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  • Economics
  • Education
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  • Engineering
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  • English Literature
  • Environmental Sciences
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  • Finance
  • Food and Nutritional Sciences
  • Geography and Environmental Science
  • Graphic Design

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  • History
  • Information Management and Digital Business
  • Information Technology
  • International Development and Applied Economics
  • Languages and Cultures
  • Law
  • Linguistics
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • Meteorology and Climate
  • Microbiology
  • Nutrition
  • Pharmacy
  • Philosophy
  • Physician Associate
  • Politics and International Relations
  • Project Management
  • Psychology
  • Public Policy

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  • Real Estate and Planning
  • Social Policy
  • Speech and Language Therapy
  • Strategic Studies
  • Teacher training
  • Theatre
  • Typography and Graphic Communication
  • War and Peace Studies
  • Zoology

MPharm Pharmacy with Foundation

  • UCAS code
    B231
  • Typical offer
    See entry requirements
  • Year of entry
    2024/25 See 2023/24 entry
  • Course duration
    Full Time: 5 Years
  • Year of entry
    2024/25 See 2023/24 entry
  • Course duration
    Full Time: 5 Years

Our MPharm Pharmacy with Foundation course will set you on the path to a career as a qualified pharmacist.

Are you keen to take our Pharmacy course but haven’t taken the necessary A level subjects? Our MPharm Pharmacy with Foundation is a five-year programme that includes a year of foundational study and leads directly into the four-year 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. We will equip you with the skills and knowledge needed for success in this constantly evolving sector.

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 the chemistry, biology and pharmacy related to each one. 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.

As part of the course, all MPharm students will benefit from business and leadership lectures run by the award-winning Henley Business School. You will then have the option to invest in an additional module and assessment to gain a Certificate in Business Administration.

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.

New 2021 educational standards from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) will be implemented by all University providers of Pharmacy education by the academic year 2024/25. The changes implemented by the GPhC include an increased focus on clinical decision-making in preparation for becoming independent prescribers at point of registration. The University of Reading has made the decision to make this transition in the 2023/24 academic year. Therefore, the modules currently advertised are likely to change to align with the new curriculum, but the new modules will allow you to achieve the MPharm Pharmacy qualification in exactly the same way and graduate meeting the new educational standards, to prepare you for a career as a prescriber. We anticipate that the revised modules will be available in February 2023 and will share those with you once they have been confirmed.

Placement

Throughout the course you will gain an insight into professional practice by carrying out observational visits and placements in hospital and community pharmacies. Our annual pharmacy careers fair is attended by numerous employers and is a good source of work experience and job opportunities. 

For more information, please visit the Pharmacy website.

Overview

Our MPharm Pharmacy with Foundation course will set you on the path to a career as a qualified pharmacist.

Are you keen to take our Pharmacy course but haven’t taken the necessary A level subjects? Our MPharm Pharmacy with Foundation is a five-year programme that includes a year of foundational study and leads directly into the four-year 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. We will equip you with the skills and knowledge needed for success in this constantly evolving sector.

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 the chemistry, biology and pharmacy related to each one. 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.

As part of the course, all MPharm students will benefit from business and leadership lectures run by the award-winning Henley Business School. You will then have the option to invest in an additional module and assessment to gain a Certificate in Business Administration.

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.

New 2021 educational standards from the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) will be implemented by all University providers of Pharmacy education by the academic year 2024/25. The changes implemented by the GPhC include an increased focus on clinical decision-making in preparation for becoming independent prescribers at point of registration. The University of Reading has made the decision to make this transition in the 2023/24 academic year. Therefore, the modules currently advertised are likely to change to align with the new curriculum, but the new modules will allow you to achieve the MPharm Pharmacy qualification in exactly the same way and graduate meeting the new educational standards, to prepare you for a career as a prescriber. We anticipate that the revised modules will be available in February 2023 and will share those with you once they have been confirmed.

Placement

Throughout the course you will gain an insight into professional practice by carrying out observational visits and placements in hospital and community pharmacies. Our annual pharmacy careers fair is attended by numerous employers and is a good source of work experience and job opportunities. 

For more information, please visit the Pharmacy website.

Entry requirements A Level See entry requirements

Please note: this course is not included in the firm choice scheme.

Background check

As part of your enrolment onto the MPharm with Foundation, you will be asked to complete a series of self-declarations relating to your suitability to join the programme, in particular regarding any health issues or criminal offences that might affect your ability to study or pose a risk to other students, staff or patients.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, arranged by the University, will be completed in Part 1 of the programme. All non-UK candidates will need to provide a certificate of no criminal convictions or letter of good standing – provided by their own country before entering the UK. Candidates must also complete an occupational health questionnaire, provided by the University, and complete a declaration of health. Evidence is required of up-to-date vaccinations, including MMR, varicella (chicken pox) and tuberculosis.

While the University does not charge candidates for processing these checks, you will be required to arrange for and fund any vaccinations needed, and pay the Disclosure and Barring Service for their DBS check.

Fitness to Practise

In line with national requirements for courses leading to a health professional qualification, students applying to this course are also subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations.

Typical offer 

BBB - for applicants without Chemistry and a second science

CCC - for applicants with Chemistry and a second science

Acceptable science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science, ICT.

As part of the application process for this programme, you will be required to attend an interview.

International Baccalaureate

30 - for applicants without Chemistry and a second science

24 - for applicants with Chemistry and a second science

Acceptable science subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Psychology, Geography, Environmental Studies, Applied Science, Geology, Computer Science, ICT.

If you would like to receive personalised advice on your eligibility for our Foundation courses, please ask us a question.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DMM 

GCSE

Grade 4 (C) in Science, if not studying Sciences at A level

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 6.0. 

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Requirements for progression to MPharm Pharmacy

In order to progress from Year 0 of the MPharm with Foundation onto Year 1 of our MPharm Pharmacy course, you will be required to meet the academic requirements stated in the programme specification, which includes the need to pass key assessments throughout the year.  

Further requirements

If you are an international student planning to apply for one of our degree programmes, you may need to take a foundation course or pre-sessional course if you do not have qualifications that are equivalent to British A levels or if you need to improve your English language level.

  • Look at entry requirements by country.
  • Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme.
  • Learn more about our international foundation programme.

Structure

  • Modules

We will be updating this page with module information over the coming weeks. You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,250

New international students: £27,650

*UK/Republic of Ireland fee changes

UK/Republic of Ireland undergraduate tuition fees are regulated by the UK government. These fees are subject to parliamentary approval and any decision on raising the tuition fees cap for new UK students would require the formal approval of both Houses of Parliament before it becomes law.

EU student fees

With effect from 1 August 2021, new EU students will pay international tuition fees. For exceptions, please read the UK government’s guidance for EU students.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

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.

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.

Contextual offers


We make contextual offers for all our courses.

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Related Subjects


  • Foundation programmes
  • Healthcare
  • Pharmacy

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