Pharmacy
The MPharm degree is designed to enable students become experts in medicines and ensure their safe and effective use. Students will gain the necessary skills to allow them to be capable of working in multi-professional teams across a variety of healthcare settings to enhance patient outcomes and person-centred care.
| Award Name | Degree - Masters at UK Level 7 |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | |
| Awarding Body | Queens University Belfast |
| NFQ Level |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Masters at UK Level 7 | Queens University Belfast |
Duration
4 years (Full Time)
Entry Requirements
All applicants
New Standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists were published in 2021 by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). One important point is that the new Standards stipulate that "all admissions and selection processes must include an interactive component, to assess applicants' values and professional suitability". Therefore shortlisted applicants (including international applicants) must complete an interview.
More detail is provided in the Admissions Policy Statement for Pharmacy which can be accessed from the link below under Selection Criteria. It is essential that you read our guidance below on 'How we choose our students' prior to submitting your UCAS application.
Irish Leaving Certificate
H1H1H1H2H2H2 including H1 in Biology and Chemistry + if not offered at Higher Level, Ordinary Level grade O4 in Mathematics and English.
Shortlisted applicants will be required to attend an interview as part of the selection process. More detail is provided in the Admissions Policy Statement for Pharmacy which can be accessed from the link below.
Further information
1. As a result of current legislative requirements any offer made will be conditional on a satisfactory criminal history check (Access NI Enhanced Disclosure Check). To enable the University to request this check you will be required to provide some personal information which will be treated in the strictest of confidence and in line with Data Protection Principles. The current cost of an Enhanced Disclosure Check is £33. At the time of printing changes are due to be implemented and relevant procedures and/or costs may change. Applicants will be advised of the relevant requirements at the appropriate time. For international students, a Certificate of Good Conduct or equivalent will be required in lieu of an Access NI check.
2. The degree is subject to the University’s regulations on Fitness to Practise.
3. Any offer to study within the Pharmacy degree programme at QUB will be conditional on confirmation that the student does not appear on the Excluded Students Database. The Excluded Students Database is a national database which records those who have previously been excluded from professional programmes, on fitness to practise grounds. It is used only for proper fitness to practise purposes to protect patients and the public, and to prevent fraudulent applications. Normally students who have previously been excluded from professional programmes will not be made an offer.
Careers / Further progression
Career Prospects
Introduction
The MPharm course at Queen’s is accredited by the GPhC and the Pharmaceutical Society
NI. To become a pharmacist in the UK, you will need to complete five years of initial education (typically a four year MPharm degree followed by a foundation training year in the UK), pass a joint (common) registration assessment set by the GPhC and Pharmaceutical Society NI,
and have your name added to the relevant pharmacist register. Some universities may offer integrated 5-year degrees but Queen’s University Belfast does not. Our MPharm degree is a 4-year degree programme which must be successfully completed prior to starting the foundation training year within the UK.
Our graduates typically pursue careers in community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, GP
Practice and the pharmaceutical industry. However, career paths in a range of other sectors include academia, scientific publishing, and regulation. Further information regarding careers in pharmacy may be obtained from the Royal Pharmaceutical Society and Pharmacy Forum NI.
To develop and deliver the MPharm course, we engage with external stakeholders including multinational and independent pharmacy employers, the Department of Health NI, the Northern Ireland Centre for Pharmacy Learning and Development, GP Federations, patient groups and representatives from the pharmaceutical industry.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovEImh8UHL4&list=PLfDdUE0cOJYDIu9_JDKiZFzEND05cMJBX&index=4&t=0s
Further information
Start date: September 2024
Deadlines for on-time applications
2024 entry application deadlines
For courses starting in 2024 (and for deferred applications), your application should be with us at UCAS by one of these dates – depending on what courses you apply for. If your completed application – including all your personal details and your academic reference – is submitted by the deadline, it is guaranteed to be considered.
16 October 2023 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – any course at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, or for most courses in medicine, veterinary medicine/science, and dentistry. You can add choices with a different deadline later, but don’t forget you can only have five choices in total.
31 January 2024 for 2024 entry at 18:00 (UK time) – for the majority of courses.
Some course providers require additional admissions tests to be taken alongside the UCAS application, and these may have a deadline. Find out more about these tests at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/admissions-tests
Check course information in the search tool to see which deadline applies to you at the application weblink below.
Apply as soon as possible: Student funding arrangements mean that as offers are made and places fill up, some courses may only have vacancies for students from certain locations. It’s therefore really important that you apply for your chosen courses by the appropriate deadlines mentioned above, as not all courses will have places for all students.
All applications received after 30 June are entered into Clearing - find out more about Clearing at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/clearing-and-results-day/what-clearing
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2023/24). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
Year 1
Core Modules
Microbes and Medicines (20 credits)
Physical and Chemical Properties of Drug Molecules (30 credits)
Skills for Pharmacy (0 credits)
How the Human Body Works (40 credits)
Introduction to the Profession and Practice of Pharmacy (30 credits)
Year 1 CRAs and OSCEs (0 credits)
Year 2
Core Modules
Pharmaceutical Technology (30 credits)
Medicinal Substances (30 credits)
Criterion Referenced Assessments/OSCEs for Level 2 (0 credits)
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 1 (40 credits)
Placements and Preparation for Professional Practice 1 (20 credits)
Year 3
Core Modules
Genomic, Personalised and Future Medicines (20 credits)
OSCEs for Year 3 (0 credits)
Advanced Delivery of Large and Small Molecules (20 credits)
Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2 (40 credits)
Placements & Preparation for Professional Practice 2 (40 credits)
Year 4
Core Modules
Pharmacy Practice Responding to Symptoms (20 credits)
Objective Structured Clinical Examination for Level 4 (0 credits)
Advancement of Practice Through Evidence (20 credits)
Advanced Pharmaceutical Care (40 credits)
Preparation for Practice (10 credits)
Project (30 credits)
Admissions
Tel: 028 9097 3838
Fax: 028 9097 5151
Email address: admissions@qub.ac.uk