Intro

This course is fully accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council as an Overseas Pharmacists' Assessment Programme (OSPAP), certifying international pharmacists to practise their profession in the UK.

Brighton is the most flexible course provider in the country. You are required on campus for two days per week, with the rest of the time being used for distance learning and independent study.

One of the days is spent in our clinical skills lab, which offers a simulated experience of working in a pharmacy, and you also have a chance to do a placement in a clinical setting to maximise your practical experience.

Our International Office is here to help you whatever your needs, and the course is renowned among students for its diverse, supportive and close-knit atmosphere.

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Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Full-time 1 year

Accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council

This course is full for 2025

This means we are not accepting applications for September 2025 at the moment. We also cannot accept applications for 2026 at this time.

If you have applied for this year, scroll down to the entry criteria section for information on your next steps.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

This course is closed to applications for September 2025.

Calculations test
All applicants will be sent a time-limited online calculations test.

You must make sure that you follow all the instructions sent with the test as you will only have one opportunity to complete it within the allocated timeframe. Additional or late test submissions will be discounted. You may use Pharmaceutical Calculations Workbook by Pharmaceutical Press as a reference to help prepare for the calculations test.

Once all the test results are received, they will be ranked from the highest scores to the pass mark of 60%. Applicants not achieving a pass will be rejected at this stage.

Applicants achieving a pass mark will then be assessed following our entry criteria detailed below with those achieving the highest score assessed first.

Degree and experience

For your application to be considered you will need:

  • an accreditation letter from GPhC uploaded to your application
  • a pharmacy degree equivalent to a UK honours 2:1 or above
  • references and personal statement.

You must include all of the above in your application. Incomplete applications will be rejected.

English language requirements
IELTS (Academic) Level 7.0 or above in each parameter at one sitting. If you have been exempted by the General Pharmaceutical Council from an IELTS qualification you will not be required to have IELTS for an application to this course. Check this link for possible General Pharmaceutical Council exemptions. For exemptions under evidence types 1 and 2 in this guide, IELTS may still be needed if you need a student visa for study.

If we make you an offer
You will be required to reserve a place and will be asked to pay a non-refundable deposit of £3,000 within a month of receiving your offer. This will be deducted from your course fees or your international deposit if you require a visa to study.

Offer holders will need to complete additional checks to fulfil the professional requirements of the course. We will send instructions to relevant applicants in summer 2025. The additional checks which must be passed are:

  • complete a Suitability Declaration
  • provide a satisfactory overseas police check
  • undergo a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
  • complete satisfactory Occupational Health checks.

 

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

View our English language courses

For pre-sessional English preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Course content

Course structure

This is a full-time course with a combination of seven modules run over two semesters: one independent study and six university-based modules. The independent study module is supported by specifically written module materials and staff-led tutorial sessions. The remaining six modules involve a mixture of lectures and skills-based workshops and are run over two days per week at the university.

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Syllabus

Studies focus on new developments in the areas of pharmaceutics, clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice. In addition, you explore pharmacy law and ethics, contemporary pharmacy issues and UK healthcare provision. There is also an opportunity for you to develop a programme of work that suits your individual requirements.

Modules

  • Scientific Basis of Pharmacy Practice

    This module aims to ensure that you have the required foundational science to undertake the PG Diploma in Pharmacy (OSPAP). Subjects covered in the module include chemistry; cell biology, biochemistry and nutrition; microbiology; applied physiology and pharmacology; research methods and ethics.

  • Applied Therapeutics

    Applied Therapeutics will give you an in-depth understanding of the therapeutic process by using case studies to examine the major diseases which affect the population. You will examine the therapeutic process as a concept; the diagnostic process, its philosophical principles and practical application; and the application, influence and limitations of laboratory data on drug therapy and patient care.

  • Health Promotion for Pharmacists

    The pharmacist’s role in promoting health and providing lifestyle advice is becoming increasingly recognised; this module will provide you with an appreciation of the conditions which promote behaviour change and the theory underpinning health promotion campaigns. It will cover current health promotion areas such as sexual health; healthy eating; smoking cessation; screening and diagnostic services.

  • Novel Medicinal Products: A Clinical Perspective

    In this module you will demonstrate a sound understanding of the multidisciplinary framework of research and development. You will develop an understanding of the processes involved in developing new drug substances and products as well as the pre-clinical and clinical trial protocol to optimise patient safety for new medications. You will also show an understanding of the regulatory processes and controls in place during and after drug development.

  • Clinical Drug Delivery

    This module uses a patient-focused, case-based approach to provide an overview of drug delivery systems, including oral, parenteral, transdermal, pulmonary and nasal drug delivery, as well as other routes such as buccal, ocular and rectal. You will also look at therapeutic agents and medical devices.

  • Pharmaceutical Skills

    This module teaches the skills needed to practice pharmacy in the UK. These include effective communication, record-keeping, numerical, team-working, literature search and evaluation and aseptic skills. You will also learn about dispensing, including the evaluation, interpretation, compounding and counselling of a prescription; diagnostic and patient management skills regarding minor ailments; clinical pharmacy considerations; and reflective practitioner skills.

  • Advanced Professional Studies

    In this module you will learn about aspects of pharmaceutical legislation and ensure you are up to date with the latest professional and political issues in pharmacy and can fully discuss their impact. You will also explore ethical issues such as truth-telling and confidentially, patient autonomy and paternalism, allocation of healthcare resources and the use of new healthcare technologies such as genetics.

 

Careers

Satisfactory completion of this course enables you to undertake pre-registration training in order to apply for the General Pharmaceutical Council registration exam, which officially enables you to become a pharmacist in the UK.

A student in a white coat looking into a microscope

Fees and costs

Course fees

UK (full-time) 15,200 GBP

International (full-time)15,200 GBP

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

The fees listed here are for the first year of full-time study if you start your course in the academic year 2025–26.

You will pay fees for each year of your course. Some fees may increase each year.

UK undergraduate and some postgraduate fees are regulated by the UK government and increases will not be more than the maximum amount allowed. Course fees that are not regulated may increase each year by up to 5% or RPI (whichever is higher).

If you are studying part-time your fee will usually be calculated based on the number of modules that you take.

Find out more

What's included

Here you’ll find details of specific resources and services that are included in the tuition fee for our pharmacy students. To help you to budget for your studies, there is also information on any additional costs that you may have to pay or can choose to pay in addition to your tuition fee.

Find out how tuition fees enable us to support all of our students with important services, facilities and resources across the university and check out our finance pages for info about fees, funding and scholarships along with advice on international and island fee-paying status.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information.

What’s included in your tuition fee

  • The cost of project poster printing is covered for undergraduate School of Applied Science students.

The following items are covered by your fee where they are required or relevant.

  • All MPharm students must obtain a valid UK Enhanced DBS certificate at the start of year 1. We cover this cost for you.
  • Students in the first year of the course will be required to attend an Occupational Health clinic to clarify things such as proof of vaccination and antibody testing, testing of blood and provision of a series of vaccinations. This cost is covered for you.
  • For you to undertake placements in MPharm, we need to ensure that you are checked/vaccinated for TB, MMR and, if possible, Hep B.  If you do not have all of these vaccinations, we arrange a vaccination clinic for you and cover any related cost.
  • Costs for MPharm placement travel is reimbursed up to a specified amount depending on where the placement is.
  • Personal Protective Equipment – all students are provided with a laboratory coat, safety glasses and logbook.
  • Essential instruction booklets (laboratory handbooks) are provided.
  • The cost of laboratory consumables and equipment for your final year project is included in the fees.
  • Course books, magazines and journals are available in the university libraries. You do not need to have your own copies. See the subject area in the library for an up-to-date list of key subject journals and databases.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software on campus – and can borrow a laptop from us if yours is broken or you don’t have a computer at home. Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning.
  • MPharm students who fulfil the eligibility criteria are guaranteed an interview with the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) if they want to pursue a degree in medicine. Applications to BSMS are still made using the UCAS system and you must select BSMS as one of your choices. UCAS costs are covered by you.
  • Ongoing support during Foundation Training Year.

Additional course costs

  • You’ll need to budget for printing and stationery for personal study, and books if you decide to buy your own.
  • In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes which would involve an extra cost.
  • Many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices, but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
  • The university will cover the cost of applying for a DBS certificate for MPharm students, but you will need to pay for the associated identity check that is completed at a post office.
  • There is an optional DBS update service with an annual charge of £13 but it means that you can then use your certificate for other positions in the future (as long as the new position requires the same checks as those listed on the certificate). You will find that this will benefit you immensely for future placements and employment opportunities.
  • Optional placements may include additional costs that you will have to cover, for example, travel, accommodation, food and drink. This will vary depending on where and how long the placement is.
  • MPharm students who are eligible and want to pursue a degree in medicine with the Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) will need to budget for any cost needed to take the UCAT admissions test, and for the cost of their UCAS application.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus and student village. Moulsecoomb has been transformed by a recent development of our estate. On campus you’ll find new Students’ Union, events venue and sports and fitness facilities, alongside the library and student centre.

Over 900 students live here in our Moulsecoomb Place halls and the new Mithras halls – Brunswick, Goldstone, Hanover, Preston and Regency.

Moulsecoomb has easy access to buses and trains so you can access all the exciting things happening in our home city.

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Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students. So if you applied for halls by the deadline you are guaranteed a room in our halls of residence.

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Halls of residence
We have self-catered halls on all our campuses, within minutes of your classes, and other options that are very nearby.

You can apply for any of our halls, but the options closest to your study location are:

  • Mithras Halls are stylish new high-rises in the heart of the student village at our revitalised Moulsecoomb campus with ensuite rooms for more than 800 students.
  • Varley Park is a popular dedicated halls site, offering a mix of rooms and bathroom options at different prices. It is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre, and is easy to get to by bus.

Want to live independently?
We can help – find out more about private renting.

Relaxing in halls

Modern accommodation at Moulsecoomb

Mithras halls room with a view

Relaxing in halls near the campus

Student Union social space

Student Union social space at Moulsecoomb

Local area

One of Time Out's 50 best cities in the world

“Brighton has… all the important parts of a sprawling cosmopolitan metropolis (connections to London in under an hour, an array of properly excellent restaurants, energetic late-night spots) … with the easy-breezy beachy attitude to life that makes you feel welcome in an instant.”
Time Out’s 50 Best Cities in the World, 2025

About Brighton

The city of Brighton & Hove is a forward-thinking place which leads the way in the arts, technology, sustainability and creativity. You'll find living here plays a key role in your learning experience.

Brighton is a leading centre for creative media technology, recently named the startup capital of the UK.

The city is home to a national 5G testbed and over 1,000 tech businesses. The digital sector is worth over £1bn a year to the local economy – as much as tourism.

All of our full-time undergraduate courses involve work-based learning - this could be through placements, live briefs and guest lectures. Many of these opportunities are provided by local businesses and organisations.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and there are daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

Moulsecoomb campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more about how we support your wellbeing.

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Brighton Cricket Academy

Develop your cricketing skills in the UK’s largest indoor cricket facility alongside studying for a degree. Whether you can already play or you’re new to the game offers the opportunity to train with top coaches in our world-class training environment. 

Find out about the Brighton Cricket Academy.

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Take a tour of sport facilities on our Falmer campus

Stay in touch

Book your place: School of Applied Sciences postgraduate open day

See all of our upcoming events

Find out more

School of Applied Sciences
01273 642090
SAS-office@brighton.ac.uk

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