Pharmacy
Entry requirements
A level
A level Chemistry and one other science subject at grade B. Acceptable science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science, ICT.
Access to HE Diploma
including relevant science units.
Cambridge International Pre-U Certificate - Principal
to include Chemistry and one other science subject. Acceptable science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science, ICT.
Extended Project
In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification provides to students for University study, we now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer. Eligible applicants would receive two offers, our usual offer plus an alternative offer of a B in the EPQ and one grade lower in their A level subjects
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Chemistry at grade 6 and one other science subject at grade 5 at Higher Level. Acceptable science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science, ICT.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
including relevant science modules.
Scottish Higher
Chemistry and one other science subject at grade B. Acceptable science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science, ICT.
Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)
The Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in lieu of one A Level at the grade achieved, when studied alongside Chemistry and one other science subject.
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
Set yourself on the path to a career as a qualified pharmacist, and develop the skills and knowledge needed in this constantly evolving sector with this MPharm Pharmacy course.
An MPharm is the only degree that will allow you to register as a qualified pharmacist, following a year of pre-registration training (see careers section below). This degree is accredited by the pharmacy regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council, and has been designed to reflect the changing roles of pharmacists.
You will learn how the body works, how medicines affect it, and how these medicines are designed. The course content focuses on the different areas of the body, such as the heart, and you will learn how, for each one, the chemistry, biology and pharmacology, pharmaceutics and pharmacy practice are interrelated. This will enable you to apply information to patient care right from the first year.
We will also provide you with information and techniques essential for work in pharmacy, including law, storage of medicines, processes for reducing errors, assessing prescriptions, and professional behaviour. Our pharmacy practice suite uses professional dispensing software and real medicines, in order to build up your experience of key processes and handling substances.
Additionally, you will develop your research skills throughout the course, and spend part of your final year working alongside internationally recognised researchers on a project of your choice. Past topics have included molecular pharmacology, medical technology, pharmacy practice, and drug synthesis, analysis and formulation.
**Placement**
Throughout the course you will gain an insight into professional practice by carrying out observational visits and placements in hospital and community pharmacies, as well as GP practices. Our annual pharmacy careers fair is attended by numerous employers and is a good source of work experience and job opportunities.
**Careers**
In order to become a fully qualified pharmacist, you will need to complete a year of pre-registration training following graduation. During this time you will complete a portfolio of evidence of competence and take a further assessment, which is run by the pharmacy regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council. During this year we will provide you with further support, including study documents and mock examinations.
According to recent data, 100% of our pharmacy graduates are in work or further study six months after graduating (DHLE survey, 2016-2017). Most students go on to work for community or hospital pharmacies, with a few moving into industry. A small number decide to embark on careers in other areas, such as teaching, or move on to further study.
Modules
Sample modules may include:
*Medicines: Discovery, Design, Development and Delivery
*Delivering Pharmacy Services
*Therapeutics and Medicines Optimisation: a Journey through the Gastrointestinal (GI) Tract
*Advanced Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice
Check our website for more details of the course structure.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Reading
School of Chemistry, Food and Pharmacy
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.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Pharmacology, toxicology & 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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
Pharmacology, toxicology and 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
£35k
£37k
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.
Explore these similar courses...





This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Course location and department:
This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):
We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).
This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.
You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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.
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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
Have a question about this info? Learn more here
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?
Have a question about this info? Learn more here