Pharmacology at UBC's Vancouver campus | Undergraduate Programs and Admissions

This program emphasizes the experimental and laboratory aspects of pharmacology. You'll learn both the whole-animal and isolated-tissue techniques, as well as biochemical and chemical procedures. Skills that are stressed include the ability to search for information, design appropriate experiments, carry out experiments individually and as a member of a team, analyze data, and communicate and write effectively.

Why this program?

Enjoy small classes in upper years with individual attention from professors.
Study in a rigorous honours specialization that prepares you for graduate studies in health sciences or for medical, dental, pharmacy, drug regulation, or veterinary medicine.
Learn in lectures and labs instructed by world-renowned researchers and medical specialists in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics.

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Program information

Campus: Vancouver
Faculty: Faculty of Science
Degree: Bachelor of Science

Length 4 yrs
Co-op Yes
You can combine your studies with full-time, paid work at top local and international organizations.
Honours Yes
You can study intense specialization in a single field.

Pharmacology is the science of drug action on biological systems. It deals with the sources, chemical properties, biological effects, mechanisms of action, therapeutic uses, and adverse effects of drugs. It is a science that is basic not only to medicine, but also to pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, midwifery, and veterinary medicine. Pharmacologists’ work ranges from exploring the potential hazards of pesticides and herbicides, to developing treatment and prevention of major diseases by drug therapy.

Pharmacology is available as a major or honours degree. Entry into the specialization is extremely selective, with only about 24 students accepted each year. Students apply for admission into the program at the end of their second year. Pharmacology is different from Pharmaceutical Sciences, which is a professional program for those wanting to be pharmacists.

Campus features

Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre includes UBC Hospital site on the UBC Vancouver campus.

Experiential learning and research

The program emphasizes the experimental and laboratory aspects of pharmacology – you’ll learn both whole animal and isolated tissue techniques, as well as biochemical and chemical procedures. You’ll build skills research, designing appropriate experiments, carrying out experiments individually and as a member of a team, analyzing data, and communicating and writing effectively.

BIOL 112 - Biology of the Cell
The principles of cellular and molecular biology using bacterial and eukaryotic examples.
CHEM 121 - Structure and Bonding in Chemistry
Fundamentals of bonding theories and structural chemistry, with applications relevant to modern society.
CHEM 123 - Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Organic Chemistry
Fundamentals of chemical reactivity: thermodynamics; kinetics; organic chemistry, including stereochemistry; applications relevant to modern society.
MATH 101 - Integral Calculus with Applications to Physical Sciences and Engineering
The definite integral, integration techniques, applications, modeling, infinite series.
PHYS 101 - Energy and Waves
Fluids, harmonic oscillator, travelling waves, standing waves, sound, and interference of light waves, including diffraction.

BIOL 200 - Fundamentals of Cell Biology
Structure and function of plant and animal cells; membrane models, cytoplasmic organelles, biological information from gene to protein, the endomembrane system, secretion, intracellular digestion, endocytosis, transport processes, cytoskeleton and cell motility.
BIOL 201 - Introduction to Biochemistry
Biological molecules, protein structure and enzyme action, energy transfer, central metabolic pathways and their regulation. Examples drawn from plants, animals and microorganisms. (Consult the Credit Exclusion list within the Faculty of Science section of the Calendar.)
CHEM 205 - Physical Chemistry
Chemical kinetics and thermodynamics and spectroscopy useful in biological, medical, agricultural, earth, and related sciences.
CHEM 233 - Organic Chemistry for the Biological Sciences
Reactions and properties of carbonyl compounds, carbohydrates, amino acids, nucleic acids.
MICB 202 - Introductory Medical Microbiology and Immunology
Introduction to cellular and humoral immune responses, the properties of viruses and the principles of bacterial pathogenesis. (Consult the Credit Exclusion list within the Faculty of Science section of the Calendar.)

PHAR 330 - Pharmacogenomics: Genetics and Drug Action
Application of genetic information to drug therapy.
BIOC 301 - Biochemistry Laboratory
Techniques by which the chemical and physical properties of fundamental components of the cell are studied.
BIOC 302 - General Biochemistry
Metabolic reactions of lipids, steroids, amino acids and nucleotides; the biochemistry of replication, transcription and translation.
PCTH 300 - Introduction to Pharmacology
The concepts, language and techniques of scientific pharmacology. Intended primarily for Honours and Major students in Pharmacology.
PCTH 302 - Introductory Pharmacology Laboratory
A series of experimental demonstrations and individual laboratory experiments illustrating the basic principles of pharmacology.

PHAR 414 - c Directed Studies in Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics
Individual assignments involving library and laboratory investigation of problems involved in the development of pharmaceutical dosage forms.
PCTH 400 - Systematic Pharmacology
Lectures and discussions in scientific pharmacology. All aspects of the study of drugs will be covered, but the course will concentrate on the scientific aspects of the pharmacology of neurohumoral transmission, mathematics of pharmacology, cardiovascular and clinical pharmacology, and to a lesser extent on the pharmacology of various organs and tissues.
PCTH 404 - Drug Assay and Pharmacometrics
The techniques, including methods of statistical analysis, used to detect and measure the actions of endogenous or exogenous chemicals, using chemical assays and bioassays as appropriate. Enrolment limited to students in Pharmacology and others with permission of the department head.
PCTH 402 - Systematic Pharmacology Laboratory
A series of demonstrated, group, and individual laboratory experiments designed to illustrate the concepts and hypotheses of pharmacology. The course is restricted to Honours students in Pharmacology, but may be taken by others with permission of the department head.

Your future

Graduates of the Pharmacology program almost always enter graduate programs in biological or health sciences.

The rigorous, cross-disciplinary nature of the specialization makes it an ideal pathway for entry into professional schools such as medicine, pharmacy, or dental.

Program graduates

Resident physician in Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario
Pharmacist, Wellness Pharmacy
Medical student, University of British Columbia
PhD candidate in Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia
Dentist, Smiles Unlimited Dental Centre
Research assistant, Eye Care Centre – Vancouver General Hospital

Program requirements

Canadian high schools
International high schools
International baccalaureate

English-language requirements

English is the language of instruction at UBC. All prospective students must demonstrate English-language competency prior to admission. There are numerous ways to meet the English Language Admission Standard.

General admission requirements

IB Diploma Programme

Completed IB Diploma, including at least three Higher Level courses.

IB Certificate Courses

IB Certificate courses (Standard and Higher Level) may be used in an admissions average if you are graduating from a recognized high school curriculum that can be used as your basis of admission.
IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, do not satisfy the math requirement for admission to UBC’s science-based programs, the Faculty of Management, the UBC Sauder School of Business, or the Vancouver School of Economics.

Degree-specific requirements: Science

IB Math Analysis and Approaches SL or HL, or IB Math Applications and Interpretations HL (IB Math Applications and Interpretations SL, or IB Math Studies, are not acceptable)
One of IB Biology, IB Chemistry, or IB Physics
Grade 11 or equivalent Chemistry, and
Grade 11 or equivalent Physics (may be waived with grades of 5 in IB Chemistry and in your IB Mathematics course)

Note: Grade 11 Chemistry and Physics requirements listed are only relevant to students who are not completing the equivalent IB Diploma Chemistry and/or Physics courses.

For students studying outside of Canada, some examples of courses that may be accepted as Grade 11 equivalents are junior-level courses for American students, and IGCSE and O Level for those following British-patterned curricula.

Related courses

The following subject categories are particularly relevant for this degree. Consider taking courses in these areas in your junior year and senior year.

Language Arts
Mathematics and Computation
Sciences