HomeCoursesPharmacyBachelor of Pharmacy
Bachelor of Pharmacy
A pharmacy degree is the only route to registration as a pharmacist, and it takes four years full time almost everywhere in Australia.
- Duration: 3 to 4 years
- Study mode: Online and on campus
Where you can study this course
- No listed website
Curtin University
- Campuses
- 12 campuses
- Duration
- 4 years
- Full time
- Study mode
- On campus
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Many students praise the facilities and campus, while some rate student support highly but others found it frustrating. A number also had mixed feelings about organisation and admin, which matters when choosing where to study.
- No listed website
Griffith University
- Campuses
- 14 campuses
- Duration
- 4 years
- Full time, part time available
- Study mode
- On campus
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Some students rate the facilities and campus highly, though others find them a frustration. A number mention student support and teaching positively, while some criticise organisation and admin.
What's different
One of only four providers here that publish a fee. A Commonwealth supported place is $9,600 a year.
- No listed website
University of Canberra
- Campuses
- 3 campuses
- Duration
- 4 years
- Full time, part time available
- Study mode
- On campus
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students often praise the campus and facilities, though some find the organisation and admin frustrating. Opinions are mixed on student support, and some say communication could be better.
What's different
One of five providers here that do not require a particular Year 12 subject, and it publishes its majors so you can see the specialisations on offer.
- No listed website
University of Tasmania
- Campuses
- 17 campuses
- Duration
- 1 to 3 years
- Full time, part time available
- Study mode
- On campus
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students often praise the facilities and campus, while some rate the trainers and teaching highly. Opinions are mixed on trainers and teaching, and some found organisation and admin frustrating.
What's different
States no prerequisite Year 12 subject. The duration on its listing covers both a three-year degree and a separate one-year honours year under one title, so check which one you are applying for.
- No listed website
La Trobe University
- Campuses
- 7 campuses
- Duration
- 4 years
- Full time, part time available
- Study mode
- On campus
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students often praise the facilities and campus, and some rate the trainers and teaching and student support highly. Opinions are mixed on student support, and some students found organisation and admin and communication frustrating.
What's different
The most accessible entry of the eight providers publishing a 2026 selection rank, at 60.05 against 78.85 at the top of that group.
- No listed website
Charles Darwin University
- Campuses
- 12 campuses
- Duration
- 4 years
- Full time, part time available
- Study mode
- On campus
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students speak well of the facilities and campus, while some found the organisation, admin and teaching frustrating, and a number had issues with communication.
- No listed website
James Cook University
- Campuses
- 20 campuses
- Duration
- 3 years
- Full time
- Study mode
- On campus
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Students value the facilities and campus, along with student support and the teaching. Some found the organisation and admin frustrating, and opinions are mixed on student support and career outcomes.
What's different
The only provider here that finishes in three years rather than four, which makes it the shortest route to registration on this page. It is also one of only four that publish what a Commonwealth supported place costs, at $9,314 a year.
- No listed website
RMIT University
- Campuses
- 15 campuses
- Duration
- 4 years
- Full time
- Study mode
- On campus
- Full fee
- Not yet checked
What students say
Some students found organisation and admin frustrating, and opinions are mixed on the trainers and teaching.
What's different
Publishes a list of majors, which five of the fifteen do, so you can see what you would specialise in before applying.
Is this course right for you?
Entry requirements
Year 12 with chemistry is the usual requirement, though five of the fifteen providers here do not name a particular prerequisite subject. Selection is competitive: of the eight providers publishing a 2026 selection rank, the lowest is 60.05 and the highest 78.85.
- Yes. You need registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia through Ahpra, which comes after the degree, a year of supervised practice and the written and oral examinations. The degree alone does not permit practice.
Entry recommendations
To be prepared for this course, it helps to have:
- an interest in chemistry and biology
- a careful and accurate approach to work
- good communication skills with people from all walks of life
- an interest in medicines and how they help people
What will you learn?
The early years are chemistry, biology and pharmacology; the later ones are clinical, with placements in community pharmacies, hospitals and sometimes in industry. Registration with the Pharmacy Board needs the degree plus a year of supervised practice and a pass in the written and oral examinations, so the degree is the beginning of the qualification rather than the end of it. Pharmacists earned a median of $1,956 a week in the most recent figures and the occupation is listed as a national shortage. Most work in community pharmacies, with hospital and industry roles taking most of the rest, and the job is more clinical than it used to be: vaccination, medication reviews and chronic disease advice now sit alongside dispensing.
- 1Pharmaceutical chemistry and the science of medicines
You study the chemistry behind how medicines are made and how they behave in the body. This builds the foundation for understanding drug action later in the degree.
- 2Pharmacology and how drugs act on the body
You learn how drugs interact with the body, including their effects and how they are handled. This knowledge underpins safe and effective use of medicines in practice.
- 3Dispensing, compounding and medicines supply
You learn to prepare and supply medicines, including compounding, and how dispensing works in different settings. This covers the practical side of getting medicines to patients.
- 4Clinical placements in community and hospital pharmacy
You spend time in community pharmacies and hospitals, sometimes in industry, applying your learning in real workplaces. These placements are part of the later clinical years of the degree.
- 5Patient counselling and medication review
You learn to talk with patients about their medicines and to review medication use. This reflects the more clinical role pharmacists now have, including vaccination and chronic disease advice.
- 6Law, ethics and professional practice
You cover the legal and ethical rules that govern pharmacy, and what professional practice involves. This prepares you for the responsibilities of a registered pharmacist.
Career pathways
Roles this qualification is a recognised route into, and what else you need.
A step towards Pharmacist
Pharmacist
Pharmacists check and dispense prescription medicines and advise patients on how to take them safely, acting as the last clinical check before a medicine reaches someone.
Explore this career →- Weekly pay
- $1,956
- Full-time share
- 68%
- Employment size
- 46,300 workers
- Average age
- 38 years
- Average full-time hours
- 42 hours
- Gender share
- 66% female
- Future growth
- +20%
- Job market
- In shortage (national)
Complete a programme approved for the relevant pharmacy-registration pathway, then the required supervised practice, intern training and examinations. The bachelor award alone does not confer general registration. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.
Where this fits
Bachelor of Pharmacy in pharmacy: the study that leads into it, the study that follows, and other routes at the same level.
Before
Certificate IIICertificate III in Community PharmacyIf you are not ready for a four-year degree, this trains you to work as a pharmacy assistant, recommending products for everyday complaints and preparing prescriptions for the pharmacist to check.Certificate IICertificate II in Community PharmacyThis is the usual way into a pharmacy assistant role, with no entry requirements, so you can start serving customers and handling stock before committing to a degree.You are looking at
Bachelor of Pharmacy
After
No later step listed.
Other routes at the same level
Data from Course Seeker, run by the Tertiary Admissions Centres and the Australian Government Department of Education, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics (CC BY 4.0).