Clinical Pharmacology

If you are applying on the basis of A Levels, you must meet both the A Level and GCSE requirements below.

GCSEs

If you are applying on the basis of International Baccalaureate, you need to meet both our Higher Level and Standard Level requirements, as outlined below.

If you are applying on the basis of an Access Diploma, you must meet both the Access Diploma and GCSE requirements below.

GCSEs

We welcome applications from applicants around the world. For information on the requirements for your country, please visit our International Qualifications page.

If you are applying from outside of the UK, you will need to meet the English language requirements outlined here. This is a group 2 course.

We are looking for students who are excited by science and motivated by curiosity and a desire to learn. A good understanding of Biology and Chemistry will provide the basis for building your knowledge in pharmacology. An interest in communication and team-working will help you to participate in the course and subsequently be successful in the scientific workplace.

As a guide your personal statement should tell us:

• What interests you about pharmacology and what extra activities you have undertaken to support your interest in pharmacology or science in general
• We are also interested in hearing about extra-curricular activities that have developed your team-working and communication skills and show how you can take initiative.
• We also expect you to demonstrate awareness of current issues in pharmacology and science.

Please remember that your personal statement should focus on the subjects of pharmacology and science.

Candidates accepted onto the course may have short opportunities to be in clinical areas. Before these in-person sessions, students will need to undertake self-assessment to prevent and minimise the spread of communicable diseases among staff and patients. Students will not take part in any invasive procedures. If you are concerned about a health issue, we advise you to contact us prior to applying.  

This course may include research and work placement options that require applicants to have an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check. Read more about DBS checks here.

In the first semester, you will be introduced to a broad spectrum of concepts across the seven modules. In the second semester, your focus turns to key drug targets, including inflammatory, infectious, cardiovascular and metabolic disease. You will look at each topic from the perspective of the different modules and accompany your theoretical learning with clinical and laboratory practicals, workshops and data analysis.

Throughout the course, you will be developing skills that will be imminently transferrable to future employment. In the first year, for example, developing both presentation and communication skills, you work in teams to prepare and make the case for a new drug. This includes pitching your ideas to a ‘Dragons’ Den’ style panel of judges, which has previously included St George’s Principal and industry representatives.

In Semester 3 (the first semester of Year 2) you will continue your learning about key drug targets, focussing on neurological and psychiatric disease, cancer, reproduction, paediatrics and old age. You will develop your knowledge and skills around clinical trials design, data handling and pharmacokinetics. Weekly careers workshops help you find out about all the options open to you on completing the degree to help you select projects, placements and Year 3 modules.

Year 2 exams are at the end of Semester 3, so you can focus for the rest of the year on gaining practical experience. In the first half of semester 4, you will undertake a practical research project that will give you experience of clinical- or laboratory-based research. You will present the results of your study in a scientific symposium and write it up as a research paper. You will then spend six weeks gaining valuable work experience in industry, expanding your professional network and making vital contacts. Companies that took students last year include Glaxo Smith Kline, Roche, Niche Scientific, Airfinity and HelloBio. For example, students placed with LabCorp, a world-leading Life Sciences Contract Research Organisation, rotated through departments organising clinical trials, lab and regulatory work.

At the end of your second year, you can also choose to take a ‘professional year’, applying for a placement in industry to develop your experience and enhance your CV, capitalising on our excellent links across the sector.

In the final year, you will look at latest advances and ‘hot topics’, including new therapeutic approaches to disease and cutting-edge drug developments, such as biological drugs, nanotechnology and gene therapy. You will use your career plans and experience to choose course modules to study to a more advanced level. Year 3 includes a written research project, where you get the chance to write a scientific review with support from a team of expert tutors.

Current students praise our friendly learning environment and the support they receive from the teaching team, who share their extensive experience as active research scientists and/or front-line clinicians with excellent industry connections.

Our course is led by Professor Emma Baker, currently the Clinical Vice President, a Fellow of the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) and London’s Training Programme Director for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, and Professor Iain Greenwood, also a BPS Fellow, who is a former Vice-President for External Affairs of the Society and has previously acted as editor for the British Journal of Pharmacology.

The modules and skills are revisited several times over the three years of the course with increasing complexity to build your understanding and capabilities, tested through various and innovative forms of assessment. In Year 1, you will be assessed by in-course quizzes, an end-of-year exam and compilation of a skills portfolio. Year 2 assessment includes in-course quizzes, an end-of-semester 3 exam and research project paper, and continued development of your skills portfolio. Progress on all Year 3 modules is evaluated by exams and in-course assessment, including oral and poster presentations, critical appraisals, lab reports, and a written research project report. You will complete your skills portfolio to earn a skills certificate to demonstrate your competence and skills to employers.

Incoming students (starting September 2021)

All face-to-face teaching will take place at St George’s, University of London, on the campus that we share with St George’s Hospital in Tooting, with appropriate social distancing measures in place.

We have not explored alternative locations for teaching and have no immediate plans to do so.

If government advice on social distancing changes, we will consider ways in which we can deliver teaching on site in a manner that is safe for students and staff.

Current students

All face-to-face teaching will take place at St George’s, University of London, on the campus that we share with St George’s Hospital in Tooting, with appropriate social distancing measures in place.

We have not explored alternative locations for teaching and have no immediate plans to do so.

If government advice on social distancing changes, we will consider ways in which we can deliver teaching on site in a manner that is safe for students and staff.

For the Year 2 industrial placements, providers will undertake an appropriate risk assessment and you will be allocated a position depending upon a combination of personal circumstances and career aspirations.

Years 1 and 2 will operate the same as in the previous academic year, with appropriate changes due to social distancing or online delivery in line with the present guidance.

The number of modules has not changed, but content has been modified as a standard part of curriculum development for a new course.

Everything itemised in the course webpage and documents for Years 1, 2 and 3 will be implemented as planned unless another wave of Covid-19 sparks further government changes to university operations.

Incoming students (September 2021)

The existing learning outcomes for our modules and courses will remain in place.

From September to December 2021 all students will primarily access their learning, including learning materials, via the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Canvas.

Hands-on practical teaching and learning activities will be delivered on campus with appropriate social distancing and personal protective equipment (PPE) measures put in place, and with controls on the number of people in each location.

Small-group tutorials will also be held on campus.

The online components of the course will be designed to balance interactive real-time sessions with lecturers and other students, with self-paced independent study.

Students will have clear learning pathways through the activities they are expected to engage with, and there will be opportunities to check learning and progress.

Personal tutor support and all other student support, such as the Academic Success Centre, will also be online for this period, using a range of methods for staying in touch, such as telephone, email and the University’s web conferencing systems BigBlueButton and MSTeams.

Placements are currently expected to take place with minimum changes to planned delivery or timings. All students on placement will be expected to undertake a risk assessment and adhere to local Trust working patterns and guidance.  

To get the most from online study, hardware requirements have been established and communicated to all existing students and offer holders.

Students will need their own personal computer or laptop and an internet connection in their place of accommodation. This needs to be in place at the start of the course.

Once enrolled, students will have the ability to use Office 365 as part of our institutional licence, and access software required for their modules/courses via AppsAnywhere. In addition, we offer Office for Mac via Ofice365, but only the following applications are available for Mac: Teams, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, OneNote. Web-based Office applications are available on Mac. Full details are available here.

There is a provision for students who may struggle to meet the hardware requirements to contact our IT Hardship team.

The Clinical Pharmacology degree will use a hybrid delivery system involving both remote and face-to-face teaching.

Following student consultation and the wish for a balance between onsite and remote teaching, the expectation is that students will be on site for two days a week – primarily, though not exclusively, for small group teaching, practicals and some workshops.

Lectures and workshops will be delivered online as pre-recorded sessions. In addition, you will come to the campus to take part in small group sessions, laboratory practicals and clinical skills sessions. These will be operated with appropriate social distancing measures in line with government recommendations.

The Year 1 sessions at St George’s will run on Mondays and Fridays throughout the semester; occasionally it may be other days. We intend to hold a lab practical in the morning and clinical skills in the afternoon, to minimise your need to use public transport.

You will also take part in a presentation skills workshop run by an external facilitator on campus.

We have designed this blend of online learning that can be done at your leisure, live small group sessions done onsite and physical attendance at St George’s, plus student discussion boards and Q&A, to optimise your experience in these strained times.

Current students

The existing learning outcomes for our modules and courses will remain in place.

From September to December 2021 all students will primarily access their learning, including learning materials, via the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), Canvas.

Hands-on practical teaching and learning activities will be delivered on campus with appropriate social distancing and personal protective equipment (PPE) measures put in place, and with controls on the number of people in each location.

The online components of the course will be designed to balance interactive real-time sessions with lecturers and other students, with self-paced independent study. Students will have clear learning pathways through the activities they are expected to engage with, and there will be opportunities to check learning and progress.

Personal tutor support and all other student support, such as the Academic Success Centre, will also be online for this period, using a range of methods for staying in touch, such as telephone, email and the University’s web conferencing systems BigBlueButton and MSTeams.

Placements are currently expected to resume from September 2021 with minimum changes to planned delivery or timings. All students on placement will be expected to undertake a risk assessment and adhere to local Trust working patterns and guidance.  

To get the most from online study, hardware requirements have been established and communicated to all existing students and offer holders. Students will need their own personal computer or laptop and an internet connection in their place of accommodation. This needs to be in place at the start of the course.

Once enrolled, students will have the ability to use Office 365 as part of our institutional licence, and access software required for their modules/courses via AppsAnywhere.

In addition, we offer Office for Mac via Ofice365, but only the following applications are available for Mac: Teams, Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook, OneNote. Web-based Office applications are available on Mac. Full details are available here.

There is a provision for students who may struggle to meet the hardware requirements to contact our IT Hardship team.

You will have become used to online delivery of lectures, workshops and small groups in your first year.

For year 2 some of the online activities you experienced in year 1 will continue, but you will come on to the campus for small groups, practicals and clinical skills sessions. These will be organised with appropriate social distancing and hand-washing measures.

In the semester 4 you will do a research project for six weeks, followed by industrial experience. Covid-19 considerations are built into these activities.

For year 3 some of the online activities you experienced in year 2 will continue, but you will come onto the campus for small groups, practicals and some workshops. These will be organised with appropriate social distancing and hand-washing measures and with Covid-19 considerations built into these activities.

Incoming students (starting September 2021)

We are expecting to deliver the course within the planned timescales, and for students to progress and graduate without delay.

Although some assessments are designed to be taken on site, we have developed an alternative strategy allowing assessments to be completed remotely without coming on to campus.

However, this programme does include practical elements that are delivered in laboratories, clinical cubicles and in our Dissection Room. These will run as planned in 2021/2 with appropriate social distancing measures in place. It may be the case (to be confirmed) Dissecting Room sessions will be on-line and/or simulated.

There is a possibility that government advice on social distancing may change. If that is the case, we will endeavour to delay practical components of the programme to a subsequent semester (or year) to protect the safety of our students.

Current students

We are planning to deliver the course within the planned timescales, and for students to progress and graduate without delay.

Although some assessments are designed to be taken on site, we have developed an alternative strategy allowing assessments to be completed remotely without coming on to campus.

However, this programme does include a year 2 research project, which may be delivered in laboratories. This will run as planned in 2021/2 with appropriate social distancing measures in place.

Our capacity to do so may change if government guidelines change. However, we will strive to ensure that alternative arrangements are in place to enable you to complete on schedule, including the use of previously acquired data from supervisors or data banks.

We are currently intending to put all year 2 students into a workplace experience for five weeks in May 2022. This will occur only if the company completes a risk assessment and can assure effective social distancing.

Our ability to obtain placements may be affected by Covid-19 and we have contingency plans involving seminars from different company employees to provide industrial experience.

We do not intend to delay placements if we can avoid it, as this could impact on students’ ability to complete the course and graduate on schedule.

Incoming students (starting September 2021)

We assess the knowledge, skills and attributes of our students in a variety of ways.

One method that was deemed very successful by the previous cohort is a weekly quiz on the past week’s learning material, held in a small group session with your personal tutor and about eight other students. These cover all 6 modules and provide the majority of the in-course assessment.

There will also be other forms of in course assessment that will assess your ability to handle numbers and apply statistical analysis. The course involves a lot of peer review (students rating their colleagues), and this makes your development and progress more manageable.

At the end of the Christmas and Easter terms there is a larger quiz in the same format as the weekly ones. This reinforces your understanding and builds confidence.

All formal written examinations take place in June. At this stage, we expect to deliver these assessments as planned. Although some assessments are designed to be taken on site, St George’s successfully developed an alternative assessment strategy in 2019/20 and 2020/1 to enable students to complete assessments remotely and without coming on to campus.

Regardless of the assessment format, all students will receive considerable practice at exam questions so they feel comfortable undertaking these assignments.

Current students

You will already be used to the weekly quizzes and end of term ‘big quizzes’. These will continue throughout the first semester of year 2.

At the end of the semester, you will sit exam papers either on-site or via online methods. As the exam format will be new to you, you will receive plenty of formative exercises to get familiar with the question type and how to answer exam questions effectively.

In the second semester of year 2, you will do a research project that will be assessed by writing a project outline and a short research paper. Neither will be affected by the adaptions to Covid-19. The final assessment will be an oral PowerPoint presentation. Currently, we expect this to be delivered on site. If there is a further Covid-19 wave and government advice changes, we will use appropriate online methods.

Year 3 students will undertake core courses in semester 5, assessed by a written Research Project and examination. Semester 6 will comprise of optional courses which are assessed by In-course assessment (including quizzes) and examination.

It is the intention that all placements will be facilitated (including lab-based projects).

Contingency arrangements in case of need would include on-line placements and projects.

We do not expect students to incur any extra costs over and above those that we have advertised on the course page. 

As a result of our courses beginning with the majority of teaching online, you will need a personal laptop or computer and access to the internet to participate in online lectures. Information is available on recommended device specification.

If you are worried you might struggle to meet these requirements, please email IThardship@sgul.ac.uk so we can look at support options for you. 

Personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided for you if needed. 

Year 1 will include 2 sets of on-site small group tutorials (‘Hubs’ and Drugs Based Learnings) plus lectures and workshops. Laboratory and clinical practicals will also be held. Approximately 2 days per week will be on site, Monday and Friday, subject to confirmation.

Year 2, semester 3 will continue to include weekly (or fortnightly) small group tutorials plus lectures and workshops. Laboratory and clinical practicals will also be held. Approximately 2 days per week will be on site, Tuesday and Friday, subject to confirmation. Semester 4 will comprise a practical research project and a work placement block.

Year 3, semester 5 will continue to include fortnightly small group tutorials and regular quizzes. There will also be a written research project. Semester 6 will comprise of optional modules. Approximately two-three days per week will be on-site.

Course timetables are normally available a month before the start of the semester. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week (Monday–Friday). Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities.  

Academic terms dates can be found on this page.

At enrolment or re-enrolment you consented to the changes we anticipated as a result of the pandemic, which were outlined on the ‘Covid-19 updates’ tab of your course page. 

The changes that we are making are the consequence of current public health advice and our need to anticipate changes to that advice. Our capacity to offer alternatives is therefore limited. We do not feel that the changes will adversely affect students.  

If you wish to avoid these changes (e.g. by taking a year out from your studies) please discuss this directly with your course team in the first instance.

We remain, as always, focused on the best experience and outcomes for our students.  

If you have concerns about the quality of course delivery, please raise these with your course team in the first instance. 

If you wish to take a more formal route, guidance is available to you in our student concerns and complaints procedure.