Pharmacy (MPharm) (4 years): application process

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 will review your entire UCAS application to determine whether you have satisfied the criteria for interview selection.

For applicants based in the UK, Republic of Ireland and the Channel Islands, the interview will be held at The University of Manchester; for applicants residing outside the UK (international and EU), this will involve a Skype interview.

As a general rule, applicants who are given the opportunity to attend an interview will have:

• a good set of GCSE grades, with Grade 6 in Mathematics and Grade 5 in English Language;
• predicted A-levels, normally at a minimum of AAB (subject specific). However, in some cases we may consider an applicant whose predictions are ABB, with the A in Chemistry, Biology or Mathematics (or equivalent qualifications - see below for information for international applicants);
• a well-written personal statement that confirms your interest in studying pharmacy;
• a supportive academic reference.

We receive approximately 1,200 applications each academic year and hold 12 interview dates per session from November to March. Skype interviews will be arranged on an ad hoc basis.

All offers are based on a combination of predicted/achieved A-levels (or equivalent), personal statement, reference and interview assessment.

International entry requirements

Country-specific information on entry requirements can be found on the University website. However, this is for general information only, as specific entry requirements may be different for the MPharm.

Please contact us at ug.pharmacy@manchester.ac.uk to check specific requirements for your country before you apply for the MPharm course.

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.

Because of the high volume of applications we receive, we will not consider those applicants who have chosen Pharmacy as a second option and whose personal statement is geared towards a different discipline (e.g. Medicine or Dentistry).

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.

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 MPharm 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.

Students with non-standard or non A-level qualifications

We understand that not all applicants will have taken A-levels and we may still offer an opportunity for interview to an applicant, even when a gap in their entry qualifications means their proficiency in one or more subjects has not been proven.

You can follow our decision on UCAS Track approximately three working days after the interview.

Offers

The majority of candidates we interview are made an offer for entry onto the first year of the MPharm and we aim to notify you (via email and on UCAS Track) within three days of attending your interview.

The offer conditions are based on the assessment of your interviewer and may include a Grade A in a specific subject.

Events for offer holders

Following the interviews, our intention is to arrange on-campus offer holder events (from February 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.

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.

Requests should be made via email to the Admissions Manager (suzanne.eden@manchester.ac.uk) while also being supported (again via email) by the applicant's tutor/academic advisor.

Candidates whose primary choice of course is Medicine or Dentistry

Because of the high volume of applications we receive, we will not consider those applicants who choose Pharmacy as a second option and whose personal statement is geared towards a different discipline.

Conditional Firm (CF) and Conditional Insurance (CI) choices

We have a non-academic requirement that all CF and CI applicants must fulfil. This is the completion and submission of a health questionnaire that is assessed by the University's Occupational Health Service (OHS). The health questionnaire will be sent to you via email after you have selected Manchester as your firm or insurance choice.

Following assessment, OHS will issue your Certificate to Commence Studies and, at this point, we will confirm that you have satisfied this (non-academic) requirement. 

You should choose your CF and CI choices with care. Ideally, the CF choice should be at the university where you really want to study. However, you should be aware that if we are able to offer any leeway on the requirements for entry, this will be given to CF applicants only.