MPharm Pharmacy

The MPharm degree is designed to help students become experts in medicine with the skills to work effectively with patients and the multidisciplinary healthcare team. A feature of this MPharm is an increasing experience of the clinical environment through the inclusion of clinical placements in both community and hospital settings.

Professional Accreditations

• The degree is accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) in Great Britain and the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland (PSNI), as the relevant regulators. The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) published new Standards for the initial education and training of pharmacists in 2021. The MPharm course is therefore subject to change to meet the new Standards and prospective students should note that these changes are ongoing. The information presented here for 2023 entry is subject to ongoing changes, including to the admissions criteria (the 2021 standards stipulate that "all admissions and selection processes must include an interactive component, to assess applicants’ values and professional suitability"). The 2021 standards place more emphasis on students demonstrating professional judgement, management of risk, diagnostic and consultation skills, and other attributes associated with being an independent prescriber. There will also be a greater focus on experiential learning within the degree programme.

Industry Links

• The School's Stakeholder Group of Employers directly informs the development of the course. The School of Pharmacy has also developed close links with a wide variety of industry partners through research and teaching at a local, national and international level. Students are taught by practising pharmacists from the community, primary care and hospital setting and the School’s Careers Liaison Officer ensures that students are aware of all career opportunities and prepared for application and interview processes.

Career Development

• A feature of this MPharm is an increasing experience of the clinical environment through the inclusion of clinical placements in both community and hospital settings.

World Class Facilities

• The School of Pharmacy at Queen’s is acknowledged as a leading centre for Pharmacy teaching and research in the UK.
• At Queen’s, we believe in providing students with as authentic a learning experience and environment as possible. Our Pharmacy Practice Unit consists of everything you would find in a contemporary community pharmacy. Students are also taught clinical skills in a range of simulated healthcare settings. In addition, we have world-leading research laboratories with the best technology in the industry.
• The KN Cheung SK Chin Interim Centre is the new state-of-the-art interprofessional simulation centre, that opened in 2021. The centre provides an innovative environment for students from all healthcare professionals to learn together as a team.

Queen's University Belfast is one of the leading universities in the UK and Ireland with a distinguished heritage and history.

Founded in 1845 as Queen's College Belfast, we became an independent university in 1908. The University is a member of the Russell Group of UK research-intensive universities, combining excellence in research and education with a student-centred ethos.

Queen’s campus is at the heart of Belfast in Northern Ireland which has the lowest cost of living in the UK (Mercer Cost of Living City Ranking 2021) making it a more affordable option for students.

A World-Class Education and Student Experience

Queen’s offers a world-class education that prepares our students for leadership and citizenship in a global society.

Our inspiring alumni comprises outstanding scholars, Nobel Prize winners - such as Seamus Heaney and David Trimble - and influential leaders who are making an impact in Northern Ireland and across the globe.

Programmes are focused on preparing students for future employment. Students not only learn the core academic material from the staff at the forefront of their discipline but also learn how to put it into practice through practical workshops and hands-on sessions, ensuring that upon graduation, students are ready to step up as the next generation of industry leaders.

A Global and Inclusive University Community

Queen’s is attracting global talent to Belfast.

We currently have staff and students from over 80 countries, helping to create a multicultural and vibrant campus. They are joining a university that is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing the best global talent within an environment that enables them to realise their full potential.

An innovative, welcoming, and inclusive place to work and study, Queen’s is a leader in gender equality and diversity and currently holds a prestigious Athena Swan Silver Award. The University also holds 14 School Awards comprising 3 Gold, 6 Silver and 5 Bronze.

Research That Shapes Worlds

Queen’s University Belfast is globally connected and networked with leading universities across the world.

We continue to drive forward research to shape worlds, focusing on five key areas. Ensuring a healthy living for all through developing solutions and treatments for diseases; helping to deliver a transformative and sustainable economy for future generations; leading to securely connected intelligence and AI and the data revolution. We are at the forefront of delivering future-focused human-environment relations; and will continue our strong history of expertise in conflict resolution and building inclusive and cohesive communities.

Ranked 24 in the UK for Research Power

We are forward thinkers and will continue to direct and shape research to help support a workable environment and society.

88% of our research has been assessed as world-leading and internationally excellent, 99% of our research environment was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent and we are ranked 24th in the UK for Research Power (REF 2021/ Times Higher Education).

Northern Ireland's Legendary Beauty

Queen’s University is situated in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland.

In a city with innovation at its heart, technological advances infiltrate every sector helping to build our competitiveness on the global stage. Belfast is in the world’s top 10 Digital Economies of the Future - the only UK city outside London to be listed (Financial Times’ fDi Intelligence, 2018) and was voted one of the top 15 friendliest cities in Europe (Condé Nast Traveller, Readers' Choice Awards 2021).

It is one of Europe's most hip, vibrant and affordable cities, lauded for its energy, and rich in culture and history. Queen's stunning campus is within Belfast's Queen's Quarter, with cafés, bars, restaurants, superb shopping, and entertainment venues (Complete University Guide 2022).