Pharmacy MPharm
2025-26 entryIn this new MPharm programme, you will develop the scientific knowledge, clinical skills and professional attributes to become a pharmacist working with patients across a variety of clinical settings.
Key details
- A Levels AAB
Other entry requirements - UCAS code B230
- 4 years / Full-time
- September start
- Accredited
- Find out the course fee
- Industrial placement year
Explore this course:
Course description
Why study this course?
Put your theory into practice in a safe, supportive environment. Practise your physical assessment, decision-making, and communication skills in our state-of-the-art clinical practice suite, working with real-life patients from our Patients as Educators programme. You’ll also have access to simulated patients in our pharmacy practice suite.
You’ll spend a significant time on placement, in a range of community, hospital and primary care settings. Throughout these placements, you will experience working with patients and other pharmacy professionals (Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians) and observe the roles of other healthcare professionals in practice.
Sheffield Pharmacy graduates will be "of their community and for their community." You will complete a unique, social accountability placement with one of over 130 partner charities or community organisations, where you’ll develop and deliver activities that have a positive impact on health and wellbeing.
Pharmacists are experts in medicines working with patients to improve health outcomes, by providing public health interventions, advice on treatment and prescribing.
Our innovative four-year Pharmacy course is designed to give you the essential knowledge, skills and attributes needed to support patients as a reflective, ethical and professional pharmacist and prepare you for prescribing. It is for people who enjoy science, are passionate about working with the public, and want to help improve people’s health and well-being.
From day one, you’ll work with patients, through both our patients as educators programme and our placements in community, hospital and primary care. You will learn the importance of multidisciplinary healthcare through our interprofessional learning programme. You will develop your physical examination, diagnostic and prescribing skills, in preparation for practice through simulated learning in our dedicated pharmacy practice suite.
We take an integrated approach to teaching, looking at all aspects of medicines, from design through to patient care. You will draw on the expertise of subject specialists including registered and practising pharmacists and other healthcare practitioners building your confidence, consultation, clinical reasoning and teamwork skills. You will be supported in your journey through your personal tutor and professional mentor.
The University is a world-leading centre of research, and we will incorporate the latest research into your teaching to enable you to make evidence-based decisions in future practice.
The University of Sheffield is working towards accreditation of this programme with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). The programme will be provisionally accredited until the accreditation process is complete. After being awarded your MPharm degree, you will need to complete a 12-month structured foundation training period and assessment, leading to registration as a Pharmacist with the GPhC.
Modules
Modules are being developed to cover areas including the science of pharmacy, patients and society, treatments of disease, pharmaceutical practice, prescribing and improving quality in practice.
The content of our courses is reviewed annually to make sure it's up-to-date and relevant. Individual modules are occasionally updated or withdrawn. This is in response to discoveries through our world-leading research; funding changes; professional accreditation requirements; student or employer feedback; outcomes of reviews; and variations in staff or student numbers. In the event of any change we'll consult and inform students in good time and take reasonable steps to minimise disruption.
Learning and assessment
Learning
This course is taught through a combination of lectures, workshops, laboratory work, clinical placements, simulation teaching sessions and independent study.
Assessment
You will be assessed in a variety of ways, including exams, coursework, Observed Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), laboratory portfolios and placement competencies.
Programme specification
This tells you the aims and learning outcomes of this course and how these will be achieved and assessed.
Entry requirements
We operate a gathered field for admissions. All candidates who apply before the UCAS equal consideration deadline will be assessed and invited to interview from February onwards.
With Access Sheffield, you could qualify for additional consideration or an alternative offer - find out if you're eligible.
The A Level entry requirements for this course are:
AAB
including Chemistry and one other science
- International Baccalaureate
- 34, with 5 in HL Chemistry and a second science
- BTEC Extended Diploma
- DDD in Applied Science including specific Chemistry units (Applications of Inorganic Chemistry, Applications of Organic Chemistry, Industrial Chemical Reactions, Practical Chemical Analysis)
- BTEC Diploma
- DD in Applied Science + B in A Level Chemistry
- Access to HE Diploma
- Award of Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject covering sufficient Chemistry units, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 36 at Distinction and 9 at Merit. Applicants are considered individually and must provide a course syllabus
- Scottish Highers + 2 Advanced Highers
- AABBB + B in Chemistry and a second science (Maths, Biology or Physics)
- Welsh Baccalaureate + 2 A Levels
- B + AA, including Chemistry and a second science
- Irish Leaving Certificate
- H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H3 including Chemistry and a second science
- T Level
- T levels in Health, Healthcare Sciences and Science are not accepted
-
All applicants will require GCSE Maths and English Language at grade 6/B
The A Level entry requirements for this course are:
ABB
including Chemistry and one other science
- International Baccalaureate
- 33, with 5 in HL Chemistry and a second science
- BTEC Extended Diploma
- DDD in Applied Science including specific Chemistry units (Applications of Inorganic Chemistry, Applications of Organic Chemistry, Industrial Chemical Reactions, Practical Chemical Analysis)
- BTEC Diploma
- DD in Applied Science + B in A Level Chemistry
- Access to HE Diploma
- Award of Access to HE Diploma in a relevant subject covering sufficient Chemistry units, with 45 credits at Level 3, including 30 at Distinction and 15 at Merit. Applicants are considered individually and must provide a course syllabus
- Scottish Highers + 2 Advanced Highers
- ABBBB + AB in Chemistry and a second science (Maths, Biology or Physics)
- Welsh Baccalaureate + 2 A Levels
- B + AB, including Chemistry and a second science
- Irish Leaving Certificate
- H2 H2 H2 H2 H2 H3 including Chemistry and a second science
- T Level
- T levels in Health, Healthcare Sciences and Science are not accepted
-
All applicants will require GCSE Maths and English Language at grade 6/B
IELTS grade of 7 with a minimum of 6.5 in each component; or an alternative acceptable English language qualification.
Equivalent English language qualifications
Visa and immigration requirements
Other qualifications | UK and EU/international
Health clearance
All new students will undergo health screenings known as an Occupational Health Check, which may require an individual assessment. This is to ensure that you meet the fitness to practise standards detailed in the Higher Education Occupational Practitioners (HEOPS) guidance in accordance with the Department of Health National Guidelines.
We offer support to students with additional needs, for example, through the Disability and Dyslexia Support Service or Student Support Services. You can find out more about the network of support services we provide. A very small number of conditions might, on health and safety grounds, affect your registration with the appropriate regulatory body and your ability to practise in certain clinical situations.
If you have any questions about entry requirements, please contact the department.
Graduate careers
After completing your MPharm degree, you will need to complete a 12-month structured foundation training period and assessment to register as a Pharmacist with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
You can find out more about the foundation training scheme on the GPhC website
Registered Pharmacists are in high demand, and the career prospects after graduation are excellent, with opportunities within community, primary care and hospital settings. You could find yourself working in places such as GP surgeries, mental health services or prisons.
The skills and knowledge you gain during this course will also prepare you for a career in academia.
School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery
The School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery sits in the Faculty of Health and brings together expertise from across human communication sciences, nursing and midwifery, pharmacy, and orthoptics.
We aim to train compassionate, resilient and highly skilled healthcare professionals and support them throughout their working lives. We work closely with organisations such as the Royal College of Nursing, the Department of Health and Social Care, The General Pharmaceutical Council, and the Health and Care Professions Council to make sure our teaching meets the needs of the NHS workforce. This means that we're ideally placed to offer you high-quality courses and apprenticeships, informed by the latest health-related research.
If you study with us, you’ll join a diverse and supportive community, led by passionate teachers, clinicians and researchers who help students fulfil their ambitions. We're dedicated to nurturing students' talents and upholding the highest standards of excellence and professionalism.
We provide an excellent study environment for health professionals across our main campus. We have a close relationship with the Royal Hallamshire Hospital, which is home to our dedicated Health Sciences Library and high-quality clinical teaching and research spaces.
Our students also benefit from our internationally recognised Patients as Educators programme, which allows students to learn from real patients.
We provide an excellent study environment for health professionals across our main campus and Clinical Skills Centre. If you study a health professions course with us, you’ll be based close to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. The hospital is home to the Sheffield Medical School, and is where you’ll find our dedicated Health Sciences Library.
Facilities
Our Clinical Skills Centre is based at the Northern General Hospital, one of the largest hospitals in the country. The centre contains mock clinical wards, resuscitation suites, simulated theatres and teaching rooms. We are also building a new simulated pharmacy - set to open in September 2025 - which will include a fully stocked dispensary, consultation rooms and dedicated teaching space. It's the perfect facility for training the healthcare professionals of tomorrow.
University rankings
Number one in the Russell Group
National Student Survey 2024 (based on aggregate responses)
University of the Year and best for Student Life
Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024
92 per cent of our research is rated as world-leading or internationally excellent
Research Excellence Framework 2021
Top 50 in the most international universities rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023
Number one Students' Union in the UK
Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017
Number one for teaching quality, Students' Union and clubs/societies
StudentCrowd 2023 University Awards
A top 20 university targeted by employers
The Graduate Market in 2023, High Fliers report
Fees and funding
Fees
Additional costs
The annual fee for your course includes a number of items in addition to your tuition. If an item or activity is classed as a compulsory element for your course, it will normally be included in your tuition fee. There are also other costs which you may need to consider.
Funding your study
Depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for a bursary, scholarship or loan to help fund your study and enhance your learning experience.
Use our Student Funding Calculator to work out what you’re eligible for.
Visit
University open days
We host five open days each year, usually in June, July, September, October and November. You can talk to staff and students, tour the campus and see inside the accommodation.
Subject tasters
If you’re considering your post-16 options, our interactive subject tasters are for you. There are a wide range of subjects to choose from and you can attend sessions online or on campus.
Offer holder days
If you've made an application to study with us, we may invite you for an interview. If you are then successful in receiving an offer, we'll invite you to one of our applicant days. These applicant days have a strong department focus and give you the chance to really explore student life here, even if you've visited us before.
Campus tours
Our weekly guided tours show you what Sheffield has to offer - both on campus and beyond. You can extend your visit with tours of our city, accommodation or sport facilities.
The awarding body for this course is the University of Sheffield.
Recognition of professional qualifications: from 1 January 2021, in order to have any UK professional qualifications recognised for work in an EU country across a number of regulated and other professions you need to apply to the host country for recognition. Read information from the UK government and the EU Regulated Professions Database.
Any supervisors and research areas listed are indicative and may change before the start of the course.