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Pharmacy MPharm

Entry requirements


A level

A,B,B-B,B,B

ABB in three A Levels which must include Chemistry and one other science subject from: Biology, Maths OR Physics. OR BBB must include Chemistry and one other science from Biology, Maths or Physics, for contextual offer students* Excluded Subjects: We welcome the following subjects as an additional A Level, but not as one of the core three A Levels - General Studies, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Studies. We welcome applications from students who have tried to improve their examination grades by taking a maximum of one set of resits. We treat these applications in exactly the same way as other applications.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

Five GCSEs which must include Mathematics and English all at grade C/4. Please note we do not accept Key Skills or Functional Skills in place of these.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

31-32

32 points overall in the IB Diploma, which must include 6 5 5 in Higher Level subjects. These subjects must include Chemistry and one other science subject from Biology, Maths OR Physics. You must also have Standard Level grade 5 in both Maths and English Language. OR 31 points overall in the IB Diploma, which must include 5 5 5 in Higher Level subjects. These subjects must include Chemistry and one other science subject from Biology, Maths OR Physics. You must also have Standard Level grade 5 in both Maths and English Language for contextual offer students*

Pearson BTEC 90-Credit Diploma (QCF)

DD

With this BTEC you also must achieve grades BB in two science A Levels which must include Chemistry PLUS Biology, Physics or Maths.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DD

With this BTEC (in any subject) you must also achieve grades BB in two science A Levels which must include Chemistry PLUS Biology, Physics or Maths. If you are taking the BTEC in Applied Science, you must also achieve a grade B in A Level Chemistry.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

D

With this BTEC (in any subject) you must also achieve grades BB in two science A Levels which must include Chemistry PLUS Biology, Physics or Maths.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*D*D*-DDD

D*D*D* in Applied Science. You do not require an additional A Level. OR DDD in any BTEC subject and grades BB in two science A Levels which must include Chemistry PLUS Biology, Maths or Physics.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D

With this BTEC (in any subject) you must also achieve grades BB in two science A Levels which must include Chemistry PLUS Biology, Physics or Maths.

UCAS Tariff

120-128

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About this course


Course option

4years

Full-time | 2024

Subject

Pharmacy

Course summary
Studying at Aston Pharmacy School will help you to develop the skills, knowledge and outlook required to become an outstanding pharmacist. You’ll experience work-based learning through our extensive network of healthcare and industry partners, develop your skills in dedicated specialist facilities, and benefit from the experience and insight of our expert teaching staff. 2023 sees us celebrate our 100th year of involvement in pharmacy education and with our roots stretching back even further, to the establishment of the Birmingham Pharmaceutical Institution in 1847, we have a strong history that has helped to shape the futures of thousands of pharmacists to date. Through our history we have forged strong links with the NHS and healthcare industry, and Aston is the ideal place to learn about this fascinating, and ever-changing profession. You will benefit from extensive patient contact throughout the course, both within the University, and through a series of professional experiences in different workplace environments such as hospitals, community pharmacies, GP surgeries and primary care settings. We also have a strong focus on interprofessional practice and collaborative care, offering opportunities for you to learn with, from and about other healthcare specialities. In addition to this, our final year students have the opportunity to personalise their learning through elective choices and research projects, including in pharmacy practice, which can be based in either community, hospital or primary care practice.
Key course benefits:

- In 2019 the MPharm programme underwent a radical revision with a very sharp focus on the future direction of pharmacy practice. This included a considerable emphasis on the pharmacist’s role in therapeutics within a deeply integrated spiral curriculum in a 120-credit module structure.

- Accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), which is one of the key requirements to practice as a pharmacist in the UK. Accreditation took place in May 2019 and the MPharm programme was re-accredited for six years, the maximum period possible. Re-accreditation is currently underway to align the MPharm with updated GPhC standards which include prescribing skills.

- 92% of our students ranked the course as intellectually stimulating (NSS 2022).

- Access to a range of specialist facilities in our recently redeveloped Wilson Pharmacy Suite. This includes our clinical skills room with a mock hospital bay set up, dispensing and patient counselling suites with discrete video recording capabilities.

Please note that we no longer offer a Foundation Programme. If you select Year 0 on your application form, this will be amended to Year 1 at the admissions review stage.

Modules

Learning and Teaching
You will benefit from working with our highly qualified and knowledgeable team of academics, scientists, leading researchers and practising pharmacists from a variety of healthcare areas. Our interconnected course structure enables us to put all teaching firmly in the context of delivering patient centred care as part of a multi-disciplinary team. We have a strong and deliberate focus on interprofessional practice and collaborative care, working closely with Aston’s many healthcare courses to increase the opportunities for you to learn with, from and about other healthcare specialities. Your learning will be delivered via a range of teaching methods from problem-based learning and video recording sessions to computer aided learning and patient-simulators. We utilise a range of learning technologies, which are combined with high-fidelity simulations of healthcare practice to provide you with a realistic and safe environment in which to learn skills and develop your knowledge. Each year of study is worth 120 credits, with each credit equivalent to 10 learning hours. The learning hours may include but are not limited to lectures, seminars, tutorials, lab sessions, practicals, online activity, reading, other independent study, reflecting on assignment feedback and work placements. As a Pharmacy student, you will have access to a range of specialist facilities in our recently redeveloped Wilson Pharmacy Suite. This includes our clinical skills room with a mock hospital bay set up, dispensing and patient counselling suites with discrete video recording capabilities where clinical skills for the safe and effective delivery of healthcare and prescribing can be developed, refined and assessed in a controlled environment. You will also utilise a range of cutting-edge laboratory spaces and equipment used in the design, development and testing of drug products including an aseptic suite and our main teaching lab. You will have access to tabletting machines, high-performance liquid chromatographs, gas chromatographs, NMR spectroscopies, dissolution vessels and a range of additional equipment used industry wide in formulation characterisation and quality assurance processes. Teaching rooms range from large lecture theatres to small study rooms and facilitate a range of teaching formats.

Assessment
Our MPharm curriculum utilises a range of different assessment types and the assessment strategy reflects both the national educational requirements in the FHEQ and the professional educational standards and learning outcomes from the GPhC. The four levels within Miller’s Triangle have been used within the national pharmacy educational standards and applied to the outcomes defined in the 2021 GPhC Standards. Assessment formats include diagnostic tests, written examinations, synoptic assessments, coursework, oral presentations, poster presentations, clinical simulation activities, OSCE and other case-based assessments, portfolios, laboratory practicals and calculations, amongst a range of others. Clinical and therapeutic summative assessments in Stages 3 and 4/F have been developed to include prescribing skills.
.

Assessment methods

Learning and teaching
You will benefit from working with our highly qualified and knowledgeable team of academics, scientists, leading researchers and practising pharmacists from a variety of healthcare areas.

Our interconnected course structure enables us to put all teaching firmly in the context of delivering patient care as part of a multi-disciplinary team. We have a strong and deliberate focus on interprofessional practice and collaborative care, working closely with Aston’s many healthcare courses to increase the opportunities for you to learn with, from and about other healthcare specialities.

Your learning will be delivered via a range of teaching methods from problem-based learning and video recording sessions, to computer aided learning and patient-simulators. We utilise a range of learning technologies, which are combined with high-fidelity simulations of healthcare practice to provide you with a realistic and safe environment in which to learn skills and develop your knowledge.

Each year of study is worth 120 credits, with each credit equivalent to 10 learning hours. The learning hours may include but are not limited to lectures, seminars, tutorials, lab sessions, practicals, online activity, reading, other independent study, reflecting on assignment feedback, field trips and work placements.

Assessment
Our recently revised MPharm curriculum utilises a range of different assessment types which may include written examinations, coursework, oral presentations, poster presentations, clinical simulations activities and laboratory assessments.

What learning facilities can I expect?
As a Pharmacy student, you will have access to a range of specialist facilities in our recently redeveloped Wilson Pharmacy Suite. This includes our clinical skills room with a mock hospital bay set up, dispensing and patient counselling suites with discrete video recording capabilities. You will also have access to and use a range of cutting edge laboratory equipment used in the design, development and testing of drug products which includes tabletting machines, high-performance liquid chromatograph, gas chromatography, NMR spectroscopies and dissolution vessels.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
International
£20,700
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Aston University, Birmingham

Department:

Aston Pharmacy School

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

84%
Pharmacy

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Pharmacy

Teaching and learning

77%
Staff make the subject interesting
86%
Staff are good at explaining things
80%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
90%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

83%
Library resources
85%
IT resources
92%
Course specific equipment and facilities
71%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

95%
UK students
5%
International students
34%
Male students
66%
Female students
95%
2:1 or above
1%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
B

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Pharmacy

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
low
Average annual salary
99%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

98%
Health professionals
1%
Health associate professionals
1%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers

As only a relatively small number of students study pharmacology or toxicology, these statistics refer most closely to the graduate prospects of pharmacy graduates, so bear that in mind when you review them. Only a handful of students take first degrees in pure toxicology every year — the subject is more popular at Masters level. Pharmacology is a degree that tends to lead to jobs in the medical and pharmaceutical industries, and outcomes are improving again after a difficult time in the last few years. Jobs in pharmacology are often very specialist and so it’s no surprise that pharmacologists are amongst the most likely of all students to go on to a doctorate — if you want a job in research, start thinking about a PhD. As for pharmacy, unemployment rates are below 1% and 95% of pharmacy graduates had jobs as pharmacists (mostly in retail pharmacists) six months after they left their courses - employment rates have gone up significantly in the last couple of years.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Pharmacy

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£25k

£25k

£32k

£32k

£40k

£40k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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