For information on pharmacology courses offered by the department, both as elective courses and within the BSc Pharmacology specialization, please see the PCTH course listing page in the UBC Calendar.
Information about the BSc Pharmacology Degree
The Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics has been offering BSc degrees in Major and Honours Pharmacology for almost four decades. Students are accepted into the Major and Honours specializations at the end of year 1 through the Faculty of Science Specialization Application process.
Following acceptance into the program, your introductory exposure to the discipline will be through PCTH 201 (Drugs and Society); beyond that, your second year of study will be primarily extra-departmental pre-requisite courses, helping build your background knowledge for the pharmacology courses you will see in your third and fourth years of study. In these courses, our program emphasizes the fundamental principles of drug action in the body, the application of these compounds in therapeutic situations, and the mechanisms by which they act. You will also have practical exposure to the experimental and laboratory aspects of pharmacology, learning whole-animal and isolated-tissue techniques, as well as biochemical and chemical procedures, that will be relevant in both pre-clinical and clinical research environments upon graduation. Additional 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, objective and critical data analysis, and effective written and oral communication
Students in both the Major and Honours Pharmacology specializations can optionally choose to enrol in the co-op work experience program where they spend 12-16 months in academic or industrial laboratories between their third and fourth years of study. Application to enter co-op must be done prior to Oct 1 of year 3 in the program.
The pharmacology program is highly competitive, with a limited number of students admitted during the Specialization Process. To maximize your chances of acceptance into the Pharmacology Specialization, you will need to have completed all prerequisites and it is likely that you will require a minimum average of 75% in Year 1; in recent years, the academic average for admitted students has exceeded 85%. Progression from Year 2 to Year 3 requires successful completion of all pre-requisite courses as outlined in the UBC Calendar link above. It is mandatory that all students granted Year 2 specialization in PCTH schedule a short interview with the departmental advisor to discuss their progress and receive further information about the program, no later than the first term of your 2nd year of study; see the form below for further information.
Standard Application Form (PDF)
Specialization Change Requests
Applicants wishing to transfer into PCTH are assessed on their grades in Years 1 and 2, and may be interviewed by the Pharmacology Undergraduate Advisor. Preference is given to students who have completed all prerequisite courses with at least 60 credits in their combined Year 1 and 2 winter sessions.
You will need to contact the Departmental Undergraduate & Graduate Secretary (anae-pcth.ugmscphd@ubc.ca), who will provide you with an application form to submit no later than March 31st of Year 2. Upon completion of the form, the Departmental Secretary will make arrangement for you to see the Undergraduate Advisor.
Please note that we have limited seats in our program at each year level, and transfer into our program is contingent on availability in addition to these baseline requirements. You will be notified upon successful admission to the BSc in Pharmacology.
Still have questions? Please contact our Pharmacology Undergraduate and Graduate Secretary (Email: anae-pcth.ugmscphd@ubc.ca).