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What is Pharmacology?

Pharmacology is a branch of medicine focused on the study of drug action in a living system.  In the case of pharmacology, a drug is defined to encompass man-made, endogenous, or natural molecules enacting a physiological or biochemical effect on a living system.

The field of pharmacology includes a broad array of disciplines that include drug synthesis, drug design, drug composition, cellular mechanisms, organ systems, molecular mechanisms, cellular communication, interactions, toxicology, therapy, chemical biology, molecular diagnostics, and a variety of medical applications.

In addition, there are a number of specialties one can choose to pursue within pharmacology that include: intercellular metabolism, neuropharmacology, renal pharmacology, intercellular regulation, and human metabolism.

Career Summary

MEDIAN SALARY

$120,270

PERCENT ABOVE NATIONAL
INCOME AVERAGE

69.18%

TOTAL SECTOR EMPLOYMENT

305,510

Degree Median Salary vs Adjacent Degree Types

Source: BLS, US Census, and IPEDS

2024 Best Pharmacology Degree

The top ranked Department of Pharmacology at Yale University provides integrated and interdisciplinary opportunities for graduate study under the Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences. That is why, receiving training in the Department of Pharmacology is initiated by acceptance into the BBS program. This Department had two consecutive rankings, the most recent was in 2010, they were recognized as the top Pharmacology Department in the country by the National Research Council. This happened with the help of their outstanding faculty, research activities, funding and remarkable continuing successes in pre- and postdoctoral training. 

Acceptance Rate

6.08

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

The Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Therapeudics at Columbia University in the City of New York is offering a Graduate Program. This program is designed to provide rigorous training in critical thinking and at the same time give the students a broad base of possible research areas. This program will present to students a unique opportunity to obtain individualized training in all aspects of biomedical sciences. Their goal is to train and support students who investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms which underlie human diseases so that they will be able to successfully identify therapeutic targets and develop new drugs that will improve human health. 

Acceptance Rate

5.45

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

University of Pennsylvania is currently offering a PhD degree in Pharmacology. This program will teach an extremely large field of modern science. It is also intertwined with many other biomedical disciplines such as cell signaling, pharmacogenetics, environmental health sciences, cancer and cardiovascular pharmacology, neuropharmacology and pharmacological chemistry. Pharmacology students will rotate in labs as they do very different types of research, enriching their background and allow unrushed, instructed selection of direction of their thesis project. 

Acceptance Rate

7.66

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

Dartmouth College is offering degrees in Pharmacology and Toxicology.  One example is the course in Neuropharmacology which provides didactic lectures and small group journal club sessions. This focuses on pharmacological mechanisms of drugs which affect the nervous system with teaching expertise from Psychiatry, Pharmacology, Neurology and Anesthesiology. The other courses that are available are Graduate Toxicology, Ethical Conduct of Research, Cancer Biology, Molecular Pharmacology, Current Approaches in Experimental Therapeutics and Medical Pharmacology. 

Acceptance Rate

7.93

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

Duke University’s Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology consistently ranked for having one of the top graduate programs in the nation. This department has 21 primary faculty and 32 secondary faculty who have primary appointments in departments like molecular genetic and microbiology. The focus of the PhD degree program in Pharmacology at Duke, is to prepare qualified individuals for a career in independent research. It conducts rotational research so that each student will gain experience in a range of experimental systems. 

Acceptance Rate

7.6

Student to Faculty Ratio

6:1

The Weill Cornell Pharmacology degree program at Cornell University conducts research activities that are facilitated by the faculty covering broad areas of modern pharmacological sciences. They carry out research in neuropharmacology, drug metabolism, proteomics, receptors and signal transduction, cancer pharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology, toxicology, and molecular pharmacology receptors. The major objective of the Pharmacology Program faculty is to provide research training that is thorough, exciting, intense and is useful for future careers for PhD students. One of the strengths of this program is that many of its faculty members have clinical responsibilities or have close association to clinical faculty.

Acceptance Rate

10.85

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

Master’s in Pharmacology is currently available at Georgetown University. It is a one-year, non-thesis degree program which offers a foundation of rigorous coursework. It also gives the option to do research or structure the curriculum with a selection of elective courses from across biomedical departments. The core courses are taught by a team of departmental researchers and faculty and many of which are also teachers in the medical school. They maintain a small class size of 15-20 students to ensure individualized attention. 

Acceptance Rate

14.36

Student to Faculty Ratio

11:1

Vanderbilt University offers a PhD Training Program which is the unique feature of their Department of Pharmacology. Almost 60 scientists in this training are addressing vital issues in fields such as cardiovascular development, neuroscience, receptors signaling and drug metabolism. Their scientists are linked by a common interest in and understanding of the basic principles of drug action and design and this perspective makes their trainees ideally suited for a wide range of careers. This program is committed to develop leaders in academia, industry and regulatory affairs. 

Acceptance Rate

9.12

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

The Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences degree at Johns Hopkins University has a distinguished history and track record for training outstanding, excellent students. The faculty in this Department are engaged in cutting-edge research spanning wide areas such as immunology, biology, virology and neuroscience. This requires two research rotations to current students but three are recommended. The curriculum is tailored to strengthen the student’s ability to critically analyze scientific literature while refining skills in experimental design. 

Acceptance Rate

11.17

Student to Faculty Ratio

7:1

The PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Virginia is structured to provide students with training in the Pharmacological Sciences. This is to support their aim in preparing students for a career in modern biomedical research. Students in this program are trained to shape the future with the help of laboratory research paired with didactic coursework that this program provides. All of their efforts result in leaving a mark on the world as they pioneer in the development of exciting and powerful new treatments, therapies and cures as they expand their knowledge in human disease. 

Acceptance Rate

23.94

Student to Faculty Ratio

15:1

The Department of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor is teaching about one of the most exciting areas of biomedical research. In pharmacology, students will experience real impact on human health as they work in the lab. It is a multidisciplinary program that bring together the ideas from biochemistry, integrative biology, chemistry and cell biology in order to create a comprehensive framework both used for understanding and treating disease. This department has assembled a diverse group of outstanding scientists that work together to advance the forefront of new knowledge that can develop novel therapeutic approaches for treatment of disease. 

Acceptance Rate

22.91

Student to Faculty Ratio

11:1

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Northeastern University is offering a program for Master of Science in Pharmacology. This program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive knowledge of theoretical and applied aspects of pharmacology at all levels of biological organizations, starting from the molecular to the living organism. This program also provides seminars, off-campus internship experiences, coursework and conferences. Through the help of these provisions, students are able to gain exposure to classical as well as recent approaches that have led to the development of current theories of drug action and principles which support drug discovery. Additionally, they also offer a PhD program in Pharmacology, which is tailored to enable students to specialize in the study of the actions of drugs and their effects in living systems.

Acceptance Rate

18.05

Student to Faculty Ratio

14:1

The Department of Pharmacology at Tulane University of Louisiana is dedicated to educating and training medical and graduate students in the principles of pharmacology with the help of modern techniques. They also conduct state-of-the-art research in pharmacology-related fields in an aim to expand the frontiers of science and medicine. They offer a Master’s degree in Pharmacology that is best suited for those interested in improving their credentials to obtain admission to a medical or dental school. Additionally, as one of the top medical schools in the south, Tulane proudly offers a PhD program in Pharmacology which is dedicated to the concept of instilling a breadth of training during the first 2 years or graduate education that is immediately followed by an in-depth training in the student’s area of dissertation research. 

Acceptance Rate

12.87

Student to Faculty Ratio

8:1

University of North Carolina at Chapel’s Graduate degree for Pharmacology is committed to training outstanding scientists in the pharmacological sciences. The training faculty in this outstanding program are fully participating at all levels. Their Department in Pharmacology ranked consistently in the highest levels of NIH funding for pharmacology departments in the country. It was also recognized for its great diversity of research areas made available to trainees. 

Acceptance Rate

22.63

Student to Faculty Ratio

13:1

Boston University is currently offering a PhD degree in Pharmacology that is positioned at the point of convergence of biochemistry, behavioral science, physiology, organic chemistry and medicine. The PhD program in Pharmacology of this century is designed to bring together an even wider range of disciplines, it will combine traditional aspects of pharmacology with novel approaches that are related to other disciplines such as biomedical engineering, molecular genetics, and biophysics. The kind of training that this program will provide is based on a training partnership among faculty in the Departments of Anatomy and Neurology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Molecular Medicine, Pharmacology, Biology, Physiology and Biophysics, and Biomedical Engineering. The curriculum is constructed with interdisciplinary predoctoral training in molecular pharmacology. 

Acceptance Rate

18.94

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

New York University is offering a Molecular Pharmacology PhD training program.  This program gives emphasis to five major areas: structural biology, receptor pharmacology and therapeutics, neurodegenerative disorders, cancer signaling pathways and targets, bioinformatics and drug design, and development of therapeutic agents. Students in this program will receive the opportunity to gain research experience in a variety of areas including in model organism systems, RNA interference technology and transcriptional regulation. More than 40 faculty members in this Department are experienced in training students in their PhD and MD/PhD programs. 

Acceptance Rate

16.2

Student to Faculty Ratio

9:1

The Integrative Physiology & Pharmacology program at Wake Forest University excels at training students in a broad range of research techniques, beginning from molecular to human studies while making sure to provide a solid foundation in the fundamentals of physiology and pharmacology. Their students are privileged to undertake innovative research projects in a highly collegial and collaborative environment which features state-of-the-art equipment and resources. They have customized a curriculum that facilitates a specialized training to achieve individual career goals. This curriculum also includes training in presenting research results both orally and in writing. 

Acceptance Rate

29.6

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

University of California – Irvine is currently offering an online MS degree in Pharmacology. This program is designed to meet both the needs of working professionals and non-traditional students by giving them educational access and flexibility in an online format. This is perfectly suited to meet the gals of individuals that are looking for leadership positions within their organizations in a variety of fields. The curriculum in this program gives emphasis not only to theoretical and practical applications but also to an interdisciplinary approach. 

Acceptance Rate

26.54

Student to Faculty Ratio

18:1

The overall objective of the MS degree in Medical Pharmacology at the University of Rochester is to help talented college graduates develop more competitive and stronger academic portfolios for entry into professional programs in dentistry, pharmacy, medicine or PhD programs in the biomedical and health sciences. The program can be completed in two semesters, culminating in an MS degree in Medical Pharmacology. The core courses will be taught by the same faculty who teach 1st year medical students. This program also features a wide variety of elective courses available to tailor student’s programs. 

Acceptance Rate

29.71

Student to Faculty Ratio

10:1

The School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University established a Department of Pharmacology. It offers a broad range of educational opportunities that ranges from undergraduate research to classes that leads toward a MD and PhD. The objective of Pharmacology training programs is to train and prepare the next generation of scientists to become leaders in their chosen field through individualized training which focuses on critical thinking, creativity, professionalism, pharmacology, communication and teamwork. Their research gives stress to key aspects of pharmacology including the identification of development of new therapeutics, novel targets and discerning the mechanisms of action of manmade and naturally occurring exogenous or endogenous molecules within the body. 

Acceptance Rate

27.36

Student to Faculty Ratio

11:1

University of Miami is offering a PhD degree in Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology. This program will teach how to apply knowledge and techniques from diverse areas of biology, physics, chemistry and informatics to study the action of drugs in fundamental processes in living systems. The objective of the research in the graduate program is to identify new targets and pathways for development of therapeutics. It also aims to develop and study agents that can be beneficial in the treatment of disease. 

Acceptance Rate

27.13

Student to Faculty Ratio

12:1

BS Degree in Pharmacology is currently available at the University of California – Santa Barbara. Majors are centered around the Pharmacology lecture series, Pharmacology labs and Pharmacology Colloquium. The Colloquia is composed of a series of seminars delivered by distinguished visiting pharmacologists from academia as well as pharmaceutical industry. It aims to familiarize students with the current “state of the art” of pharmacology. 

Acceptance Rate

29.56

Student to Faculty Ratio

22:1

Ohio State University offers a program in Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology with a mission of discovering and developing drug therapies for the treatment of human disease. In this mission, they intertwined the training of the next generation of pharmaceutical scientists at the BS, PharmD, and PhD levels. The Researchers in the Division of Pharmaceutics and Pharmacology are all leaders in the use of state-of-the-art technologies to conduct research centered around four major themes, namely, cancer therapeutics, cell protective therapies, drug delivery systems, and drug toxicity. The quality of the education they serve was verified when Ohio State University ranked among the Best 10 Pharmacy Schools according to US News & World Report.  

Acceptance Rate

53.74

Student to Faculty Ratio

19:1

The Pharmacology Department at the University of Washington – Seattle Campus consistently ranked among the best in the nation and worldwide. Through innovative and out-of-the-box thinking, breakthroughs in Pharmacology major happened. In this major, people with varying views exchange ideas, giving birth to a proving ground for important discoveries. The objective of this program is to provide powerful solutions to difficult problems.

Acceptance Rate

51.76

Student to Faculty Ratio

19:1

Rutgers University – New Brunswick has established a program in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Faculty in this Department conducts internationally recognized research in areas such as renal toxicology, nitric oxide biochemistry, drug transport and heavy metal toxicology. They provide active and federally funded research programs and are known to collaborate with colleagues across Rutgers and around the world. This department is devoted to educating the pharmacists and scientists of tomorrow. 

Acceptance Rate

61.22

Student to Faculty Ratio

16:1

Top Pharmacology Degrees

Earning a degree in pharmacology will require students to take a large percentage of classes in science-based courses.  Rich science programs will help build a requisite foundation for students seeking to extend the field of study with research or pursue careers in a pharmacological sector.

The most common degrees you will find include a bachelor’s degree and graduate degrees in this field of study.  To help you determine which path is right for you, we have created a summary of each degree program along with means to connect to the best school for you below.

Pharmacology Bachelor Degrees

A bachelor degree in pharmacology is a four to five-year program that is conferred as a Bachelor of Science (BS).  Part-time students can expect the program to take longer as a function of school requirements and overall course load.  Most accredited colleges and universities require students to take a mix of general education and core classes.  By blending both sets of courses, students will begin to develop a set of integrative thinking skills.  General education courses will typically include communications, philosophy, human psychology, sociology, creative writing, and economics.

Classes found in the core of a Bachelor of Science program will include a combination of the following types of courses: chemistry, biology, mathematics, statistics, biochemistry, cellular biology, biochemical pharmacology, molecular biology, physiology, neurobiology, and genetics.  Basic objectives for students in this program include an understanding of:

  • Basic Biological Concepts: Evolutionary theory, organisms and their environment, cell theory, principles of inheritance, living systems energy flow, biomolecules, and organ systems
  • Foundational Physics: Using physics as a foundation for analyzing biochemical reactions and specific instrumentation used to measure those reactions
  • Chemistry: Leveraging both organic and inorganic chemistry to better understand chemical bonds associated with drug-receptors and their associative interactions
  • Diseases: The molecular and genetical correlations in diseases and their associated paths of treatment
  • Physiology & Biochemistry: These sciences coalesce to create a substrate for understanding human diseases and the way drugs are metabolized into the human body
  • Cells: Understanding the roles of cellular signals, receptors, channels, and transporters to optimize drugs to target diseases
  • Viruses: Learning the roles of viruses and bacteria to assess human diseases and therapies
  • Drugs: Studying the role of synthetic & natural drugs and treatment of chronic diseases
  • Innovation & Testing: Investing time developing new or variant drugs to be tested in a clinical setting, process of obtaining FDA approval, and bringing the drug to market

Students graduating from a bachelor’s degree program will be equipped to continue their studies in a graduate-level program or launch a career in the field.

Pharmacology Master Degrees

Qualifying students in a pharmacology program must meet all lower-level requirements and associated academic targets as established by the school.  Master degree programs are conferred as a Master of Science (MS).

Degree programs may include a thesis track or non-thesis track.  By declaring your preferred path in advance, your academic advisor will be able to set forth a set of classes towards degree completion.  Typically, non-thesis programs are offset by additional coursework in an approved area of study.

Many graduate programs provide students a very similar set of coursework from school to school.  Students can expect to take the following pharmacology (pharm) classes:

  • Advances in Pharm
  • Medical Pharm
  • Endocrine Pharm
  • Advanced Cardiobiology
  • Environmental Signaling in Medicine
  • Pharm Research
  • Pharm Labs
  • Thesis Research in Pharm

The master’s degree program will typically culminate with the completion and presentation of an approved thesis project.  Thesis projects may be rooted in library research and/or laboratory research depending on your preference and that of the university.

Pharmacology PhD Degrees

Doctoral degrees in pharmacology requires students to take multidisciplinary courses on a path towards earning their PhD.  Core curriculum will be coupled with labs, lectures, and electives during the course of study.

Students may choose to focus on a specific area of study in pharmacology or take a series of unassociated upper-level classes.  Areas of specialty in the field include the following disciplines: cancer, viral, endocrine, cardiovascular, gene therapy, neuropharmacology, and environmental.  In the end, students will be highly trained to perform post-doctoral studies in a pharmacology department or launch a career in industrial pharmacology after graduation.

Employment in Pharmacology

Students earning a degree in clinical pharmacology can expect to find employment in a variety of organizations. Entities can range from small private R&D firms to large multi-national organizations. In the end, clinical pharmacologists will work to research and investigate ways to better improve human health and understand diseases.

Careers outside the immediate scope of a clinical pharmacologist can include several fascinating fields. Examples can include a college professors, gene therapy, research analysis, immunology, virology, toxicology, medical science, biomedical lab director, research science, epidemiology, and medical pathology.

Pharmacology Jobs & Career Outlook

Career outlook in pharmacology is tracking more than twice the national average.  With a growth of 13% in the next decade, an additional 12,100 jobs are expected to be created in this field alone.  Similarly, job growth for pharmacists and biomedical engineers are projected at 7% and 23% respectively.

The annual income for pharmacologists is $82,070 a year.  A range of $57,820 to $117,470 represents the top 25% and bottom twenty-five percent of professionals in this field.  Top employers of pharmacologists are R&D firms, universities, hospitals, and pharmaceutical firms.  States employing the most professionals in this trade are California, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington.

Additional Resources in Pharmacology

Two of the most reputable associations in pharmacology include the American Society of Pharmacology and Experiential Therapeutics (ASPET) and American Pharmacists Association (APA).  Both provide news, resources, insights, and professional insights for students looking to take their career to the next level.

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