a remote interview, which will be conducted by the Director of the MSc course and one member of the MSc Teaching Committee. You will be assessed on your academic results, enthusiasm, ability to solve a simple quantitative problem, and your academic references.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about offers and conditions

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

  • the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
  • the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
  • minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Pharmacology

The Department of Pharmacology is one of the top preclinical departments in the country with excellent research and teaching facilities. It hosts a large and vibrant community of graduate students. The University of Oxford has in recent years scored within the top 3 universities in the QS World University Rankings for Pharmacy and Pharmacology.

In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF), research from the Department of Pharmacology was submitted to Unit of Assessment UOA5 along with Biochemistry, Biology (Zoology/Plant Sciences), The Dunn School of Pathology and DPAG. Within UOA5, Oxford's submission had the largest volume of world-leading research (overall 4*x submitted FTE) and scored 100% 4* for Environment.

The department has over 50 DPhil students and around 25 MSc taught course students at any one time. Students also benefit from having proximity to colleges, libraries and other facilities in the University Science Area.

The department has a very active graduate student association and a Pharmacology Society, which arranges talks and social activities.

Funding

For entry in the 2025-26 academic year, the collegiate University expects to offer over 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across a wide range of graduate courses.

If you apply by the December deadline shown on this page and receive a course offer, your application will then be considered for Oxford scholarships. For the majority of Oxford scholarships, your application will automatically be assessed against the eligibility criteria, without needing to make a separate application. There are further Oxford scholarships available which have additional eligibility criteria and where you are required to submit a separate application. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential.

To ensure that you are considered for Oxford scholarships that require a separate application, for which you may be eligible, use our fees, funding and scholarship search tool to identify these opportunities and find out how to apply. Alongside Oxford scholarships, you should also consider other opportunities for which you may be eligible including a range of external fundingloan schemes for postgraduate study and any other scholarships which may also still be available after the December deadline as listed on our fees, funding and scholarship search tool.

Details of college-specific funding opportunities can also be found on individual college websites:

Please refer to the College preference section of this page to identify which of the colleges listed above accept students for this course.

For the majority of college scholarships, it doesn’t matter which college, if any, you state a preference for in your application. If another college is able to offer you a scholarship, your application can be moved to that college if you accept the scholarship. Some college scholarships may require you to state a preference for that college when you apply, so check the eligibility requirements carefully.

In addition, further information about funding for the course can be found on the Department of Pharmacology website

Costs

Annual fees for entry in 2025-26

Fee status

Annual Course fees

Home£15,890
Overseas£36,250

Information about course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges.

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees, including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability.

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees and any additional course-specific costs, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

Living costs for full-time study

For the 2025-26 academic year, the range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between £1,425 and £2,035 for each month spent in Oxford. We provide the cost per month so you can multiply up by the number of months you expect to live in Oxford. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to budget for the costs of a student visa and immigration health surcharge and/or living costs for family members or other dependants that you plan to bring with you to Oxford (assuming that dependant visa eligibility criteria are met).

Further information about living costs

The current economic climate and high national rate of inflation make it very hard to estimate potential changes to the cost of living over the next few years. For study in Oxford beyond the 2025-26 academic year, it is suggested that you budget for potential increases in living expenses of around 4% each year – although this rate may vary depending on the national economic situation. For further information, please consult our more detailed information about living costs, which includes a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs.

College preference

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 43 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as societies and permanent private halls (PPHs). 

If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. Before deciding, we suggest that you read our brief introduction to the college system at Oxford and our advice about expressing a college preference

If you are a current Oxford student and you would like to remain at your current Oxford college, you should check whether it is listed below. If it is, you should indicate this preference when you apply. If not, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. Further information about staying at your current college can be found in our Application Guide. 

The following colleges accept students on the MSc in Pharmacology:

Before you apply

Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. You can use our interactive tool to help you evaluate whether your application is likely to be competitive.

If it is important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under the December deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines and when to apply in our Application Guide.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable for each application to this course. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

  • applicants from low-income countries;
  • refugees and displaced persons; 
  • UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
  • applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You do not need to make contact with the department before you apply but you are encouraged to visit the relevant departmental webpages to read any further information about your chosen course.

You are welcome to contact the MSc course director if you have specific questions using the contact details included on this page.

Improving access to graduate study

This course is taking part in initiatives to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly.

Socio-economic data (where it has been provided in the application form) will be used as part of an initiative to contextualise applications at the different stages of the selection process.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.

For this course, the application form will include questions that collect information that would usually be included in a CV/résumé. You should not upload a separate document. If a separate CV/résumé is uploaded, it will be removed from your application.

If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Referees:
Three overall, two of which must be academic 

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, and your ability to work as part of a group.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

Statement of purpose/personal statement:
A maximum of 800 words 

Your statement should be written in English and explain your motivation for applying for the course at Oxford, your relevant experience and education, and the specific areas that interest you and/or you intend to specialise in. 

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

Your statement should focus on academic rather than personal achievements, interests and aspirations.

This will be assessed for:

  • your reasons for applying to, and suitability for, this course;
  • evidence of motivation for , and understanding of, the proposed area of study;
  • commitment to the subject beyond the requirements of the degree course;
  • capacity for sustained and intense work;
  • problem solving ability; and
  • ability to absorb new ideas at a rapid pace.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice.

Apply Continue application

After you've submitted your application

Your application (including the supporting documents outlined above) will be assessed against the entry requirements detailed on this course page. Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed. You can find out more about our shortlisting and selection process in our detailed guide to what happens next.

Find out how to manage your application after submission, using our Applicant Self-Service tool.

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