• Pharmacology is the study of drugs and their interaction with the body.pharmacy image by robert mobley from Fotolia.com
  
  Students who wish to enter the pharmacology field will need an advanced degree. The top schools in pharmacology typically offer degree programs in pharmacy as well, but the terms are not interchangeable. The study of pharmacy prepares students to dispense medicines, while pharmacology is the science of how medicines work. U.S. News and World Report ranks the top pharmacology schools annually.
  
  

Unversity of California at San Francisco

• The University of California at San Francisco is the top-ranked pharmacology school in the nation. The pharmacology education at the university includes the study of biology as it relates to dosing and the use of computers in creating effective drugs. The school also works to give young scientists a background in the chemical aspects of discovering new drugs, so they can hit the ground running when they graduate.
  
  University of California, San Francisco
  707 Parnassus Ave.
  San Francisco, CA 94143
  415-476-1891
  pharmacy.ucsf.edu
  
  

University of North Carolina

• The Eshelman School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill is the No. 2 program, according to the U.S. News and World Report rankings. UNC is built on the strength of research and its pharmacology program follows that model. The school has collaborated with a number of companies, giving students access to the best research equipment and top opportunities. Research Triangle Park, one of the nation's best-known centers of research and development, is just one of the access points for students. The school's doctoral program is designed for those who want to specialize in clinical research.
  
  Eshelman School of Pharmacy
  CB 7355
  Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7355
  919-966-9429
  pharmacy.unc.edu
  
  

University of Minnesota

• The University of Minnesota is the only college in Minnesota that offers degrees in pharmacology. Its pharmacy college is ranked No. 3, with a major focus on drug research. Students are involved in the development of new drugs to treat disease, even working on drugs for cancer and AIDS. The areas of study available include medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics and experimental and clinical pharmacology.
  
  University of Minnesota
  College of Pharmacy
  5-130 Weaver-Densford Hall
  308 Harvard St. S.E.
  Minneapolis, MN 55455
  612-624-1900
  www.pharmacy.umn.edu
  
  

University of Texas

• The school's pharmacy college is home to the nation's fourth ranke pharmacology program. Best known for its pharmacy education, it also has a highly regarded research center in its graduate pharmacology program. The school offers six different specialty areas and pharmacology students can earn a master's or Ph.D. in pharmacology/toxicology, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics and pharmacotherapy. The school has invested greatly in its facilities and also provides research space at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.
  
  The University of Texas at Austin
  College of Pharmacy
  1 University Station A1900
  Austin, TX 78712
  512-471-1737
  utexas.edu/pharmacy