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 industry partners; develop your skills in dedicated specialist facilities, and benefit from the experience and insight of our expert teaching staff. With our roots stretching back to the establishment of the Birmingham Pharmaceutical Institution in 1847, and strong links with the NHS and healthcare industry, 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, many of our final year students select a final year research project in pharmacy practice, which can be based in either community or hospital practice. Key course benefits:
- Accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), which is one of the key requirements to practice as a pharmacist in the UK. The most recent accreditation at Aston University took place in May 2019 and the MPharm programme was re-accredited for six years, the maximum period possible.
- Aston is ranked 2nd in the UK for Health Professions (Guardian University Guide, 2022).
- We are home to the leading community of renowned researchers, and are ranked in the top 10 in the UK for research quality in Pharmacology and Pharmacy (Complete University Guide, 2022).
- Aston is ranked in the Top 15 in the UK for graduate prospects (Pharmacology and Pharmacy (Complete University Guide, 2022), and in the Top 20 in the UK for student satisfaction with teaching in Pharmacy and Pharmacology (Guardian University Guide, 2022).
- Access to a range of specialist facilities in our recently redeveloped Keith 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, and a range of laboratories and teaching rooms.
Modules
As the only Pharmacy School in the UK to hold a prestigious Regius Chair in Pharmacy, studying at Aston means you’ll be learning in the best possible environment to have an outstanding career that changes and improves many lives. We have a long-standing track record of teaching excellence, student satisfaction and graduate prospects, and at Aston, you’ll be provided with the opportunities, experience and expertise needed to prepare for your pre-registration training year and successful future career as a pharmacist. You’ll have access to our student support team and personal tutor who are there to help you through your studies, supporting your personal and professional development. In addition, you will have a great peer support network through the highly active and student-led Aston Pharmacy Association. Our open and inclusive curriculum structure allows you to see how the material you learn throughout the course is connected. You’ll study twelve integrated themes, within three broad areas of study:
- The Professional: Themes focusing on the safe and effective delivery of healthcare and supporting you in the development of your professional identity as a pharmacist.
- The Medicine: Themes focusing on how medicines are discovered, formulated and used in practice, including the latest developments in individualised medicines.
Assessment method
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.
Professional bodies
Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.
- General Pharmaceutical Council
How to apply
25Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- B230
- Institution code:
- A80
- Campus name:
- Main Site
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
Admissions Review Process Whilst the grades listed here are our entry requirements, we understand that predicted grades are only an estimate. We will therefore consider applicants with predicted grades that fall below these entry requirements if the application is of a high standard (however, initial offers will not be lower than stated above). The information contained on this website details the typical entry requirements for this course for the most commonly offered qualifications. Applicants with alternative qualifications may wish to enquire with the relevant admissions teams prior to application whether or not their qualifications are deemed acceptable. For less commonly encountered qualifications this will be judged on a case-by-case basis in consultation with the academic admissions tutor. If you are shortlisted, you will receive an interview invitation which will be conducted virtually. The virtual interview is a compulsory element of the application process and no offer will be made without a successful interview being conducted first. When applying, please ensure you include an up to date email and telephone number as this is important information for us if you are shortlisted for interview. Further information about the interview and application process will be made available to you post-application.
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
Additional entry requirements
Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)
Health checks
Interview
Unistats information
Operated by the Office for Students
Student satisfaction
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The student satisfaction data is from students surveyed during the Covid-19 pandemic. 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 |
| International | £20100 | Year 1 |
Additional fee information
For Sandwich courses the placement fee is £1250 for Home/UK students and £2,500 for International students.
* Please note that the tuition fees stated are for 2023 entry. 2024 tuition fees are presently unavailable and will be published on this website at the earliest opportunity.
**The latest information relating to EU students and tuition fees for 2023 can be found on the UCAS website at: https://www.ucas.com/finance/finance-international-and-eu-students.
***The United Kingdom government has confirmed that European Union (EU), other European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals commencing academic courses in England from August 2021 will no longer be eligible for home fee status.
^^Tuition fees for students are reviewed annually and may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering the Programme. Any such increase shall always be in accordance with the law.
Provider information
Aston University, Birmingham
Aston Triangle
Birmingham
B4 7ET