Pharmacy in Australia

What you can expect from postgraduate study in Pharmacy

What you're in for
Programs in this field are predominantly for practitioners who, by definition, have a first degree in the field. There are one or two for those without an undergraduate pharmacy degree who want to become registered pharmacists. If you are interested in making a career change and moving into pharmacy, also check out the Good Universities Guide to Universities and Private Higher Education Providers. For the pharmacist looking for further study there are a number of coursework programs ranging from graduate certificate to masters level. Many of them focus on either pharmacy management, community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy or pharmaceutical science. There are a select few research programs that allow more in-depth exploration of these and other areas. Just as undergraduate courses in this field are few and far between, postgraduate options are very limited in each state. So unless you want to move, it won’t be too hard to select a program as your location will narrow down the options. The greater challenge will be to make sure that those options that are available are really going to be relevant and worth your while pursuing. Otherwise, it may be worth reviewing alternatives in health-related fields (for example, rehabilitation, or health services and support) or science. If you are a pharmacist interested in acquiring skills for running or growing your practice, business and management might be of interest.
Who does postgraduate courses in Pharmacy?
Number of students: 820
Percent of students over 25 years: 30%
Percent of students with a prior degree: 91%
Percent of students with Non-English speaking backgrounds: 34%
Number of international students: 147
Percent studying part-time: 41%
Percent studying externally: 25%
Percent women: 61%
Graduates view of the course experience
Teaching quality: 2 stars
Development of generic skills: 4 stars
Overall satisfaction: 3 stars
Your prospects
In the most recent national Course Experience Questionnaire survey, postgraduate students gave their study experience average ratings and the quality of the teaching was considered below average. Job prospects are currently excellent, but salaries are very low.
What salary can I expect?
Graduate starting salary: $52,013
Will I get a job?
Percentage of people looking for job who did not find full-time work four months after graduation: 2%
Where graduates go when they get jobs
Public sector: 38%
Private sector: 59%
Private practice: 0%
Overseas: 4%
Do institutions differ in how they teach Pharmacy?
Yes. The following 12 institutions all provide Pharmacy courses. Click on the University name to see how their Pharmacy courses rate and compare.
Curtin University of Technology
Griffith University
James Cook University
Monash University
Murdoch University
University of Canberra
University of New South Wales
University of Newcastle
University of Queensland
University of South Australia
University of Sydney
University of Western Australia