University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2020/21 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Life Sciences > School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience > Pharmacology (MSci) > Specification
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Programme code | 7PHPH004U |
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Programme type | Single Honours |
Programme director(s) |
Stuart Mundell
|
Faculty | Faculty of Life Sciences |
School/department | School of Physiology, Pharmacology & Neuroscience |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups | Biomedical science (2023) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
This programme aims to provide students with a broad knowledge of Pharmacology, ranging from the fundamental principles of drug-receptor theory through to the importance and implications of drugs in society. Students will gain an understanding of the processes involved in drug design, from molecule to new therapeutic agents. Students will also learn about the scope of Pharmacology, i.e. how drugs interact with body constituents to produce therapeutic effects and how the effects of drugs on biological systems can be studied and quantified.
To develop skills in the acquisition, interpretation and analysis of scientific data via practical work and an extended research project in a research-led environment.
To develop a wide range of skills applicable throughout their future careers, including written and verbal communication, digital literacy, problem solving and collaborative working.
To prepare students for a career in biomedical research and/or teaching or industry, or for further professional training for a clinical/paraclinical vocation.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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Lectures and seminars Facilitated small group discussion |
Methods of Assessment | |
Written examination – multiple-choice questions, essays and data interpretation Peer marking is used at selected points throughout the programme. Formative assessment is also used throughout the programme, particularly in tutorial work, to provide students with feedback on their progress. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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|
Lectures and seminars Facilitated small group discussion, self-directed literature research |
Methods of Assessment | |
Written examination – multiple-choice questions, essays and data interpretation. Assessment of portfolio of development of ideas, project plan There is a progressive emphasis on assessment methods that test the ability to critically evaluate source materials and to interpret and analyse data, rather than simply recall factual details. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
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|
Lectures and seminars Facilitated small group discussions |
Methods of Assessment | |
Written examination – multiple-choice questions, short notes, essays and data interpretation Assessment of portfolio of development of ideas, project plan, peer assessment of contribution to group work Formative feedback is used throughout the programme. There is a development of assessment of small pieces of work in early years through to extensive project dissertations and portfolios showing the development of ideas in final year. |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
By the end of their studies at level one, students are expected to be able to demonstrate a sound knowledge of the fundamental principles of some of the core aspects of Pharmacology and a level of competence in the relevant skills. It is expected that students should be able to relate this basic knowledge to a more detailed or advanced understanding of the subject later in the programme. They should be able to carry out closely supervised practical work and to interpret and manipulate simple scientific data. They must learn to work more independently than in school, although their work at this level may require substantial direction from members of staff. |
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Level I/5 - Intermediate |
At this level, students are expected to be able to demonstrate that they have expanded the range and depth of their knowledge of Pharmacology in selected areas. They should also have developed a higher and broader level of competence in the relevant skills and practical techniques. They are expected to be developing a capacity for self-directed learning skills, such that they can write essays and reports based on their own searches of information outside of standard textbooks. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
At level three students are expected to expand the breadth and depth of their knowledge of Pharmacology through their study of the core curriculum and through their literary and practical research projects. At this level students are expected to be able to demonstrate their capacity for self-directed study using the skills acquired and developed at levels one and two, applying knowledge gained through formal teaching to new and as yet unexplored systems. They should also be able to keep abreast of new and forthcoming developments in this and related areas of science. They must also be able to statistically analyse and interpret scientific data and apply their understanding to interpret unfamiliar data. Students are expected to confidently and effectively communicate ideas via oral presentations and written reports. |
Level M/7 - Masters |
Students are expected to be able to direct their own work, coming to independent decisions based on their own judgement. They are expected to be able to plan and design original experiments, including appropriate statistical analysis. They need to be able to critically appraise the quality of their own work and that of others. They need to be able to work collaboratively and creatively on long-term projects, setting their own goals and monitoring their own progress. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Workload Statement
Success as an undergraduate student depends on you being able to make the transition to self-motivated, independent learning. The programmes offered in the Faculty are designed to assist you in this development, in many cases by starting with units in which timetabled teaching, such as lectures and practical classes, provides the foundations of knowledge and skills in a subject, moving on to individual research based work. Over time you will be expected to take increasing responsibility for your own learning, guided by the feedback on your work that you will receive from staff. But at the heart of your studies at every level there must be regular and disciplined individual reading, reflection and writing, whether in the library or at home. It is this skill of independent studies, above all others, that will serve you best when you leave the University.
Student workloads in the Faculty of Life Sciences are calculated on the assumption that you will work at least an average of 40 hours per week over the academic year. This workload includes all types of activity related to the delivery and assessment of taught units.
A major component of this workload in the early years of your programme is the time that you spend in class, in contact with the teaching staff, which includes lectures, laboratories, tutorials and practical classes. Outside classes you will need to undertake two types of academic activity. One type is that directed by your unit (such as eBiolabs pre- and post-lab quizzes, practical class reports and project work). The other type requires you to pursue self-motivated independent learning in order to build your knowledge and understanding of the subjects you are studying. Such independent activities include reviewing lecture material, reading textbooks and the scientific literature, and revising for examinations. In later years of your programme, timetabled teaching will make up a smaller proportion of your overall workload and you will spend much of your time pursuing independent study.
Wednesday afternoons are set aside for students to engage in extracurricular activities, such as sporting activities. Note also that formal teaching is undertaken on Wednesday mornings, which in some programmes may preclude absences for travelling to sporting events.
You will be expected to work during most University vacations. All students are expected to use the Christmas and Easter holidays to revise for the examinations held in January and May/June, respectively. Should you be unsuccessful in the examinations, you should expect to set aside sufficient time over the summer vacation firstly to consolidate your understanding and then to revise intensively for the resit examinations held in August/September (resit examinations are not available in the final year of BSc programmes). Certain components of the teaching and assessment are mandatory - for details see individual programme regulations.
The Life Sciences BSc programmes conform to the University modular framework where 10 credits represent about 100 hours of student work. We recognise that many students have to take paid employment to fund their studies. In order to achieve a sensible balance between work and study, you are advised to undertake paid work for no more than 15 hours per week in term-time.
Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment. This is University of Bristol access only.
Professor Stuart Mundell
Programme Director – Pharmacology
School of Physiology and Pharmacology
Medical Sciences Building
University Walk
Bristol
BS8 1TD
S.J.Mundell@bristol.ac.uk
This integrated Masters programme has been designated as type II: Specialised or Advanced Masters in accordance with the QAA Degree Characteristics Statement. Please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes for further information on this type of programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Pharmacology 1A | PHPH10003 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Pharmacology 1B | PHPH10004 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Physiology 1A | PHPH10017 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Plus 60 credit points from: | ||||
Physiology 1B | PHPH10018 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Normal and Tumour Cells | PANM12051 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Disease and Defence | PANM10002 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Introduction to Social and Developmental Psychology | PSYC10012 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Introduction to Cognitive and Biological Psychology | PSYC10013 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Biochemistry: Cellular Composition | BIOC10003 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Biochemistry: Cellular Processes | BIOC10004 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Science of Happiness | PSYC10014 | 20 | Optional | TB-1,TB-2 |
The following options can also be taken subject to timetabling constraints | ||||
Introduction to Neuroscience | PHPH10012 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Functional Neuroanatomy | PHPH10013 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Biological Chemistry 1A: Molecules of Life | BIOC10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Biological Chemistry 1B: Powering Biomolecular Interactions | BIOC10002 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Big Ideas in Science | CHEM10001 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Mathematics 1A20 | MATH11004 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
This integrated Masters programme has been designated as type II: Specialised or Advanced Masters in accordance with the QAA Degree Characteristics Statement. Please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes for further information on this type of programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Pharmacology Research project | PHPH30006 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Receptor signalling and non-drug therapies | PHPH30003 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Concepts and Skills (pharmacology) | PHPH30005 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Select 40 credit points from the two units below: | ||||
Pharmacology of ion channels and synaptic transmission | PHPH30002 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Pharmacology of the Nervous System | PHPH30004 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
One of the units below may also contribute 20 credit points to the 40 credit points but you may only take one of these options and it must be taken in place of either PHPH30002 or PHPH30004. They are available subject to timetabling constraints. | ||||
The Heart in Health & Disease | PHPH30019 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Neurological and Psychiatric disorders | PHPH30013 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Students are required to achieve an overall year average mark of 50 in Year 3 in order to continue on the MSci. Students who do not achieve this will be awarded a BSc degree at the end of Year 3. | ||||
Pharmacology (BSc) | 120 |
This integrated Masters programme has been designated as type II: Specialised or Advanced Masters in accordance with the QAA Degree Characteristics Statement. Please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes for further information on this type of programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
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Ideas and Enterprise | PHPHM0015 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Advanced Creative Communication | PHPHM0014 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Extended Research Project Planning | PHPHM0013 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Extended Research Project | PHPHM0016 | 60 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Pharmacology (MSci) | 120 |
Unit Pass Mark for Undergraduate Programmes:
For details on the weightings for classifying undergraduate degrees, please see the Agreed Weightings, by Faculty, to be applied for the Purposes of Calculating the Final Programme Mark and Degree Classification in Undergraduate Programmes.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
Please refer to the specific progression/award requirements for programmes with a preliminary year of study, the Gateway programmes and International Foundation programmes.
All undergraduate degree programmes allow the opportunity for a student to exit from a programme with a Diploma or Certificate of Higher Education.
Integrated Master's degrees may also allow the opportunity for a student to exit from the programme with an equivalent Bachelor's degree where a student has achieved 360 credit points, of which 90 must be at level 6, and has successfully met any additional criteria as described in the programme specification.
The opportunities for a student to exit from one of the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry with an Award is outlined in the relevant Programme Regulations (which are available as an annex in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes).
An Ordinary degree can be awarded if a student has successfully completed at least 300 credits with a minimum of 60 credits at Level 6.
The pass mark for the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine and Dentistry is 50 out of 100. The classification of a degree in the professional programmes in Veterinary Science, Medicine, and Dentistry is provided in the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
University of Bristol,
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Tyndall Avenue,
Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000