During the MPharm undergraduate degree you will learn how the body works, how medicines are designed, how medicines affect the body, and how to promote the optimal use of medicines in patients. You will gain hands-on experience on placements and in our Clinical Skills Suite, and develop the clinical and professional skills required of a pharmacist.
Our MPharm degree
MPharm Pharmacy
Set yourself on the path to a career as a qualified pharmacist, and develop the skills and knowledge needed in this constantly evolving sector with this MPharm Pharmacy course.
MPharm Pharmacy with Preparatory Year
Our MPharm Pharmacy with Preparatory Year course will set you on the path to a career as a qualified pharmacist. This five-year programme includes a year of foundational study and leads directly into the four-year course.
Business and Leadership
All MPharm students will benefit from lectures in business and leadership, run by the award-winning Henley Business School.
This ground-breaking, innovative collaboration with Henley Business School aims to develop your knowledge and understanding in key areas of management, which you will find invaluable in any career path you follow.
Find out about MPharm Pharmacy
Find out about MPharm Pharmacy with Preparatory Year
As part of the course, all MPharm students will benefit from business and leadership lectures run by the award-winning Henley Business School.
Your career
It's a common misconception that all registered pharmacists work in community pharmacies; in fact, there is a wide range of career paths available for you to follow. Our teaching will set you up for any career route you choose to take after you graduate.
Below are the most common areas of practice that pharmacists tend to follow, but there are many other specialist choices available in addition to these.
Hospitals
Many pharmacists are employed in NHS and private hospitals and clinics where their role is central in ensuring that patients receive safe and effective therapy.
As many of the patients are prescribed complex and potentially harmful medication regimens, hospital pharmacists need to be ready to advise other health professionals on the most appropriate use and dosage of medicines.
Hospital pharmacists tend to specialise in a field, such as oncology, infectious diseases, or psychiatry, and have a number of opportunities to become involved in research and education. There are also high numbers of pharmacists who progress to senior management positions within the NHS.
Industry
Another career option is within the pharmaceutical industry where chemical agents, medicines and drugs, and other healthcare products are produced.
Pharmacists may be involved in manufacturing, marketing, research and product development, quality control, sales, or administrative roles.
The specialist scientific and technical demands of some positions in research and manufacturing sometimes require further postgraduate study and qualifications.
Government and regulatory bodies
A complex regulatory system operates to control the sale and provision of medicinal products in Britain and the EU.
Pharmacists are employed by governments and commercial organisations to advise on and oversee the implementation of the regulations that apply to new and existing drugs.
All pharmacists need to be familiar with, and to remain informed about, regulations that exist to protect the public.
Education and research
Academic pharmacists are involved with teaching, research, public service, and patient care, and usually have a postgraduate degree or specialisation.
These practitioners bring their teaching skills and experience gained in a variety of practical environments to serve as role models for pharmacy students
Other opportunities
Pharmacists may also apply their skills in many other areas, including clinical specialisations such as infectious diseases, paediatric or geriatric pharmacy, psychiatry, intensive care, and cardiology.
Other career paths pharmacists have followed are advertising, technical writing, becoming expert in pharmaceutical and patent law, journalism and the cultivation and harvesting of medicinal plants.
Discover more Pharmacy roles
Try out our World of Pharmacy tool to discover the many different paths you career in pharmacy could take. Just answer a few questions and see how far you could go.
Why study with us
Gain hands-on experience in our Clinical Skills Suite, benefit from our strong links with employers and be guided through your MPharm by our supportive and inspiring teaching staff.
How you'll study
Learn through a range of methods including team-based learning, placements, inter-professional workshops, and case-based learning sessions. You will also have the opportunity to work with staff on pharmacy research projects.
Our research
97% of our research is of international standing (Research Excellence Framework 2021, combining 4*, 3* and 2* submissions – Allied Health Professions, Dentistry, Nursing and Pharmacy).