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Pharmacology

The Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics offers opportunities for study leading to doctoral, master's, and bachelor's degrees. For information on advanced degrees, see graduate Pharmacology. For further information on other courses within the department, see the Faculty of Medicine. All students who intend to take the B.Sc. in Pharmacology must consult the undergraduate advisor.

Enrolment in PCTH 302 is restricted to students in the third year of the various Pharmacology specializations. Students who wish to enter Pharmacology specializations need to have completed all prerequisites and obtained an average of greater than 75% in each of their first and second years.

The aim of the programs is to produce a graduate broadly trained in all aspects of pharmacology. The programs emphasize the experimental and laboratory aspects of pharmacology and students learn both 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.

Co-operative Education Program

The Department offers a five-year Co-operative Education option (honours and major). In addition to classical laboratory-based university instruction, the student will receive 12 to 16 months of work placement (i.e., three to four work terms) in at least two different research areas supervised by scientists in a pharmaceutical company or equivalent. The work placements are arranged by mutual agreement among students, faculty, and employing organizations. Faculty advisors will visit students at their place of work and provide advice on technical reports. Work placement starts in May or September after the completion of third year and continues through fourth year.

Students in the Honours specialization will take additional credits in second, third, and fourth years and will conduct a laboratory-based research project for six months (September to March) during fifth year supervised by a faculty member within or outside the Department and present an Honours thesis (PCTH 449). Students participating in the Co-op option register for PCTH 398, 399, and 498, in addition to the normal academic requirements, and pay the Co-op Education program fee for each course (see Program and Course Fees). PCTH 499 is optional for students who wish to have four work placements.

Admission

Students must apply to the Department for admission to the B.Sc. and B.Sc. Co-op specializations. Selection of students will be based on academic performance and suitability for pharmacological research. Detailed information on the specialization may be obtained from Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics.

Major (0311): Pharmacology (PCTH) 
 

First Year 
Communication requirement16
BIOL 112, 12126
CHEM 121 or 141 (or 111)34
CHEM 1234
MATH 100 or 102 or 10443
MATH 101 or 103 or 10553
PHYS 100 level63
Total Credits29
Second Year 
BIOL 2003
BIOL 201 or BIOC 202 (or 203)3
CAPS 20573
CAPS 20673
CHEM 205 or CHEM 21183
CHEM 233, 23594
MICB 2113
PCTH 2013
Electives106
Total Credits31
Third and Fourth Years 
BIOC 301113
BIOC 302113
BIOL 300 or STAT 200133
CAPS 30176
PCTH 301143
PCTH 3023
PCTH 303143
PCTH 4006
PCTH 4043
Electives1027
Total Credits60
Credits for Degree120
1 A total of 6 credits of coursework is required to meet the Communication Requirement. For a full list of acceptable courses see Communication Requirement.
2 Students without one of Biology 11 or Biology 12 must take BIOL 111 before taking BIOL 112 or BIOL 121. Students without Chemistry 12 must take CHEM 100 or CHEM 111 before taking BIOL 112.
3 Students who do not have BC high school Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM 100. 
4 MATH 110, 120, 180 or 184 may substitute for any of the specified calculus courses. The extra credit for these courses with more than 3 credits would count as part of the elective credit in later years.
5 MATH 121 may substitute for any of the specified integral calculus courses.
6 Chosen from PHYS courses excluding PHYS 100. Students lacking Physics 12 must take PHYS 100 as an elective before taking other PHYS courses.
7 CAPS 301 may be taken instead of CAPS 205 and CAPS 206; in the year where this requirement is not completed, increase the number of elective credits by 6.
8 Students who take CHEM 211 reduce the number of elective credits by 1.
9 The combination of CHEM 203 and 213 are accepted as a substitute for CHEM 233 and 235 if students have credit for CHEM 203 and 213.
10 Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s:
a) Foundational Requirement;
b) Laboratory Science Requirement;
c) Science Breadth Requirement;
d) Science and Arts Requirements;
e) Upper-level Requirement;
f) General Degree Requirements.
11 Must be taken in third year.
12 BIOC 303 is also acceptable. The extra credits for BIOC 303 instead of BIOC 302 would count as an elective.
13 Must be taken prior to fourth year.
14 PCTH 300 may be taken in place of PCTH 301 and PCTH 303.


 

Honours (0019): Pharmacology (PCTH)

 

First Year 
Communication requirement16
BIOL 112, 12126
CHEM 121 or 141 (or 111)34
CHEM 1234
MATH 100 or 102 or 10443
MATH 101 or 103 or 10553
PHYS 100 level63
Electives72
Total Credits31
Second Year 
BIOL 2003
BIOL 201 or BIOC 202 (or 203)3
CAPS 20583
CAPS 20683
CHEM 205 or CHEM 21194
CHEM 233, 235104
MICB 2113
PCTH 2013
Electives79
Total Credits34
Third and Fourth Years 
BIOC 3013
BIOC 302 or 303113
BIOL 300 or STAT 200123
CAPS 30186
CAPS 303133
One of CAPS 422, CAPS 423, CAPS 424, CAPS 4263
PCTH 301143
PCTH 3023
PCTH 303143
PCTH 4006
PCTH 4026
PCTH 4043
PCTH 4493
Electives716
Total Credits67
Credits for Degree132
1 A total of 6 credits of coursework is required to meet the Communication Requirement. For a full list of acceptable courses see Communication Requirement.
2 Students without one of Biology 11 or Biology 12 must take BIOL 111 before taking BIOL 112 or BIOL 121. Students without Chemistry 12 must take CHEM 100 or CHEM 111 before taking BIOL 112.
3 Students who do not have BC high school Chemistry 12 (or its equivalent) must write the UBC Chemistry Basic Skills Test and may be required to take CHEM 100.
4 MATH 110, 120, 180 or 184 may substitute for any of the specified calculus courses. The extra credit for these courses with more than 3 credits would count as part of the elective credit in later years.
5 MATH 121 may substitute for any of the specified calculus courses.
6 Chosen from PHYS courses excluding PHYS 100. Students lacking Physics 12 must take PHYS 100 as an elective before taking other PHYS courses.
7 Elective credits together with required courses must fulfill the Faculty of Science’s:
a) Foundational Requirement;
b) Laboratory Science Requirement;
c) Science Breadth Requirement;
d) Science and Arts Requirements;
e) Upper-level Requirement;
f) General Degree Requirements.
CAPS 301 may be taken instead of CAPS 205 and CAPS 206; in the year where this requirement is not completed, increase the number of elective credits by 6.
Students who take CHEM 211 reduce the number of elective credits by 1.
10 The combination of CHEM 203 and 213 are accepted as a substitute for CHEM 233 and 235 if students have credit for CHEM 203 and 213.
11 Must be taken in third year; students who take BIOC 303 reduce the number of elective credits by 3.
12 Must be taken prior to fourth year.
13 Students in the Co-op program can replace CAPS 303 with a 3-credit science elective. 
14 PCTH 300 may be taken in place of PCTH 301 and PCTH 303. 

 


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