Master of Pharmacy

School leavers may be eligible to apply for an Assured Pathway to Pharmacy. Entry is on a competitive basis, with places being offered to the highest-ranking applicants. To be considered for a place, applicants must meet minimum eligibility requirements and must not have commenced any tertiary studies, including university degree studies or vocational training at diploma level or above.

Successful applicants who gain a place in the Assured Pathway will commence UWA undergraduate studies and, on completion, progress to their postgraduate degree. The Assured Pathway place in the Master of Pharmacy is conditional on successful completion of a UWA bachelor’s degree which includes prerequisite units and with a minimum selection GPA of 5.0.

Minimum eligibility requirements

• Minimum ATAR of 94 or equivalent
• English language competency
• Interview

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Application process and timelines

• Assured Pathway applications are via TISC and will close late September according to TISC deadlines.
• UWA's Rural eligibility form must be submitted with the TISC application by the TISC deadline.
• Refer to the TISC guide for current course codes and application deadlines.
• Interview dates to be advised.
• Course offers will be as per TISC timelines.

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Prerequisite and recommended subjects

Assured Pathway students must complete a UWA bachelor’s degree before commencing the MPharm. In addition to English language competency requirements, there may be other prerequisites depending on the chosen major. In most cases, students who have not undertaken prerequisite subjects may undertake bridging units as part of their bachelor’s degree studies.

The following ATAR or equivalent subjects are recommended as they will fulfil some of the prerequisites for the MPharm, or may be taken as Level 1 university units as part of the chosen Bachelor's degree:

• Chemistry
• Maths Applications or above

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Final ranking and availability of places

• Final ranking will be based on ATAR or equivalent and interview score, equally weighted.
• Up to 30 places across the various domestic quotas will be offered for the Assured Pathway to Pharmacy. Up to 10 per cent of available places will be offered to eligible rural applicants, and up to 10 per cent of available places will be offered to eligible Indigenous applicants.

If you have completed, or are currently undertaking, a degree at any university, including UWA, you must ensure you have successfully completed at least one unit from each of the topics listed in the prerequisite areas listed below. These units can form part of your major or be added in as complementary, broadening or elective units.

UWA units which meet the prerequisite requirements at the tertiary level are provided as an example. It is not essential that you complete these exact units in each topic area,and if you are studying at another university, you will need to complete a unit with similar content.

• Chemistry – Year 12 ATAR Chemistry is accepted, or a tertiary chemistry unit, for example Introductory Chemistry (CHEM1003)
• Mathematics OR Statistics – Year 12 ATAR Mathematics is accepted, or a tertiary mathematics or statistics unit, for example Mathematics Fundamentals (MATH1720) or Statistics for Science (STAT1400)
• Microbiology – for example Introductory Microbiology (MICR2208) or Infectious Diseases and Immunology (MICR2209)
• Pharmacology – for example Foundations of Pharmacology (PHAR2210) note: Drugs that Changed the World (PHAR1101) does not qualify as a prerequisite unit for Pharmacology  

Successful applicants who gain a place in an International Assured Pathway will commence in a UWA Bachelor's degree and, on completion, progress to their assured place in the postgraduate Master of Pharmacy (MPharm).

The Assured Pathway place in the MPharm is conditional on:

• successful completion of a UWA bachelor’s degree with specified prerequisites and a minimum selection GPA of 5.0 and appropriate prerequisite units; and
• retention of international student status

International Assured Pathway students will first complete a UWA Bachelor of Biomedical Science with the Pharmacology major. Students may also choose a different UWA Bachelor's degree but must ensure that MPharm prerequisites are fulfilled. Students who wish to undertake an Assured Pathway via the Bachelor of Philosophy (Honours) (BPhil) require a minimum ATAR of 98 (or equivalent) to be considered.

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Minimum eligibility requirements

Minimum ATAR of 94 or equivalent, for example:

14 - GCE or Cambridge Advanced Level Examination*

33 - International Baccalaureate

78 - UWA Foundation Program (UWA College)

74 - Western Australian Universities' Foundation Program (WAUFP)

Other overseas qualifications

Applicants who will not have their final results by the application closing date may apply based on a predicted result provided by their school. Refer to application timelines and due dates below. Course offers will be conditional on the actual result being consistent with the predicted result.

*Applicants who will not receive their final A-Level result may receive an offer with the condition that their final result is consistent with their predicted result. Applicants with a conditional offer may commence in their undergraduate degree in February (before their A-level results are released in March). If their final result does not meet the condition, the applicant will lose their Assured Pathway place in the MPharm but will not lose their place in the bachelor’s degree, and would be able to apply later for graduate entry to the MPharm.

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Prerequisite and recommended subjects

Assured Pathway students must complete a UWA bachelor’s degree before commencing the DPM. In addition to English language competency requirements, there may be other prerequisites depending on the chosen major.

It is recommended to study ATAR or equivalent Chemistry and Maths Applications or higher, however school leavers who have not completed these subjects can undertake bridging units as part of their bachelor’s degree studies.

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Application timelines and due dates

• International applications for the Assured Pathway to Pharmacy open 1 March and close 31 August the year prior to commencement.
• Applications are via UWA’s online application system. International students may also apply via an authorised international education agent.
• Applicants whose final results are not available by the application closing date must submit a Predicted ATAR form (fillable RTF 917KB, PDF 250KB).
• The School of Allied Health plans to hold interviews during October.     
• Timing of course offers to be advised.
• Applicants who attain a place in the Assured Pathway to Pharmacy will commence their UWA bachelor’s degree in semester one (late February).
• Applicants who are offered an International Assured Pathway to Pharmacy may defer commencement for one year. Students who are required to fulfil a national service obligation may defer for up to two years.  

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Final ranking and availability of places

• Final ranking will be based on ATAR or equivalent and interview score, equally weighted
• Up to six places will be offered for the International Assured Pathway to Pharmacy

The Admissions team can help should you have any queries regarding quota eligibility.

Domestic
Australian citizens (including dual citizenship holders), permanent residents and New Zealand citizens must apply for a domestic place.

International
Applicants who are not Australian citizens, permanent residents or New Zealand citizens, must apply for an international place. International students who have applied or are intending to apply for Australian permanent residency or citizenship need to be aware of the following:

• An offer for an international place will lapse if residency status changes before commencement. Applicants in this situation will need to re-apply during the next admissions period for a domestic place.
• A student whose residency status changes after commencement in a course subject to quotas cannot be guaranteed a domestic place.
• International school leavers must retain their international student status to take up their postgraduate International place

School leaver (domestic or international)
A school leaver applicant is currently completing high school ATAR (or equivalent level studies) or on a gap year, and has not commenced in university degree studies or vocational training at diploma level or above. A school leaver in progress of a national service obligation is considered to be on a gap year until completion.  

Graduate applicant (domestic or international)
A graduate applicant has completed or will soon complete a recognised Bachelor’s degree. The earliest a student may apply for graduate entry is during the final year of their initial Bachelor’s degree.

Rural (Domestic graduates and school leavers)
The Rural program is part of a Federal Government initiative to address workforce shortages in medicine, dentistry, and allied healthcare in regional, rural and remote Australia. To be eligible, an applicant’s principal home address must have been in an area defined by the Department of Health as regional, rural or remote according to the Modified Monash Model (MMM) for any five years consecutively or at least 10 years cumulatively. A search engine for eligible locations can be found on the DoctorConnect website - click on Modified Monash Model 2019.  The MMM 2019 rates locations based on 2016 census data on a scale of 1 - 7. If you are a domestic student who lives or has lived in areas rated MM-2 through MM-7 for the defined periods you may be eligible for consideration within the Rural quota.

Domestic school leaver applicants for Medicine, Dentistry, Podiatric Medicine or Pharmacy who believe they fit the rural definition must submit UWA's Rural Eligibility form with their TISC application to be considered for a Rural place. 

Domestic graduate applicants for Dentistry, Podiatric Medicine, Optometry, Pharmacy or Social Work who believe they fit the rural definition must submit UWA's Rural Eligibility form with their UWA application to be considered for a Rural place. 

Domestic graduate applicants for Medicine will indicate their eligibility via GEMSAS. 

Indigenous (Domestic graduates and school leavers)
Applicants who identify as an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and are accepted as such by the community in which they live, or have lived, are eligible for consideration as an Indigenous applicant. Applicants must provide a person or organisation who can verify their Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status.

School leaver applicants may initially contact either the School of Indigenous Studies or the Admissions team for additional guidance regarding this pathway.

Graduate applicants may initially contact the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health (CAMDH) or the Admissions team for additional guidance regarding this pathway.

Broadway (domestic school leavers)
Broadway UWA is designed to ensure access to UWA courses is available to the broadest range of students with the potential to succeed at university. The program aims to increase the diversity in the student cohorts within health care courses at UWA.

Specified schools are invited to participate in this program. You are eligible for consideration as a Broadway Assured Pathway applicant if you have undertaken your entire Year 12 studies, including WACE, at a UWA Broadway school.  

Broadway eligible school-leaver applicants will indicate their school as part of their TISC application. Contact the Admissions team should you have further queries.

• Applicants who can meet the eligibility requirements will be ranked and shortlisted for an interview based on academic results: selection WAM for graduate applicants and ATAR or equivalent for school leaver applicants. 
• Eligible applicants will be contacted with more information after shortlisting is complete.
• The interview will be a structured process allowing applicants to display some of the personal qualities considered desirable in allied health practitioners.
• Applicants who accept their interview will be provided with information and preparation material prior to the interview.

Eligibility requirements

To be considered for admission into the MPharm, an applicant must:

• have a bachelor's degree, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA. Recognised bachelor’s degrees are those conferred by Australian universities or higher education institutions recognised by the Australian Qualifications Framework or the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition (NOOSR). While academic results from postgraduate study will be taken into account, postgraduate studies undertaken without a bachelor’s degree cannot be accepted as an equivalent qualification
• have the equivalent of a selection Weighted Average Mark (sWAM) of at least 65, and
• meet the prerequisites in chemistry, mathematics, microbiology and pharmacology  

Applicants who can meet the prerequisites are initially ranked according to sWAM, with the highest-ranking applicants being offered an interview.

After the interviews, candidates will be ranked by sWAM, and interview score (equally weighted), with the highest-ranking applicants being offered a place. Rural applicants will be ranked based on sWAM, interview and rurality rating (equally weighted).

Read through all sections for a detailed understanding of the requirements. The Future Students team is happy to assist with any further queries.

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Application timelines and due dates

• Domestic and International applications open on 1 March and close on 31 August the year prior to commencement. Apply via UWA’s online application process for postgraduate coursework studies. International students may also apply via an authorised international education agent.
• Domestic applicants who may be eligible to apply as an Indigenous applicant should contact the Admissions team or contact the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health (CAMDH) regarding this pathway.
• Domestic and International applications should submit the MPharm prerequisite checklist document or PDF 
• Domestic applicants who may be eligible to apply as a rural applicant should submit the Rural Eligibility form with their application.

Interview periods

• The School of Allied Health plans to carry out interviews for shortlisted domestic and international applicants on or around 10-11 October.
• Applicants who are eligible for Indigenous entry should contact the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health (CAMDH) regarding interview timelines for the current admissions period.

Course offers

• Offers are planned to commence during November. Timing of subsequent round offers will depend on the outcome of previous rounds
• An offer cannot automatically be deferred; in exceptional circumstances, a deferral request may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Applicants should consider their personal circumstances and apply during an admissions period where they are prepared to commence should they receive an offer.

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Final ranking for course offers

• Final ranking for non-rural domestic and international candidates will be based equally on sWAM and interview score.
• Final ranking for rural candidates will be based equally on sWAM, interview score and rurality rating.

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Degree completion – conditional offers

Applicants who are eligible for a course offer during the final year of their initial bachelor’s degree will be made a conditional offer requiring them to:

• attain a minimum selection WAM of 65 for semester two of the final year of their degree; and
• complete their bachelor’s degree requirements by 31 December prior to commencement.

Applicants who are in progress of their initial bachelor’s degree and undertake a course of action that will result in receiving late results may not meet offer conditions. Therefore applicants must take care when undertaking any course of action which could delay the receipt of results or degree completion. This may include undertaking deferred/supplementary exams, undertaking units that fall outside normal semesters (e.g. summer units or trimester units) or going on exchange during the final year of study. Applicants who do not complete all requirements for their initial bachelor’s degree by the 31 December deadline will have their offer withdrawn.

WAM refers to Weighted Average Mark and is a numerical value out of 100 that is calculated from marks received in each completed unit.

For Allied Health courses with a competitive entry process the selection WAM (sWAM) will be calculated from all degree qualifications completed or due to be completed by 31 December the year prior to course commencement.

Results from any degree which will be incomplete as at 31 December of the application year will not be included in the sWAM calculation. The exception is where such studies have been applied as credit or advanced standing to a later degree which is due for completion by 31 December of the application year. 

The sWAM will be determined for each included qualification and then weighted by overall duration. All marks received within or credited to a completed degree will be included, including Fail results.

All studies up to the application deadline will be included. Where an applicant qualifies for a course offer with a sWAM calculation which includes a degree due for completion by 31 December of the application year there will be a condition to meet the minimum sWAM of 65 in the final semester of study.

The sWAM will be rounded to two decimal places.

PhD holders will be automatically awarded a selection WAM of 85. This is regardless of other completed degree studies.