Pharmacology & Toxicology

Welcome to Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto!

The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto is among the oldest and largest in North America, with its official foundations established with the appointment of James Thorburne as Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics in 1887, at the same time that the Faculty of Medicine was re-established in the University of Toronto.

Pharmacology and Toxicology are integrative biological sciences that examine the properties of chemical compounds and their interactions with living systems. They provide the scientific basis for the study of chemical actions in the health sciences, the use of drugs as therapeutic agents or as tools in scientific research, the development and control of pharmaceutical products, and the investigation and control of pollutants and poisons in natural and social environments.

We offer four Specialist and two Major undergraduate programs of study that are jointly sponsored by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and the Temerty Faculty of Medicine. A Specialist program in pharmacology and/or toxicology has more required courses and is intended to give students a greater depth of study in the subject area. Major programs are intended for undergraduate students who want to have a solid knowledge of pharmacology or toxicology, allowing students to combine different and complementary areas of expertise in life sciences. This approach contributes to a broader multi-disciplinary undergraduate training that is particularly relevant for students interested in pursuing further studies in professional health sciences programs.

Learn more about our Undergraduate Programs and Admissions

Learn more about our Arts and Sciences Internship Program (ASIP) 

Learn more about our Summer Exchange Program 

Learn more about Undergraduate Awards and Student Research Opportunities

Pharmacology & Toxicology Student Association (PTSA) 

The Sciences of Pharmacology and Toxicology