About

Start your journey to becoming a pharmacist with DMU’s Pharmacy with Preparatory Year MPharm – a solid foundation for a rewarding career in healthcare.

Overview

Taught in the Leicester School of Pharmacy - one of the UK’s longest established and well-respected pharmacy schools, the pharmacy preparatory course is a focused pathway for aspiring pharmacists who don’t have the grades for direct entry on to the MPharm programme. As a Preparatory Year student, you’ll belong to our pharmacy community, accessing pharmaceutical laboratories, pharmacy simulation suites and wider university facilities, while receiving tailored support that ensures you feel prepared, connected and ready to succeed.

DMU’s distinctive block teaching approach gives you focused time with academic experts, helping you build strong foundations in chemistry, biology, maths, study skills and communication. You’ll gain hands-on scientific experience and early insight into the pharmacy profession, supported by a school with a proud heritage of producing skilled, compassionate pharmacists.

After successfully completing the preparatory year course and meeting non-academic criteria for continuation, you’ll progress directly onto our GPhC-accredited Pharmacy MPharm (Hons) programme.

Key features

Build strong foundational skills: The preparatory year equip students with the relevant academic skills and knowledge needed for success on the MPharm.
Expert teaching: Learn from subject experts in the Leicester School of Pharmacy where we combine academic excellence with high levels of personalised support.
A renowned reputation: Benefit from over 120 years of teaching experience in the renowned Leicester School of Pharmacy.
Collaborative learning: Work alongside future health and social care professionals, gaining valuable team-based learning experience.
Career ready: DMU MPharm graduates have gone on to rewarding careers across all sectors of pharmacy, including roles in community pharmacies, NHS settings, primary care, and the pharmaceutical industry.
GPHC accredited: Our Pharmacy with Preparatory Year is accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), reflecting the high level of teaching and learning on the course.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements

Typical offer

UCAS points:

96

A Level:

CCC

3 A levels including Biology or Chemistry at grade C or above and at least one of the following also at grade C or above: Biology, Chemistry, Maths, Further Maths, Statistics, Physics or Psychology. The third A level may be in a non-science subject. General Studies and UCAS points from EPQs are not accepted.

BTEC Extended Diploma:

MMM in Applied Science

Please note applicants must have studied the following units: Applications of Inorganic Chemistry, Applications of Organic Chemistry, Industrial Chemical Reactions and Practical Chemical Analysis.

Contextual Offer:

This course does not provide contextual offers due to capacity management. To find out more about our contextual offer policy at DMU, head to dmu.ac.uk/contextual

T Levels:

Pass in Science (C or above on the core)

Access to HE:

Pass Access to Science HE diploma with equivalent to 96 tariff points, to include 15 level three chemistry or biology credits at merit

English Language and Maths GCSEs required as separate qualifications.

International Baccalaureate (IB):

26

GCSEs:

GCSEs at grade 4/C or above including English Language and Maths

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.5 overall, with no element at lower than 6.0, or equivalent (by end of YZ)

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Additional application stages

Interview: Yes

Interviews will take place online via Microsoft Teams. To find out more about interviewing for a course please visit our interview advice page.

Non-academic requirements

Self-declaration form: Yes

Enhanced DBS check: No

Occupational Health clearance: No

Once you progress from the preparatory year to Pharmacy Year 1, you will be required to complete your enhanced DBS application and occupational health check.

Additional information

Continuance on the preparatory year Pharmacy MPharm programme is subject to annual completion of a self-declaration (from Level 3) and enhanced DBS (from Level 4 onwards).

Failure to engage with this process will result in a review of your continued registration, the normal outcome of which will be discontinuation of your registration from the preparatory year programme. For international students a certificate of good conduct from your home country is required in lieu of a DBS check.

Please note that we do not normally accept applicants who have previously enrolled on a Pharmacy MPharm degree or a science foundation degree/year zero in the UK.

Availability: This course has a limited number of places so that we can ensure a good quality placement experience. In exceptional circumstances this may result in the course becoming full before you have completed the admissions process. In this situation we will offer you the opportunity to be considered for a place on an alternative course.

You must meet and fulfil all non-academic requirements before 17 July 2026 to ensure your offer remains valid. Not meeting this deadline risks your offer being withdrawn at a later stage of the process.

Mature applicants need academic attainment normally no more than five years of joining the course.

Pharmacy with Preparatory Year ,MPharm (Hons)