Pharmacy (MPharm) (5 years): application process
Some applicants find the selection test and/or interview for our five-year MPharm course daunting. We've tried to make the interview process as clear and transparent as possible through this step-by-step guide to what we are looking for in successful applicants.
All applications for entry to undergraduate study in the UK must be directed through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
UCAS application forms can be obtained from schools or directly from UCAS. This should be done nine to 12 months before intending to start the course (21 to 24 months in the case of gap year students).
Please refer to the UCAS website for further information on key dates and the application process.
We have tried to be as explicit as possible as to what is and what is not acceptable. For your part, we expect you to provide all the information requested and to enter it in the appropriate section of the UCAS form.
- If you do not give information that we request (for example, about a qualification or other requirement), we will assume that you do not meet this requirement; please understand that we cannot be expected to assume that you have forgotten to include it.
- You must give the results of all academic exams that you have sat; this includes graduates.
- If you have applied to The University of Manchester previously, you must give the relevant UCAS number so we can re-examine your old UCAS form.
We appreciate that some applicants will have unconventional backgrounds. We do not wish to be overly prescriptive in our academic requirements.
If you remain uncertain about the acceptability of your qualifications or status, please contact our admissions team (ug.pharmacy@manchester.ac.uk). We strive to provide a personal service to all applicants.
Interview requirements
For the 2023-24 admissions cycle, interviews will be scheduled via Zoom and will be conducted one-to-one with an academic member of staff.
The interviews will be timetabled for 20 minutes and this will allow you to ask any questions you might have about the Foundation course.
We will ensure that you are given plenty of notice about the interview and, if necessary, we will be happy to reschedule if the date/time is inconvenient.
Please note that the interview is an essential part of the application process. Those who fail to attend, without prior explanation, will have their application withdrawn.
Applicants being considered for interview will receive a decision through UCAS Track and will be sent more information on the interview via email.
Events for offer holders
Following the interviews, our intention is to arrange on-campus offer holder events (from March 2024) to give you the opportunity to visit the University of Manchester campus, meet our staff and current students, and see the facilities in the Stopford Building.
Should the situation change and we are restricted from allowing visitors onto campus, we will arrange our offer holder events via Zoom.
Students will be accepted from a wide range of educational backgrounds, and each application will be considered individually. We will take into account evidence of an applicant's potential to succeed on the course. The foundation year has been designed for applicants who are taking the correct subjects for entry to the MPharm; are predicted to obtain grades lower than required for the MPharm and who also meet the University’s contextual admissions requirements.
Applicants who are permanently resident in the UK, have obtained A-levels (or equivalent) in appropriate subjects for direct admission to the MPharm course (Chemistry plus one other science eg Maths, Biology) at DDC-BCC and have experienced disadvantage, measured geo-demographically and by prior educational context.
Admissions staff will consider the context of each applicant's journey through education, examining these factors:
- the postcode you give as your home address, assessed using ACORN and POLAR information. These systems categorise areas of disadvantage and low participation to higher education. You can look up whether your home postcode meets our geo-demographic indicator;
- the performance of your school or college at Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) and Level 3 (A-level or equivalent) across multiple years. You can look up whether your Level 2 or Level 3 school or college meets our educational indicator;
- whether you have been looked after/in care for more than three months (determined from the UCAS application).
Your application will only be considered by admissions staff if:
- you meet both our geo-demographic and our educational indicators. Your application will automatically receive a WP (Widening Participation) Plus Flag;
or
- you have been looked after/in care for more than three months (determined from the UCAS application).
You can visit the University website to see further information on the University's use of contextual data.
Your personal statement offers an opportunity for you to stand out from other applicants. A well-written statement that demonstrates enthusiasm and commitment to Pharmacy will improve your chances of success.
You should include details of outside interests, work experience and any position of responsibility you have held.
Please note: we have a zero tolerance policy on plagiarised personal statements. Any statements that are flagged by the UCAS Similarity Detection Service will be automatically rejected.
The majority of students we interview are made a conditional offer of a place. Offers will be made as soon as possible after the interview and should be visible in UCAS Hub no later than 3-days after the interview.
Please note that offers are based on a combination of predicted (or achieved) grades, UCAS application and interview assessment.
Reconsideration
The overwhelming majority of unsuccessful applicants are rejected because they do not satisfy our entry requirements, but requests for reconsideration of a decision can be made.
They should be made in writing (by the applicant) and addressed to the Undergraduate Administrator while also being supported (in writing) by the applicant's tutor, if the applicant is at school or college.