How to Study Pharmacy in the UK and Ireland

The MPharm degree route

To become a pharmacist in Great Britain or Ireland, you study a Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree at an accredited university and then complete the required training before registering. The MPharm is a long, integrated degree — it is not a three-year bachelor's followed by a separate master's.

In Great Britain, the MPharm is an accredited degree followed by a structured period of foundation training. In Ireland, the MPharm is an integrated master's that builds substantial supervised practice placements into the degree itself. The exact length of each route is set by the regulator and university, so confirm the current duration on the official source. Either way, the academic degree and the practice training together lead to registration.

Accreditation: GPhC in Great Britain, PSI in Ireland

The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) is the regulator for pharmacists in England, Scotland and Wales, and it accredits MPharm degrees there. The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI) is the regulator in Ireland and accredits the Irish MPharm programmes.

Only a GPhC- or PSI-accredited programme leads to eligibility to register as a pharmacist. Before applying or accepting an offer, confirm the specific course is currently accredited — this matters most for international students, because a pharmacy or pharmaceutical-science degree that is not accredited for registration will not let you practise as a pharmacist.

• Great Britain: course must be a GPhC-accredited MPharm.
• Ireland: course must be a PSI-accredited integrated MPharm.
• Check accreditation status on the regulator's own website before you commit.
• Northern Ireland is regulated separately from Great Britain — confirm the right body for the course location.

Foundation training and experiential placements

In Great Britain, after the accredited MPharm you complete a structured period of foundation training at an approved training site under a designated supervisor, and you must pass the registration assessment. The GPhC has reformed initial education and training so that the degree and foundation year align more closely — check the GPhC's current guidance for how the training year fits with your degree and how long it lasts.

In Ireland, the integrated MPharm includes statutory experiential learning placements within the later years of the degree, so much of the practical training is part of the degree rather than a separate year afterwards. Confirm the current structure on the PSI website, as training requirements are set officially and can change.

How to apply

For UK universities, MPharm applications go through UCAS with a personal statement and references; entry requirements typically emphasise chemistry and another science, but the exact grades vary by university and year. In Ireland, school-leavers apply through the CAO, with the MPharm offered at a number of universities.

Always read each course's official entry requirements rather than relying on summaries, and check English language requirements if you are an international applicant. Requirements, available places and any selection steps change between cycles.

• UK: apply via UCAS; check required science subjects per university.
• Ireland: school-leavers apply via the CAO.
• Confirm English language evidence and any selection tests on the official course page.
• International students: check visa requirements on gov.uk (UK) or irishimmigration.ie (Ireland).

What international students should know before qualifying

Registration to practise as a pharmacist is granted by the regulator, not by the university. In Great Britain you register with the GPhC after meeting all its requirements including the registration assessment; in Ireland you apply to the PSI once you have completed the accredited programme and its placements.

If you studied pharmacy outside the UK or Ireland, separate routes exist (for example overseas-recognition programmes), handled directly by the regulator. Because rules, fees and assessment details are official and change over time, verify the current registration pathway on the GPhC or PSI website before making plans that depend on it.