Pharmacy (OSPAP) PGDip

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.

Key facts

Location Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Full-time 1 year

Accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council

Apply online

Please review the entry requirements carefully and if you have any questions do get in touch with us.

Apply now for your place

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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Areas of study

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
Applied Therapeutics
Clinical Drug Delivery
Advanced Professional Studies
Health Promotion for Pharmacists
Novel Medicinal Products: A Clinical Perspective
Pharmaceutical Skills

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

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course if you wish to begin studying with us in 2019. They should be used as a general guide.

Degree and experience
Applicants must have the following qualifications and/or experience:

satisfactory adjudication of qualifications by the General Pharmaceutical Council
achievement of 40% or above in the online pharmaceutical calculations admission test.

Applicants who have failed an OSPAP award from an alternative provider are ineligible.

For non-native speakers of English
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 are going to require a Tier 4 student visa for study.

International requirements

International requirements by country

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.

Visit our language institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Fees

Course fees

UK/EU (full-time) 12,000 GBP

International (full-time)12,000 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.

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences are listed here.

All students are provided with a laboratory coat, safety glasses and log book.
A budget to cover laboratory consumables and equipment for your final year project is included in the fees for all students.
Access to key subject journals and subject specific databases is provided, as well as a site licence for industry-standard chemical drawing software.
Essential instruction booklets (laboratory handbooks) are provided, as is project poster printing and thesis binding. However, you should budget for books, printing and stationery for personal study.
The school provides some financial support for social activities via the student societies and holds a free annual graduation party.
Optional placements and day trips may include additional costs but this will vary depending on location of the placement.
For our ecology and conservation courses there are compulsory field trips for which you should budget up to £200. There are also optional field trips for which you may choose to budget up to £2,700. You may also need to buy appropriate clothing for outdoor use.
DBS checks for MPharm students are included in the fee.
Costs for MPharm placement travel is reimbursed up to a specified amount depending on location of placement.

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2019–20.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location

Local area

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 less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton

Campus where this course is taught

Moulsecoomb campus

Two miles north of Brighton seafront, Moulsecoomb is our largest campus. Subjects taught here include architecture, business, computing, construction, engineering, geography, product design, law and pharmacy.

On campus you will find professional-standard facilities including a flight simulator, trading room, design and digital media suites and specialist research laboratories, alongside the library, student centre, a nursery, fitness facilities and Students’ Union. There are excellent public transport links.

The Big Build
A major transformation of our Moulsecoomb campus began in summer 2018. By the time the Big Build is complete, there’ll be new halls of residence, academic building, and Students’ Union and fitness facilities – all created with sustainability, inclusivity and community in mind.

As the development grows it will provide many exciting learning opportunities for our students, ranging from live projects, placements and internships with the companies involved to guest lectures and site visits. Find out more...

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Accommodation

Brighton: Moulsecoomb

Looking for clearing accommodation? Accommodation is available, we can help you find your home from home.

All eligible students applying for 2020 are guaranteed an offer of university-managed accommodation.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
Moulsecoomb campus is linked to Varley Park and Moulsecoomb Place halls
- Varley Park offers a mix of room and catering options. Varley Park is around two miles from Moulsecoomb campus and four miles from the city centre. Public transport in the city is excellent, and there’s a shuttle bus between our Brighton campuses during term time.
- Moulsecoomb Place halls are all catered and are located right on campus.

Unihomes and unilets
Unihomes and unilets are student houses that we let to our students on behalf of private landlords. This option can work particularly well when you’re balancing learning with placements and other commitments. We have unihomes and unilet properties at locations across the city.

Starting in 2019 and looking for accommodation advice? Find out more about our accommodation options.

Private renting
There's plenty of support if you opt for private rented accommodation. This is an option which offers choice and flexibility – enabling you to choose where you live and who with. We manage our own studenthomes database of properties. This lists accommodation offered by landlords who have signed up to our code of standards. Every summer we provide online events and resources, as well as other advice services, for students looking for a place to live and people to share with.