Course summary

The Aston Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree provides a comprehensive understanding of pharmaceutical science and the practical skills necessary to excel professionally. This programme stands out as a premier pathway for aspiring pharmacists, providing a full learning experience, combined with hands-on learning through our extensive network of industry partners, developing your skills in our dedicated specialist facilities, and benefitting from the experience and insight of our expert teaching staff. You'll 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. There is a strong focus on interprofessional practice and collaborative care, offering opportunities for you to learn with, from and about other healthcare specialities. In addition, our final-year students can 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. The programme is accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). It will prepare you for the one-year Foundation Training that you will need to complete and pass after completing your degree to become a UK-registered pharmacist. You’ll learn from leading experts in the pharmaceutical field within a prestigious pharmacy school - the only pharmacy school in the UK to hold a prestigious Regius Chair in Pharmacy. What you will learn The programme delves into twelve integrated themes spanning three fascinating areas of study: ‘The Professional’, mastering the science of safe and effective healthcare delivery; ‘The Medicine’, learning how medicines are discovered, formulated, and used in practice; and ‘The Patient”, the immersion into the multifaceted world of patient care, covering a wide range of clinical conditions. Foundations Your first years introduces you to key concepts of pharmaceutical science - the process of discovering, designing, and formulating new drugs, discovering how drugs interact with the body, understanding the chemical properties of drugs, drug safety, and patient care. You’ll begin to learn how to make professional judgments based on evidence in pharmacy practice and develop effective leadership and management skills. Build upwards With the fundamentals learned in your first three years firmly in place, your final year culminating in a master’s degree provides you the opportunity to apply knowledge to more complex clinical cases and build your understanding of real-world industry practice. Placement and professional experiences You will benefit from extensive patient contact throughout the course within the university and through a series of professional experiences in different workplace environments such as hospitals, community pharmacies, GP surgeries and deliver patient services in supervised on campus clinics. You will practise and perfect your skills in bespoke, immersive simulation suites and interact with ‘patients’ using cutting edge AI technology. We also have a strong focus on interprofessional practice and collaborative care, offering opportunities for you to learn with, from and about other healthcare speciality. Career prospects This programme is valued by some of the best-known companies in the world. Recent graduates have successfully secured careers with employers such as Lloyds, Boots, Pfizer, GSK, and NHS hospitals and GP surgeries. Facilities Benefit from our £3m new pharmacy on campus laboratory, with a range of specialist facilities to reflect the hands-on practical learning experience. No Foundation Programme available Your UCAS Application: Explain any gaps in your education, list full qualification names, provide an academic reference, and include predicted grades (even if sitting privately).