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Pharmacy at Cardiff University - UCAS

Cardiff University

Degree level: Undergraduate
Awarded by: Cardiff University (Prifysgol Caerdydd)

Pharmacy

Course options

Course summary

Pharmacists are experts in the field of drugs and medicines, and many now prescribe medicines independently of a doctor. They may be involved in any aspect of drug/medicines preparation and use, from discovery to supply to the patient, while many have a role in optimising drug therapy. This means that once qualified as a pharmacist you have a wide choice of career options in hospitals and community practice, industry and research in the UK or elsewhere in the world. On this four-year programme you will learn about the discovery and development of new drugs; about their chemical, physicochemical, pharmacological and toxicological properties; you will study the clinical uses of medicines and the role of the pharmacist in relation to other healthcare professions. You will learn about the underlying pathophysiology of many human diseases, and how the use of medicines can halt, slow the progression of, or reverse disease processes. You will study in a thriving intellectual environment, alongside leading research laboratories, and a variety of postgraduate and professional courses in the pharmaceutical sciences and clinical pharmacy. Completion of the course will prepare you for post-graduate training to become a pharmacist or for other career avenues in health, science or education. The programme meets the requirements for accreditation by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and draws on the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) subject benchmark for pharmacy. The School, one of the long-established pharmacy schools in the UK, retains a strong and supportive 'family' atmosphere, and is based in its own Redwood Building, named after the first professor of pharmacy in the UK. Distinctive features You will learn in a research-led institution with academic staff rated highly for research in the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014. Our academic staff have a broad range of experience and expertise, many of whom are pharmacists, and all of whom are involved in teaching. Within the course we also involve teacher-practitioners and visiting lecturers from community, hospital, primary care and industrial pharmacy and from pharmaceutical public health and the regulation of pharmacy. We have an active student society that arranges social, sporting and other events for its members. Alongside this, we also get regular student feedback within an Undergraduate Student Staff Panel. We provide full access to all resource centres in the University. Staff and students have excellent instruction and support from our subject librarians in the Bute library, who lead induction and skills-enhancement classes on accessing and citing published information. The School supports and encourages students to improve their information technology skills as well as their mentoring skills of more junior students or other pharmacy team members. In addition, we support engagement in the ‘life’ of the profession through participation in local pharmacy evening meetings or conferences of the British Pharmaceutical Students Association or the International Pharmaceutical Students Federation further afield. The School also fosters and promotes opportunities for ERASMUS international exchange visits of students and funded summer placements in its laboratories for undergraduates. Our final year MPharm students present their research project findings at a ‘School Research Poster Day’ and see the inclusion of project abstracts in a research abstract booklet.


How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
B230
Institution code:
C15
Campus name:
Main Site - Cardiff
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

In your personal statement, you will need to demonstrate your commitment to pharmacy. We won’t make an offer without an interview. All applicants must meet the minimum requirements at Level 2 (typically GCSE) and Level 3 (typically A-level) in order to be eligible for consideration for interview. If you’re an international student, we can conduct an interview by telephone, via Skype or, occasionally, by a member of staff travelling overseas. Please contact us to ask about the dates of these visits. We do not accept Critical Thinking, General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or other similar equivalent subjects. We will accept a combination of BTEC subjects, A-levels, and other qualifications, subject to the course specific grade and subject requirements. ENROLMENT CONDITIONS In line with the General Pharmaceutical Council’s (GPhC) student code of conduct and fitness to practise procedures, before starting your course you will need to undergo a health check by our Occupational Health Service, attend any subsequent appointments and receive all of the necessary vaccinations to undertake clinical placements safely. The GPhC will carry out its own health, good character and identity checks when you complete your training and apply to register with the regulatory body.

Additional entry requirements

Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)

Health checks

Interview


English language requirements

All applicants are expected to have demonstrable English language skills. Most courses ask for GCSE English grade C/4 or equivalent, but some courses ask for GCSE English grade B/6 or equivalent.

To find out more, please go to:

https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/international/english-language-requirements/undergraduate


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
69%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
93%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
Channel Islands £9250 Year 1
Republic of Ireland £9250 Year 1
EU £29450 Year 1
International £29450 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

Students from the UK and Islands: Fees stated are for the 2025/26 academic year. The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of a course as permitted by law or Welsh Government policy. Where applicable we will notify you of any change in tuition fee by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which the fee will increase. Fees for entry in subsequent years are subject to increase and will be confirmed by the end of October in the year preceding your start date of your programme. Tuition fees cover all reasonable costs required for you to complete to the degree programme stated. Please note that you may choose to participate in study trips, associated placements or purchase equipment while studying on your degree programme which will be at your own cost. Tuition fees do not include living costs such as accommodation, subsistence or travel. Students from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland: If you are an EU/EEA/Swiss national, unless you qualify for UK fee status, tuition fees for 2025/26 will be in line with the fees charged for international students. You can check whether you are eligible for UK (Home) fee status on the UKCISA website: https://www.ukcisa.org.uk/Information--Advice/Fees-and-Money/Wales-fee-status#layer-6099 Students from the rest of the world (international): Fees stated are for 2025/26 entry and are fixed for the duration of the programme, excluding Medicine and Dentistry programmes. Please note that during the pre-clinical element of Medicine and Dentistry programmes the fee rate will be fixed, after which the clinical fee rate will be charged. Further details are available on the university website at: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/international/funding-and-fees Fees for entry in subsequent years are subject to increase and will be confirmed by the end of October in the year preceding your start date of your programme. Tuition fees cover all reasonable costs required for you to complete the degree programme stated. Please note that you may choose to participate in study trips, associated placements or purchase equipment while studying on your degree programme which will be at your own cost. Tuition fees do not include living costs such as accommodation, subsistence or travel.

Sponsorship information

Cardiff University has many scholarships on offer to our prospective students. Please see our website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/scholarships for further information.

Pharmacy at Cardiff University - UCAS