💊🧑*🔬 MPharm: Does the uni you go to actually matter?

Hi! 😊 I'm applying for MPharm entry in 2026 and I take A-level Biology, Chemistry, and Maths.

Everyone always says it doesn’t matter where you do your MPharm because it’s an accredited professional degree. But surely the university you go to matters? Surely a higher ranked university would have more funding, better lectures or support from lecturers, newer equipment and better facilities, access to support, and surely a higher GPhC pass rate matters? UCL and Wolverhampton must differ in the way they deliver the course, given such a big gap in pharmacy ranking. Even though all courses have to be accredited by the GPhC, when I looked at the course structures at different unis, they had different module names. Does this mean they have different content each year, or do some focus more on certain topics? 🤔

I couldn’t find any information on how each university does placements, like how often they happen or which years. If anyone knows, I would appreciate it if you could share what you know!

If you’re asked in an interview “why did you choose this university?” how are you supposed to answer if everyone says all MPharm degrees are the same? How did you answer this question, or what could be some good ideas for answering it?

I also heard that going into the pharmacy industry with an MPharm is possible and competitive, so surely university rankings must matter at least for some career paths in pharmacy?

Also, if you feel your university gave you an advantage in job hunting, or if you know of unis with strong pharmacy industry links, please mention this too.

Sorry, that's a lot of info and questions, but I would really appreciate any info or advice 😊💊

Reply 1

Uni of Notts

Official Rep

Hi there!

If you have looked at the courses being offered and compared - which sounds most appealing to you?

Maybe you could make yourself a tick sheet listing what is important to you from your university experience. For some students, they may want to be located within a certain distance from home, for others they may like the idea of being close to a busy city or a quieter location. Are sports/societies important to you - if so, does the university have societies relevant to your interests? A list may help you narrow down the universities you would be interested in. If it is possible, look at any virtual open days or go to some universities you think you may be interested in. This way, you will get a feel for them and the area.

I hope this helps 🙂

Reply 2

McGinger

The NHS won't care which Uni you went to. Its the same for Medicine, Nursing, Physio etc etc. You have the correct professionally accredited qualification, so you are a professional Pharmacist, a GP, a Midwife, whatever. There are not variations in this because of the Unit you trained at.

Yes, some Unis may have bigger/grander facilities, they may have a larger course group, or be in a 'nicer' city or a cheaper location. That is the point of going to Open Days - to get the feeling of each Uni and work out if you would feel more comfortable there or somewhere else.

'Competitive' therefore does not actually mean anything significant. UCL is bonkers competitive for MPharm to the point where they have had to invent their own questionnaire to cull application numbers to something manageable. I assume its the supposed glamour of being 'in London' and ironically a self-fulfilling 'its competitive' myth that makes some people think that they should be clambering over each other to get in there. Bath in contrast will usually interview everyone who meets their minimum entry grades and has a high interview to offer rate. Its the same degree. And no-one would suggest that Bath is not a 'competitive' Uni however you want to define this.

The GPhC pass rate is interesting (League table: Which pharmacy schools aced the June 2024 registration exam?) but remember that its the students being assessed not the Universities. And therefore this pass rate does not reflect 'teaching quality' or whatever. Is Sunderland a 'better' Uni than UCL based just on this league table, does the difference between Bradford's 4 and 5 year course positions actually reflect the innate science ability of the two cohorts rather than 'the University' etc. And these positions change each year - its a reflection of individual student ability and performance in the test and that can be impacted by a thousand different factors that actually have nothing to do with dept that trained them.

Reply 3

University of Bath

Official Rep

Hi!

I'm a third year pharmacy student at the University of Bath.

Yes you are correct all pharmacy schools are accredited by the GPhC and are required to teach student the core principles but they may differ how they deliver their lectures, content, clinical assessments and placements.

At Bath, we get placement opportunities from the very start of the degree to the end of the 4 years so we are able to get an insight into the different sectors of pharmacy. This for me is great because I enjoy learning about the theory side but then also being able to apply what I have learnt into real life scenarios has enhanced my understanding further. Throughout the course, we have been able to go to hospitals, community and GP pharmacies. It is compulsory to attend the placements and we are required to reflect on our experiences which helps us further when we become pharmacist writing our CPD.

Each pharmacy school will deliver their learning differently. Here at Bath, we're focused on something called spiral learning and as the years go on we're building from what we learnt in year 1. We have a variety of different teaching like PBL, tutorials and workshops and lectures. As students we're also assessed through OCSE, calculation exams, practicals and written exam. It may seem very rigorous but it is to prepare for the GPhC exam after our pre-reg year.

For the question "why this university", frame it around yourself and how you will fit into the university life and course. Is it because you enjoy the practical side of learning or you like the fact its a campus university? Some common things to mention like location, course structure, research, placement opportunities.

I hope that helps and you're able to decide what is best for yourself. 😊

University of Bath