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Oxford University

Department of 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. 

Student looking through a microscope in a Medical Sciences Division laboratory

Student looking through a microscope in a Medical Sciences Division laboratory. Credit: Oxford University Images / Ian Wallman

Overview

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.

Courses offered

Medical Sciences Division

The Medical Sciences Division houses some of the strongest biomedical research in the world; Oxford is repeatedly placed first in clinical, pre-clinical and health in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

The Medical Sciences Division at Oxford is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for biomedical and clinical research and teaching, made up of 16 departments.

The Medical Sciences Division's departments and institutes in Oxford and overseas are home to some of the strongest biomedical research in the world, regularly appearing at the highest levels in world rankings and rated world-leading and internationally excellent.

The division’s 2,000 researchers cover a wide range of research, from atomic-resolution molecular structural biology to epidemiology as applied to very large populations. This enables students to work on virtually any biomedical problem.

The division provides a stimulating and challenging environment for more than 2,000 talented graduate students with excellent new facilities and close personal supervision by world-class researchers. To complement research supervision and course teaching there is a wide range of facilities aimed at the personal and professional development of students, strengthening their existing skills and developing new skills.

All candidates who apply by the December or January deadline shown on the course page are automatically considered for full funding awards, irrespective of their nationality. The majority of students accepted by the Medical Sciences Division secure full funding, covering both fees and living expenses.

Further information