Why study Pharmacy?
Embrace your passion for chemistry
Learn how to help people with a pharmacy degree from Manchester, whether you want to treat patients, work in industry or make life-changing scientific discoveries.
Study pharmacy at Manchester and you'll get hands-on experience of community, NHS and industry pharmacy, so you can choose where you want to specialise in your career. With pharmacists increasingly at the heart of delivering health services, demand for your skills will be high.
On this page:
Careers
Preparing you for a rewarding career
There aren’t many science jobs where you get to work closely with people and have an immediate impact on the lives of others.
Our MPharm degrees are accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC). Upon successful completion of the course, you’ll need to undertake a Foundation Training year, take the GPhC's common registration assessment, and meet fitness to practise requirements before becoming a fully-fledged pharmacist.
Why choose Manchester?
Supportive learning experience
You’ll learn from experienced staff in lectures, tutorials, through online learning and in the lab. We use an enquiry-based learning (EBL) approach to provide you with important skills that will help you become an independent, motivated and confident learner.
Early placement experience
Get hands-on clinical experience with practical placements in hospitals, the community and industrial settings from Year 1.
Thanks to our excellent NHS links, you will spend time in pharmacy departments and on wards in one of three local NHS Trusts in every year of your course.

Research strengths
Our research has led to free treatment for patients with minor ailments, fewer animals being used in drug research, reduced prescribing errors, and new techniques to target radiotherapy-resistant tumour cells.
You’ll learn from leading academics working in pharmacy research, who will support and guide to develop your own research interests.

Industry links
Our students engage with industry scientists through industrial visit days to AstraZeneca (Macclesfield) in Year 3, and guest lectures from industrial pharmacists.
High-achieving students have benefited from research project supervision and mentorship by AstraZeneca staff, with a number going on to secure careers in the pharmaceutical industry.

Service learning
Work in collaboration with community groups, organisations and schools to expand your skills and knowledge through service learning.
Manchester was the first pharmacy school in the UK to have this kind of service learning as a compulsory part of the curriculum.

Meet our students
Meet our students
Pharmacy is a social and supportive course where you’ll really get to know and work alongside your coursemates, learning to develop teamwork and communication skills. Here’s what some of our current students have to say.
A day in the life of a pharmacy student
MPharm student Priya takes us through a typical day on the course.

Why I chose pharmacy
Maureen talks about why she decided to study pharmacy.

How a foundation year set me up to succeed in pharmacy
Nelam reveals how taking a foundation year has prepared her for her MPharm studies.
Read the blog : How a foundation year set me up to succeed in pharmacy

Starting life as a new pharmacy student
First-year MPharm student Tsungi talks about what it has been like to get to grips with life at Manchester.
Read the blog : My experience of the MPharm Pharmacy course as a new student

Why we established the Black Pharmacists Collective
Six MPharm students discuss the importance of raising the visibility of Black pharmacists through their collective.
Read the blog : Why we established the Black Pharmacists Collective

What are pharmacy placements like at Manchester?
Year 4 student Priya takes us through the different placements available on the MPharm course at Manchester.
Read the blog : What are pharmacy placements like at The University of Manchester?

Courses
Pharmacy degrees
- Pharmacy (MPharm)
- Pharmacy with a Foundation Year (MPharm)
Making an application
Apply for a pharmacy course
If you're ready to apply for a pharmacy degree at Manchester, here's what you need to know.
If you have any questions, email us at ug.pharmacy@manchester.ac.uk.