Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Toxicology

Location: Boston
Start Term: Fall

Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Toxicology

The study of pharmacology and toxicology prepares students for a career in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry or the research and development sector. It also provides a competitive edge on all preprofessional tracks, whether you want to pursue medical, veterinary, or pharmacy school. As an undergraduate student, you will attain a high-level understanding of advanced sciences that will set you apart from other postbaccalaureate or preprofessional students. The curriculum prepares you with courses, such as Basic Pharmacology, Principles of Toxicology, and Analytical Methods in Pharmacology & Toxicology, that you would otherwise only be introduced to in a professional program.

A unique quality of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Toxicology is that it provides students the option to become a board-certified toxicologist without needing to obtain a graduate-level degree. With this bachelor’s degree, you would be eligible to become a board-certified toxicologist after just 10 years of relevant toxicological work experience—and with a master’s degree, just five years of experience.

During this full-time, four-year undergraduate program, you will have the opportunity to work alongside professional experts in modern laboratories designed for the study of drugs and environmental chemicals, as well as drug and chemical safety. This program will provide students with the tools needed to develop strong analytical, technical, and presentation skills.

What is pharmacology? “Pharmacology is the science of how drugs act on biological systems and how the body responds to the drug. The study of pharmacology encompasses the sources, chemical properties, biological effects, and therapeutic uses of drugs. . . . Pharmacology integrates the knowledge of many disciplines, including medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, nursing, and veterinary medicine. This integrative nature allows pharmacology to make unique and significant contributions to human health.” – American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics

What is toxicology? “Toxicology is the study of adverse effects of chemical, physical, or biological agents on living organisms and the ecosystem, including the prevention and amelioration of the effects.” – Society of Toxicology

Admission Requirements

First-year applicants can view their admission requirements on the Undergraduate Applicants page.

Students with 12 or more college credits may transfer in to the first, second, or third year of the program. Courses must have been completed at a regionally accredited college or university with a grade of C or better for transfer. Math and science courses taken more than ten years prior to the anticipated date of matriculation to MCPHS will not be accepted.

While there are no specific required courses for entry into the first year of our program, the admission committee will look for success in any math and science courses you have already taken. If you complete any of the courses listed below, you may receive transfer credit and your first year course load may be lighter. However, due to the block registration nature of MCPHS programs, entering the first year of the program with transfer credits will not change the total length of your program. Courses, other than elective courses, may not be moved forward in your schedule.

For Admission To Year II of the Program, An Applicant Must Have:

Linked courses are available through the MCPHS School of Professional Studies.

General Biology I & II with lab (8 credits)
General Chemistry I & II with lab (8 credits)
Calculus I & II (6 credits)
Expository Writing I & II (6 credits)
American Culture, Identity, and Public Life (3 credits) (Acceptable substitutions include Introduction to Sociology or upper-level sociology course)

For Admission To Year III of the Program, An Applicant Must Have:

Organic Chemistry I & II with lab (8 credits)
Microbiology with lab (4 credits)
Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)
Molecular Biology (3 credits)
Physics I & II with lab (8 credits)
Introduction to Speech (3 credits)

Curriculum

Year I-Fall

COURSE	TITLE	SEMESTER HOURS
BIO 150L	Biology I Laboratory	1
BIO 151	Biology I: Cell and Molecular Biology	3
CHE 131	Chemical Principles I	3
CHE 131L	Chemical Principles I Laboratory	1
ITM 101	Introduction to the Major	1
LIB 111	Expository Writing I	3
MAT 151	Calculus I	3
TOTAL		15

Year I-Spring

COURSE	TITLE	SEMESTER HOURS
BIO 152	Biology II: Biology of Organisms	3
BIO 152L	Biology II: Biology of Organisms Laboratory	1
CHE 132	Chemical Principles II	3
CHE 132L	Chemical Principles II Laboratory	1
LIB 112	Expository Writing II	3
LIB 120	Introduction to Psychology OR	3
LIB 133	American Culture, Identity, and Public Life
MAT 152	Calculus II	3
TOTAL		17

Year II-Fall

COURSE	TITLE	SEMESTER HOURS
CHE 231	Organic Chemistry	3
CHE 231L	Organic Chemistry Laboratory	1
LIB 120	Introduction to Psychology OR	3
LIB 133	American Culture, Identity, and Public Life
LIB 252	Introduction to Speech	3
PHY 270	Foundations of Physics I**	3
PHY 272L	Foundations of Physics I Laboratory**	1
	Distributive Elective	3
TOTAL		17

Year II-Spring

COURSE	TITLE	SEMESTER HOURS
BIO 255	Medical Microbiology	3
BIO 255L	Medical Microbiology Laboratory	1
BIO 260	Molecular Biology	3
CHE 232	Organic Chemistry II	3
PHY 274	Foundations of Physics II**	3
PHY 274L	Foundations of Physics II Laboratory**	1
TOTAL		14

Year III-Fall

COURSE	TITLE	SEMESTER HOURS
MAT 261	Statistics	3
PSB 326	Principles of Anatomy and Physiology I	3
PSB 331	Biochemistry I	3
PSB 401	Pharmacology & Toxicology Seminar I	1
	Distributive Elective	3
TOTAL		13

Year III-Spring

COURSE	TITLE	SEMESTER HOURS
LIB 512	Healthcare Ethics	3
PSB 327	Principles of Anatomy & Physiology II	4
PSB 332	Biochemistry II	3
PSB 370	Analytical Methods in Pharmacology & Toxicology I	3
PSB 402	Pharmacology & Toxicology Seminar II	1
	Distributive Elective	3
TOTAL		17

Year IV-Fall

COURSE	TITLE	SEMESTER HOURS
PSB 371	Analytical Methods in Pharmacology and Toxicology II	3
PSB 403	Pharmacology & Toxicology Seminar III	1
PSB 460	Principles of Toxicology I	3
PSB 462	Basic Pharmacology I	3
	Program Electives	6
TOTAL		16

Research or Curricular Track

Fourth-year students will be required to designate their selected track (research vs. curricular) by end of add/drop period of the fall semester of senior year to facilitate appropriate course registration. The research track provides students the ability to participate in a senior research project in parallel with a seminar course during the spring semester.

Year IV-Spring (Research Track)

COURSE	TITLE	SEMESTER HOURS
PSB 404	Pharmacology & Toxicology Seminar IV	1
PSB 461	Principles of Toxicology II	3
PSB 464	Basic Pharmacology II	3
PSB 535	Senior Research Project or Industrial Internship	5
TOTAL		12

Year IV-Spring (Curricular Track)

COURSE	TITLE	SEMESTER HOURS
PSB/BIO	Course #1	3
PSB 461	Principles of Toxicology II	3
PSB 464	Basic Pharmacology II	3
PSB/BIO	Course #2	3
TOTAL		12

*Course #1 and Course #2 would come from the following select list:

PSB 440: Molecular Biotechnology – 3 credits – offered in Spring semester
PSB 346: Physicochemical Properties of Drug Molecules – 3 credits – offered in Fall semester
PSB 430: Pharmacokinetics – 3 credits – offered in Spring semester
BIO 434: Immunology – 3 credits – offered in Fall semester
PSB 457: Pharmacognosy – 3 credits – offered in Fall semester
BIO 430: Molecular Biology of Cancer – 3 credits – offered in Spring semester
PSB 420: Pharmaceutical Analysis/Lab – 3 credits – offered in Fall semester

Students selecting the curricular track cannot utilize courses from the above list as additionally fulfilling program elective requirements.

**For students who will be taking professional school entrance exams such as the MCAT, GRE, or OAT, they should take PHY 280/280L & 284/284L in the place of PHY 270/270L & 274/274L. These students should also take CHE 234L in Year II-spring.

Total credits to complete degree requirements: 120 semester hours

Elective Requirements

Students in the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacology and Toxicology program are required to select a minimum of two program elective courses (or at least 6 credits) in areas of pharmacology, biotechnology, or toxicology. The following is a list of acceptable courses. Other courses offered by the Colleges of the Fenway also may be acceptable upon approval of the student’s academic advisor or the program director.

Recommended Electives

BIO 430—Molecular Biology of Cancer
BIO 434—Immunology
BIO 465—Medical Parasitology
PSB 210—Economics
PSB 261—Management
PSB 359—Marketing
PSB 375—Fundamentals of Drug Development
PSB 410—FDA and Regulatory Affairs
PSB 415—Accounting
PSB 420—Pharmaceutical Analysis/Laboratory
PSB 430—Pharmacokinetics I
PSB 440—Molecular Biotechnology
PSB 444—Organizational Development
PSB 456—Entrepreneurship
PSB 530—Undergraduate Research Credit

Faculty

Our students learn from faculty who are leaders in their fields and are committed to the success of each student. Discover our full list of Pharmacology and Toxicology faculty.

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Does Lead Exposure Lead to Kidney Stones?

Illustration of a close-up of kidneys in the human body.

Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Greg Landry, PhD, DABT received the New Investigator Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy for his research on the correlation.