Pharmacy - U7UPHRCY

Required subjects

• AAA including chemistry and at least one further science A level from biology, maths or physics
• A pass in the practical element of science subjects is required if assessed separately
• The third A level can be any subject apart from the excluded subjects below

Excluded subjects

General studies, critical thinking, citizenship studies, global perspectives and research, thinking skills

GCSEs

Maths 6 (B) or above and English 5 (B) or above

IB score

IB score 34 points overall or 666 in 3 HL certificates

IB requirements

IB Diploma 34 points overall with 6,6, in chemistry and a second science subject, or IB Higher Level Certificates 6,6,6 including chemistry and a second science subject.

RQF BTEC Nationals 

• RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma Applied Science D*DD
• RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma Applied Science (Biomedical Science) D*DD
• Other applications are assessed on an individual basis to ensure sufficient science content has been studied

We will consider the following:

• RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma D*DD
• RQF Level 3 BTEC National Diploma D*D plus A level grade A
• RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Certificate D plus A level grades AA
• The required A levels for mixed BTEC and A level grade profiles depends on the science content studied in the BTEC

Access to HE Diploma 

Applications are assessed on an individual basis. Where an offer is made, our standard requirements are:

• Access to HE Diploma 36 graded Level 3 credits at Distinction (including 15 credits from acceptable chemistry units* plus 15 credits from maths, biology or physics units), plus 9 graded Level 3 credits at Merit

* Organic chemistry is an essential Access to HE Diploma unit.

We make contextual offers to students who may have experienced barriers that have restricted progress at school or college. Our standard contextual offer is usually one grade lower than the advertised entry requirements, and our enhanced contextual offer is usually two grades lower than the advertised entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must have Home/UK fee status and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.

If you are a Home applicant and do not meet the entry requirements for direct entry to this course, you may be interested in researching our Science with Foundation Year BSc or Science with Foundation Year MSci course. Students successfully completing and meeting the specific progression requirements of the Science with a Foundation Year course are guaranteed progression on to a selection of undergraduate courses. Please note progression to some courses may require meeting additional criteria such as a successful interview.

You can view all pathways and progression criteria in our progression table.

At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.

All applications must include a personal statement and it should have a clear pharmacy focus.  We welcome applications from those applying for other healthcare profession courses, such as medicine, but you might be asked to submit another statement if interest in and motivation to study pharmacy is not clearly defined.

We are looking for strong academic qualifications as well as a commitment to a career as a healthcare professional. Your personal statement is your opportunity to make yourself stand out from the crowd. We want to know what interests you about being a healthcare professional so it is worth reflecting on any related reading that you have done, any work experience and/or any extracurricular activities that you do. For additional information regarding writing your personal statement, please see the UCAS website.

Entry to our MPharm is always into year one, with no exceptions.

We do not accept lower grade A levels alongside an incomplete or partial degree.

We welcome applications from candidates who would like to defer entry until the following academic year.

For candidates who are re-sitting a full year, the standard offer will remain as AAA.

To comply with General Pharmaceutical Council fitness to practice requirements, all students will undergo health and good character checks as part of the admissions process. International students whose first language is not English are required to have the listed English language qualifications (IELTS) before they can register on an academic programme.

Re-sits and previously achieved results

For A levels, these must be no lower than grades BCC. Similarly, for the International Baccalaureate (IB) these must be no lower than 544. For any other qualifications these will be reviewed on a case basis. These minimum grades also apply if you are looking to take an alternative qualification such as a foundation year or Access to HE.

Please note if you have received Centre/Teacher assessed grades in 2020 or 2021, you will not be required to meet this resit policy.

We will consider all extenuating circumstances that might have affected performance and will do this on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further support on this.

Interviews

We initially shortlist based on your UCAS application and grades. The next step is an interview. We use a multi-mini interview (MMI) format. The MMI is a series of short interviews, each around five minutes that explore and engage your communication skills, interest in pharmacy and scenario based discussion on ethics and professional values and general understanding of how medicines work. It is an interactive process that gives you further insight into being a pharmacist. Further information about the interview process is on our website.

Age requirement

You must be at least 18 years old by the end of the calendar year you start your MPharm degree to meet the requirements of the placements within your course.

Standards for pharmacy professionals

Pharmacy is one of the registered healthcare professions and carries both privileges and responsibilities. You are expected to conduct yourself professionally at all times. The Standards for Pharmacy Professionals apply to all pharmacy students from the first day of the course to the day of graduation and applies both on and off campus.

The school has fitness to practise procedures in place for pharmacy students and you will be given more information about these when you join the course.

The Standards for Pharmacy Professionals and the requirement for fitness to practise procedures are issued by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). However, you should note that the GPhC is not an adjudicator or appeal body, and will not be able to offer prospective registration advice.

The GPhC is the final decision maker in relation to an individual's eligibility to:

• enter pharmacist Foundation training
• register as a pharmacist

The GPhC reserves the right to set aside a school's fitness to practise decision, if there are grounds for doing so, when making either of these decisions.

The GPhC has its own requirements for registration as a pharmacist, including making its own health and good character checks. It also has its own fitness to practise procedures for registered pharmacists. The GPhC can refuse to register a student as a Foundation or pharmacist if a check is failed, even if previous checks have been passed.

As a member of the Pharmacy Schools Council, the school makes use of the Excluded Students Database to identify applicants who have been excluded from a professional degree programme on grounds of fitness to practice. Applications from applicants who appear on the Database will be considered on an individual basis.

Health questionnaire

When you accept your offer, the school will send out a health questionnaire with further instructions before you join us. The vaccinations required for the MPharm are Varicella, BCG (Tuberculosis), Hepatitis B and MMR. You will be asked for documentary evidence of these at your occupational health check at the start of year one.

Character checks

UK-based applicants will be asked to complete a criminal records check. The University of Nottingham use KnowYourPeople and you will be sent details of how to complete this when you meet your offer.

We encourage students to discuss any problems or concerns with us as soon as possible so that we can support and advise you appropriately. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of the above, then please contact us on studentservices@nottingham.ac.uk

On this course, you can apply to study abroad at one of our partner institutions or at University of Nottingham China or University of Nottingham Malaysia.

If you are successful in applying to study abroad, you will get the opportunity to broaden your horizons and enhance your CV by experiencing another culture. Teaching is typically in English, but there may be opportunities to study in another language if you are sufficiently fluent.

You can choose to study similar modules to your counterparts in the UK or expand your knowledge by taking other options.

The school you are joining may also have additional study abroad options available. Please visit the school website for more information.

In each year of the course you will go on professional placements. These could include community pharmacies and hospitals. You'll also go on insight visits that provide interprofessional experiences. The majority of placements are in Nottinghamshire. You may also be allocated to placements in Derbyshire and Leicestershire. All placements are accessible by public transport.

Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.  

2026/27 (UK undergraduate students)

This is the UK undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 25/26. It may increase for the academic year 26/27 and we will update our information once we have received confirmation of the fee from the UK Government.

For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.

As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses, including a DBS check. See a full list of additional costs for this course. If you study abroad, you will need to consider the costs of travel and living expenses in the country that you choose.

You should be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to purchase your own copies.

Due to our commitment to sustainability, we don’t print lecture notes but these are available digitally. You will be given £5 worth of printer credits a year. You are welcome to buy more credits if you need them. It costs 4p to print one black and white page.

The University of Nottingham offers a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. These funds can provide you with an additional source of non-repayable financial help. For up to date information regarding tuition fees, visit our fees and finance pages.

Home students

Over one third of our UK students receive our means-tested core bursary. Full details can be found on our financial support pages.

A 'home' student is one who meets certain UK residence criteria. These are the same criteria as apply to eligibility for home funding from Student Finance.

IB score

IB score 34 points overall or 666 in 3 HL certificates

IB requirements

IB Diploma 34 points overall with 6,6, in chemistry and a second science subject, or IB Higher Level Certificates 6,6,6 including chemistry and a second science subject.

Required subjects

• AAA including chemistry and at least one further science A level from biology, maths or physics
• A pass in the practical element of science subjects is required if assessed separately
• The third A level can be any subject apart from the excluded subjects below

Excluded subjects

General studies, critical thinking, citizenship studies, global perspectives and research, thinking skills

GCSEs

Maths 6 (B) or above and English 5 (B) or above

RQF BTEC Nationals 

• RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma Applied Science D*DD
• RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma Applied Science (Biomedical Science) D*DD
• Other applications are assessed on an individual basis to ensure sufficient science content has been studied

We will consider the following:

• RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Diploma D*DD
• RQF Level 3 BTEC National Diploma D*D plus A level grade A
• RQF Level 3 BTEC National Extended Certificate D plus A level grades AA
• The required A levels for mixed BTEC and A level grade profiles depends on the science content studied in the BTEC

Access to HE Diploma 

Applications are assessed on an individual basis. Where an offer is made, our standard requirements are:

• Access to HE Diploma 36 graded Level 3 credits at Distinction (including 15 credits from acceptable chemistry units* plus 15 credits from maths, biology or physics units), plus 9 graded Level 3 credits at Merit

* Organic chemistry is an essential Access to HE Diploma unit.

IELTS

7.0 (no less than 6.0 in each element)

English language requirements

As well as IELTS (listed above), we also accept other English language qualifications. This includes TOEFL iBT, Pearson PTE, GCSE, IB and O level English. Check our English language policies and equivalencies for further details.

For presessional English or one-year foundation courses, you must take IELTS for UKVI to meet visa regulations.

If you need support to meet the required level, you may be able to attend a Presessional English for Academic Purposes (PEAP) course. Our Centre for English Language Education is accredited by the British Council for the teaching of English in the UK.

If you successfully complete your presessional course to the required level, you can then progress to your degree course. This means that you won't need to retake IELTS or equivalent.

Check our country-specific information for guidance on qualifications from your country.

International students must have valid UK immigration permissions for any courses or study period where teaching takes place in the UK. Student route visas can be issued for eligible students studying full-time courses. The University of Nottingham does not sponsor a student visa for students studying part-time courses. The Standard Visitor visa route is not appropriate in all cases. Please contact the university’s Visa and Immigration team if you need advice about your visa options.

If you don't meet our entry requirements there is the option to study the science foundation programme. You may have the opportunity to progress onto the BSc programme, subject to your performance on the foundation programme. There is a course for UK students and one for EU/international students.

At the University of Nottingham, we have a valuable community of mature students and we appreciate their contribution to the wider student population. You can find lots of useful information on the mature students webpage.

All applications must include a personal statement and it should have a clear pharmacy focus.  We welcome applications from those applying for other healthcare profession courses, such as medicine, but you might be asked to submit another statement if interest in and motivation to study pharmacy is not clearly defined.

We are looking for strong academic qualifications as well as a commitment to a career as a healthcare professional. Your personal statement is your opportunity to make yourself stand out from the crowd. We want to know what interests you about being a healthcare professional so it is worth reflecting on any related reading that you have done, any work experience and/or any extracurricular activities that you do. For additional information regarding writing your personal statement, please see the UCAS website.

Entry to our MPharm is always into year one, with no exceptions.

We do not accept lower grade A levels alongside an incomplete or partial degree.

We welcome applications from candidates who would like to defer entry until the following academic year.

For candidates who are re-sitting a full year, the standard offer will remain as AAA.

To comply with General Pharmaceutical Council fitness to practice requirements, all students will undergo health and good character checks as part of the admissions process. International students whose first language is not English are required to have the listed English language qualifications (IELTS) before they can register on an academic programme.

Re-sits and previously achieved results

For A levels, these must be no lower than grades BCC. Similarly, for the International Baccalaureate (IB) these must be no lower than 544. For any other qualifications these will be reviewed on a case basis. These minimum grades also apply if you are looking to take an alternative qualification such as a foundation year or Access to HE.

Please note if you have received Centre/Teacher assessed grades in 2020 or 2021, you will not be required to meet this resit policy.

We will consider all extenuating circumstances that might have affected performance and will do this on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further support on this.

Interviews

We initially shortlist based on your UCAS application and grades. The next step is an interview. We use a multi-mini interview (MMI) format. The MMI is a series of short interviews, each around five minutes that explore and engage your communication skills, interest in pharmacy and scenario based discussion on ethics and professional values and general understanding of how medicines work. It is an interactive process that gives you further insight into being a pharmacist. Further information about the interview process is on our website.

Age requirement

You must be at least 18 years old by the end of the calendar year you start your MPharm degree to meet the requirements of the placements within your course.

Standards for pharmacy professionals

Pharmacy is one of the registered healthcare professions and carries both privileges and responsibilities. You are expected to conduct yourself professionally at all times. The Standards for Pharmacy Professionals apply to all pharmacy students from the first day of the course to the day of graduation and applies both on and off campus.

The school has fitness to practise procedures in place for pharmacy students and you will be given more information about these when you join the course.

The Standards for Pharmacy Professionals and the requirement for fitness to practise procedures are issued by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). However, you should note that the GPhC is not an adjudicator or appeal body, and will not be able to offer prospective registration advice.

The GPhC is the final decision maker in relation to an individual's eligibility to:

• enter pharmacist Foundation training
• register as a pharmacist

The GPhC reserves the right to set aside a school's fitness to practise decision, if there are grounds for doing so, when making either of these decisions.

The GPhC has its own requirements for registration as a pharmacist, including making its own health and good character checks. It also has its own fitness to practise procedures for registered pharmacists. The GPhC can refuse to register a student as a Foundation or pharmacist if a check is failed, even if previous checks have been passed.

As a member of the Pharmacy Schools Council, the school makes use of the Excluded Students Database to identify applicants who have been excluded from a professional degree programme on grounds of fitness to practice. Applications from applicants who appear on the Database will be considered on an individual basis.

Health questionnaire

When you accept your offer, the school will send out a health questionnaire with further instructions before you join us. The vaccinations required for the MPharm are Varicella, BCG (Tuberculosis), Hepatitis B and MMR. You will be asked for documentary evidence of these at your occupational health check at the start of year one.

Character checks

UK-based applicants will be asked to complete a criminal records check. The University of Nottingham use KnowYourPeople and you will be sent details of how to complete this when you meet your offer.

We encourage students to discuss any problems or concerns with us as soon as possible so that we can support and advise you appropriately. If you have any questions or concerns regarding any of the above, then please contact us on studentservices@nottingham.ac.uk

On this course, you can apply to study abroad at one of our partner institutions or at University of Nottingham China or University of Nottingham Malaysia.

If you are successful in applying to study abroad, you will get the opportunity to broaden your horizons and enhance your CV by experiencing another culture. Teaching is typically in English, but there may be opportunities to study in another language if you are sufficiently fluent.

You can choose to study similar modules to your counterparts in the UK or expand your knowledge by taking other options.

The school you are joining may also have additional study abroad options available. Please visit the school website for more information.

In each year of the course you will go on professional placements. These could include community pharmacies and hospitals. You'll also go on insight visits that provide interprofessional experiences. The majority of placements are in Nottinghamshire. You may also be allocated to placements in Derbyshire and Leicestershire. All placements are accessible by public transport.

Please be aware that study abroad, compulsory year abroad, optional placements/internships and integrated year in industry opportunities may change at any time for a number of reasons, including curriculum developments, changes to arrangements with partner universities or placement/industry hosts, travel restrictions or other circumstances outside of the university’s control. Every effort will be made to update this information as quickly as possible should a change occur.  

If you are a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland, you may be asked to complete a fee status questionnaire and your answers will be assessed using guidance issued by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA).

For full details including fees for part-time students and reduced fees during your time studying abroad or on placement (where applicable), see our fees page.

All students will need at least one device to approve security access requests via Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). We also recommend students have a suitable laptop to work both on and off-campus. For more information, please check the equipment advice.

As a student on this course, you should factor some additional costs into your budget, alongside your tuition fees and living expenses, including a DBS check. See a full list of additional costs for this course. If you study abroad, you will need to consider the costs of travel and living expenses in the country that you choose.

You should be able to access most of the books you’ll need through our libraries, though you may wish to purchase your own copies.

Due to our commitment to sustainability, we don’t print lecture notes but these are available digitally. You will be given £5 worth of printer credits a year. You are welcome to buy more credits if you need them. It costs 4p to print one black and white page.

The University of Nottingham offers a wide range of bursaries and scholarships. These funds can provide you with an additional source of non-repayable financial help. For up to date information regarding tuition fees, visit our fees and finance pages.

International students

We offer a range of international undergraduate scholarships for high-achieving international scholars who can put their Nottingham degree to great use in their careers.