MPharm Pharmacy with Preparatory Year

University of Reading

United Kingdom, Reading

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173

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Home/United Kingdom/Reading /University of Reading/MPharm Pharmacy with Preparatory Year

University of Reading

United Kingdom , Reading

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

B231

Campuses

Main Site

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 5 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 23,000 / year

Next Intake September-2026

MPharm Pharmacy with Preparatory Year

About

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

Our MPharm Pharmacy with Preparatory Year 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 Foundation Training Year (see careers section). This degree is accredited by the pharmacy regulator, the General Pharmaceutical Council, and has been designed to reflect the changing roles of pharmacists. Accreditation and recognition reports, and the accreditation/recognition period, can be found on the GPhC website. 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.

Reading is one of the UK's top 10 universities for pharmacy and pharmacology (the Daily Mail University), and as a MPharm student, you will also benefit from business and leadership lectures run by the award-winning Henley Business School. In the National Student Survey 2024, 97% of our MPharm Pharmacy students said teaching staff are good at explaining things (93.48% of responders).

Additionally, you will develop your research skills throughout the course, and have the option in the final year to select a research project module to work 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.

The 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 the point of registration. The University of Reading made this transition in the 2023/24 academic year.

Placement

Throughout the course you will gain an insight into professional practice by carrying out placements in various settings, which will include hospital and community pharmacies, as well as GP practices.The placements are an essential component in your training to become a prescribing pharmacist of the future. Hence, placements are compulsory to attend and start at Part 1 of the programme.

Please note that travel will be required for your placements which may involve approximate commute times of up to one hour and a half each way, and that there may be some travel and accommodation costs incurred.

We also have an annual pharmacy careers fair that is attended by numerous employers and is a good source of work experience and job opportunities.

For more information, please visit the Pharmacy website.

Requirements

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 Preparatory Year, 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 pay the Disclosure and Barring Service for their DBS check and there may be a charge for any vaccinations or blood tests required.

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.

Declaration of health

The University of Reading MPharm Pharmacy programmes involve working closely with both patients and members of the public. To go on the compulsory placements and to protect you, and the patients/public during your course, you must meet specified occupational health requirements.

More information about the declaration of health.

Applicant interview

As part of the application process for this programme, you will be required to attend an interview. For more information, please visit our dedicated MPharm interview days webpage.

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

Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.

Typical offer

BCC: for applicants holding MPharm-aligned subjects - (B in any subject, minimum C in Chemistry and one other Science)

ABB: for applicants not holding MPharm-aligned subjects

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

International Baccalaureate

26: for applicants holding MPharm-aligned subjects – including HL Chemistry and another science

32: for applicants not holding MPharm-aligned subjects

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: for applicants holding MPharm-aligned subjects

DDM: for applicants not holding MPharm-aligned subjects

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 Preparatory Year 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.

English Program Requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 6.0.

Career

In order to become a fully qualified pharmacist, you will need to complete a Foundation Training Year 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.

Overall, 98% of graduates from Reading School of Pharmacy are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation.*

Past MPharm Pharmacy graduates at Reading have gone on to work for employers such as Boots, GSK, Lloyds Pharmacy, NHS and Spire Healthcare.**

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.

*based on our analysis of HESA data (c) HESA 2024, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021/22, includes all Reading School of Pharmacy responders.

**based on HESA data © HESA 2020 - 2024, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2017/18 - 2021/22; includes MPharm Pharmacy responders.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 23,000

Application Fee

GBP

How to Apply

1. Check our entry requirements

Please see our postgraduate subject finder for minimum entry requirements for the programme you are interested in; entry requirements can vary from one programme to another. International students can consult our country-specific pages for information and guidance on alternative qualification equivalencies for master’s study.

If English is not your first language, you will also need to meet our English language requirements. You can find the IELTS requirements on each course page. We also accept a range of alternative English language qualifications.

If your English ability is not at the required standard, you can choose to apply for one of our Pre-sessional English programmes. The programmes will equip you with the study skills and preparation needed for academic study in English. The length of your Pre-sessional English programme is determined by your current level of English against the English language requirements of your chosen master’s programme.

2. Application and funding deadlines

Although most master’s programmes do not formally close for applications, some programmes do have application deadlines; if your programme has a deadline it will be specified on the course page under the ‘Entry requirements’ section. For programmes that do not have a specific application deadline, places may be limited and programmes may become full. We recommend that you apply as early as possible (particularly if you are an international student) to allow time not only for us to process your application, but for you to ensure that you can meet any offer conditions, arrange your accommodation and, importantly, funding for your studies. For admission in September, we do recommend that you apply by 1 August (if you are a UK applicant) and 1 July (if you are an international applicant requiring a visa to come to the UK) however, we are happy to still consider applications after these dates.

International applicants should also see our advice and guidance on visas and immigration.

Funding deadlines

We require an offer of study for many of our master’s scholarships and bursaries. You should check deadlines for applications carefully, and each scholarship or bursary will have specific application instructions. We may add scholarships throughout the year, so it is a good idea to re-visit our scholarships and bursaries page.

3. Submit your application

You can apply for master’s programmes directly through our online application system, RISIS. For our PGCE/Teacher Training programmes, applications must be made via the Department of Education's Find Postgraduate Teacher Training portal. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive an automatic confirmation.

Various documents are needed to make your application. You should electronically upload:

full transcripts of all degree programmes taken. If these are not in English, a certified translation into English is required. Please do not mail original copies; we only require PDF copies via electronic upload,
an English language certificate (for example IELTS or TOEFL), if English is not your first language (this can also be provided after you submit your application),
contact details for two academic/professional references. Your references will automatically be invited via email to upload their reference directly once you have submitted your application. Please remind your references to check their junk/spam filters for the email and let them know that the link to the form is only valid for 20 days,
statement of purpose. Your personal statement should outline your academic performance, interest in applying to master’s study, any relevant work experience and skills gained,
a copy of your passport (for international students).

Application fee

We do not charge an application fee to apply for our master’s programmes.

4. Track your application

You can track the progress of your application using our applicant portal, Me@Reading, a personalised resource including information about your programme of study, student stories and what's happening here at Reading. It has everything you need to know, all in one place. When we have made a decision on your application, we will contact you via email. If we are able to make you an offer for a place to study, your offer will contain information about what to do next, including how to accept your offer, pay a deposit (if applicable), and any conditions you must meet to study with us.