Pharmacology major (MJD-PHARY)

How do medicines produce their beneficial effects on human diseases? How can drugs target particular organs, cells, proteins and genes? This major provides the comprehensive grounding in scientific concepts that you require in order to understand how the body affects the actions, efficacy and safety of drugs, how drugs affect the human body, and how drugs are used to treat human disease. Topics in the units offered include drug–receptor interactions, dose–response relationships, intracellular signalling, drug metabolism and elimination, toxicology, respiratory pharmacology, immunopharmacology, drug discovery and development, as well as the role of genetics in dictating individual responses to drugs. Theoretical content is reinforced by practical laboratory sessions and computer-based workshops.

Outcomes

Students are able to (1) discuss the role of pharmacology in improving health outcomes and addressing current and future health challenges; (2) discuss the processes that regulate the fate of drugs in the body; (3) discuss drug action at molecular, cellular, tissue and whole-body levels, discriminating between various mechanisms of action of drugs; (4) relate therapeutic effects and unwanted adverse effects to drug action, recognising the significance of genetic polymorphism in drug response; (5) discuss the development and contribution of advanced technologies to drug design and discovery; (6) investigate a problem related to pharmacology through hypothesis formulation, experimental design, and data collection, analysis and interpretation; (7) perform laboratory experiments relevant to assessing the action of drugs and their impact on pathophysiological processes; (8) select, critically appraise, and communicate scientific information on a topic related to pharmacology; (9) work constructively in a team; and (10) discuss ethical approaches to responsible conduct in learning and research.

Broadening guidelines

All students studying towards a Bachelor's Degree at UWA are required to Broaden their studies by completing a minimum of four units (24 points) of study outside their degree specific major. Broadening is your opportunity to explore other areas of interest, investigate new disciplines and knowledge paradigms and to shape your degree to suit your own aspirations and interests. Many of you will be able to undertake more than this minimum amount of broadening study and we encourage you to do so if this suits your aspirations. Over the next few months you will find here some broadening suggestions related to your degree-specific major. While we know that many students value guidance of this sort, these are only suggestions and students should not lose sight of the opportunity to explore that is afforded by your Broadening Choices. Advice can also be sought from your Allocated Student Advising Office.

Prerequisites

Student without WACE Chemistry or equivalent, are required to take CHEM1003 in their first year.
Students without ATAR Mathematics Applications, ATAR Mathematics Methods, WACE Mathematics: Specialist 3A/3B or equivalent or higher, will need to take MATH1720 in their first year.
Students without ATAR Human Biology or ATAR Biology or equivalent will need to take ANHB1101 or BIOL1130, or IMED1001 in their first year.

Pharmacology can be taken as a degree-specific major in the following degree courses:

Overview of unit sequence

Pharmacology is a degree-specific single major comprising:

  • two Level 1 units
  • two Level 2 units
  • four Level 3 units
Key to availability of units:
S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2

Students who do not have ATAR Mathematics Applications or equivalent or higher, are required to complete MATH1720 in their first year.

Level 1

Degree-specific major units
Students without ATAR Human Biology or ATAR Biology will need to take ANHB1101, BIOL1130 or IMED1001 in first semester to meet prerequisites for SCIE1106. Students without ATAR Chemistry will need to take CHEM1003 in first semester to meet prerequisites for SCIE1106.
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of ATAR Subject(s) Human Biology
or
equivalent
or
ATAR Subject(s) Biology
or
equivalent
or
Unit(s) ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human
or
Unit(s) ANHB1102 Human Biology II: Being Human
or
Unit(s) BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
or
Unit(s) IMED1001 Form and Function and Successful completion of ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry
or
equivalent
or
Unit(s) CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Unit(s) SCIE2225 Molecular Biology
Degree-specific major units
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S2 BIOC1001 Introductory Cellular Biochemistry
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry ATAR
or
Unit(s) CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Successful completion of CHEM1004 Biological Chemistry
S1, S2 CHEM1002 Chemistry—Structure and Reactivity
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of Unit(s) CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry (ID 1063)
or
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry
or
ATAR Subject(s) WACE Chemistry 3A/3B
or
equivalent
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
Bridging units
Take units if applicable:

Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Mathematics Applications or equivalent or higher, will need to successfully complete MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals in their first 48 points of study in this course. Students who have not achieved a scaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Chemistry or equivalent, are required to successfully complete CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry in their first 48 points of study in this course. Students who have not achieved ascaled mark of at least 50 in ATAR Human Biology or ATAR Biology or equivalent will need to successfully complete ANHB1101 Human Biology I or BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology or IMED1101 Form and Function in their first 48 points of study in this course.

Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 ANHB1101 Human Biology I: Becoming Human
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1 BIOL1130 Frontiers in Biology
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1, S2 CHEM1003 Introductory Chemistry
Prerequisites:
Nil
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
ATAR Subject(s) Chemistry
or
equivalent
S1 IMED1001 Form and Function
Prerequisites:
Enrolment in MJD-MEDSC Medical Sciences
or
MJD-IMSCP Integrated Medical Sciences and Clinical Practice
or
MJD-VISSC Vision Science
or
MJD-ENGSC Engineering Science (specialisation in Biomedical Engineering)
or
MJD-EBMEG Biomedical Engineering
or
MJD-PHMSC Podiatric Health and Medical Sciences
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Nil
S1, S2 MATH1720 Mathematics Fundamentals
Prerequisites:
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of less than 50]
or
with permission
Co-requisites:
Nil
Incompatibility:
Mathematics Applications ATAR [with a scaled score of 50
or
greater]
or
Equivalent
or
higher

Level 2

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (12 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology
Prerequisites:
( CHEM1002 Chemistry—Structure and Reactivity and SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell )
or
( CHEM1004 Biological Chemistry and SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell )
or
( BIOC1001 Introductory Cellular Biochemistry and SCIE1106 Molecular Biology of the Cell )
or
( IMED1001 Form and Function and IMED1002 The Facts of Life )
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
Nil
S2 PHAR2220 Human Pharmacology
Prerequisites:
PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology
or
IMED2002 Blood and Drugs
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
PHAR2230 Systems Pharmacology

Level 3

Degree-specific major units
Take all units (24 points):
Availability Unit code Unit name unit requirements
S1 PHAR3310 Molecular Pharmacology
Prerequisites:
PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology,
and
PHAR2220 Human Pharmacology;
or
IMED2002 Blood and Drugs
and
one of the following units: IMED2001 Body Defences; IMED2003 Essentials of Research in the Health and Medical Sciences
or
IMED2004 Human Development and Genetics
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
PHAR3303 Drugs and Disease A
and
PATH3304 Drugs and Disease B
S1 PHAR3311 Molecular Pharmacology Methods
Prerequisites:
PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology,
and
PHAR2220 Human Pharmacology;
or
IMED2002 Blood and Drugs and one of the following units: IMED2001 Body Defences, IMED2003 Essentials of Research in the Health and Medical Sciences
or
IMED2004 Human Development and Genetics
Co-requisites:
PHAR3310 Molecular Pharmacology;
or
Biomedical Science major level 2 units
Incompatibility:
PHAR3303 Drugs and Disease A,
and
PATH3304 Drugs and Disease B
S2 PHAR3320 Systems Pharmacology
Prerequisites:
[PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology,
and
PHAR2220 Human Pharmacology];
or
[IMED2002 Blood and Drugs and one of the following units: IMED2001 Body Defences; IMED2003 Essentials of Research in the Health and Medical Sciences
or
IMED2004 Human Development and Genetics]
Co-requisites:
Nil.
Incompatibility:
PHAR3303 Drugs and Disease A,
S2 PHAR3321 Systems Pharmacology Methods
Prerequisites:
[PHAR2210 Foundations of Pharmacology,
and
PHAR2220 Human Pharmacology];
or
[IMED2002 Blood and Drugs and one of the following units: IMED2001 Body Defences; IMED2003 Essentials of Research in the Health and Medical Sciences
or
IMED2004 Human Development and Genetics]
Co-requisites:
PHAR3320 Systems Pharmacology
Incompatibility:
PHAR3303 Drugs and Disease A
and
PATH3304 Drugs and Disease B

Choosing your degree-specific major

General degrees

You must satisfy the requirements of a degree-specific major before you complete your course. The flexible structure of an undergraduate course allows you to try out a number of different subjects to see what interests you before nominating your degree-specific major. You have the choice to either nominate your degree-specific major when you first enrol in the course or delay nominating it until your second year.

To plan the first year of your study without nominating a degree-specific major, you are advised to choose units that will pave the way to two or more degree-specific majors that are of interest to you. For examples of the choice of units available in first year, search the first-year study plans .

To fully understand the structure of an undergraduate course, read the course structure information and the Undergraduate Degree Course Rules.

The following example illustrates how the Pharmacology degree-specific major can be included in the Bachelor of Biomedical Science course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP006-PHARY

There are more choices open to you. For more examples, search the study plans .

Specialised degrees – Bachelor of Advanced Computer Science (Honours), Bachelor of Automation and Robotics, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Music

You must satisfy the requirements of the degree-specific major in your degree before you complete your course.

Bachelor of Philosophy, Politics and Economics

This comprehensive degree does not require you to choose a degree-specific major.

Choosing a second major

You also have the option to choose a second major from those available in the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Design Only available to re-enrolling students. and Bachelor of Science courses, giving you the opportunity to pursue your interests no matter how different they are.

The following example illustrates how the Pharmacology degree-specific major can be combined with a second major in the Bachelor of Biomedical Science course.

Example: Course Study Plan: CSP006-PHARY-Generic

For more examples of combinations of majors, search the study plans .