Pharmacology

Major

In response to COVID-19, the University of Sydney has reviewed the availability of courses to be delivered remotely for students commencing their studies in Semester 1, 2021.

This course component will be available to study remotely for students commencing in Semester 1, 2021. Please note that some units of study that are not essential to completing the course component may not be available to be studied remotely.

Note: The University intends to offer as many units of study as possible in a remote as well as face-to-face learning method of delivery in Semester 1, 2021 and subject to ongoing border closures and public health orders impacting attendance on campus, in Semester 2, 2021. However, some units of study and courses require students to study in-person at the relevant University of Sydney campus/es and host locations for placements and will not be available remotely.

About this major

Pharmacology is concerned with the study of drugs and the key role they play in the treatment of most human diseases. Increasingly, doctors rely on drugs not only to cure disease, for example antibiotics and infections, but also in the prevention of diseases, such as lipid lowering drugs and heart disease. A major in pharmacology will give you a thorough knowledge of the discovery, development and testing of drugs, and its importance to the future of medical research and practice. In this major you will learn about the mechanisms of drug action, drug absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination, drug activity and chemical structure, the effect of drugs on body systems, the toxic effects of drugs and more.

Graduate opportunities

With a major in pharmacology, you could pursue a career as a pharmacologist who discovers, designs and tests drugs. Some pharmacologists extract new drugs from plants and other living sources, some design and synthesise new chemicals for use as drugs. You can find pharmacology roles in many different organisations: basic pharmacology research occurs in both universities and in pharmaceutical companies. Pharmacologists play key roles in both the conduct an analysis of these trials and in reviewing them for government before a drug is allowed on to the market. A special group of pharmacologists - toxicologists - play a particularly important role in the evaluation of the safety of drugs and other chemicals which may affect humans.

Career pathways

The course information on this website applies only to future students. Current students should refer to faculty handbooks for current or past course information.

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