Note: 91社区鈥檚 new Course Catalogue will replace the eCalendar. The Course Catalogue is expected to go live the week of April 22nd. When the new site is published, "mcgill.ca/study" will be redirected to the new Course Catalogue website.
Course information on this site is not reflective of offerings for the 2025鈥�2026 academic year. Some irregularities may occur as we move operations to the incoming Course Catalogue.
Pharmacology is the science that deals with all aspects of drugs and their interactions with living organisms. Thus, it involves the physical and chemical properties of drugs, their biochemical and physiological effects, mechanisms of action, pharmacokinetics, and therapeutic and other uses. Since the word 鈥渄rug鈥� encompasses all chemical substances that produce an effect on living cells, pharmacology is evidently a very extensive subject.
Pharmacology is a multidisciplinary science. It has developed its own set of principles and methods to study the mode of the action of drugs, but it has also utilized many techniques and approaches from various disciplines including biochemistry, physiology, anatomy, and molecular biology, as well as others. Pharmacology encompasses a number of different areas such as:
Training in pharmacology is conducted at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Because of its breadth, students may be attracted to the subject from a variety of viewpoints; this includes those completing a bachelor's degree in any number of basic science disciplines, such as biology, zoology, chemistry, physics, biochemistry, microbiology, anatomy, and physiology. At the undergraduate level, seven lecture courses are offered. A course involving research projects in pharmacology is also available to provide students with the opportunity to get first-hand experience in a pharmacology research laboratory. These courses provide students with knowledge concerning the actions of drugs on living systems and insight into approaches to basic pharmacological research.
The Minor Pharmacology is intended for students registered in a complementary B.Sc. program who are interested in a focused introduction to specialized topics in pharmacology to prepare them for professional schools, graduate education, or entry into jobs in industry or research institutes.
For more information, see Minor Pharmacology (24 credits).
This program incorporates extensive studies in Pharmacology with a strong component of related biomedical sciences, providing a solid preparation for employment opportunities or for entry into graduate or professional training programs. Students must consult the Student Affairs Coordinator upon entering the program and every year thereafter to verify courses and...
For more information, see Major Pharmacology (67 credits).
The Honours program is designed as a preparation for graduate studies and research. In addition to the strong training provided by the Major program, it requires students to have direct research experience in a chosen area during their final year of study. Acceptance into the Honours program takes place in the Winter term of U2 and requires a CGPA of 3.50. Students...
For more information, see Honours Pharmacology (76 credits).
