Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science

South Australia's only Pharmaceutical Science degree will prepare you to work in the discovery, development, formulation, approval, evaluation and marketing of medicines.

This flexible degree can be tailored to suit your interests and career ambitions, where you can focus on:

drug discovery and development manufacturing and production clinical trials regulatory affairs pharmaceutical sales and marketing.

You will also develop advanced communication skills when you complete a compulsory industry project or placement relating to your area of interest.

Depending on your academic achievement throughout the degree you may also be accepted into an honours program.

The opportunities are endless, with the ability to gain valuable international industry experience through study tours or overseas placements.

You may also have the opportunity to enter into the only double degree in Australia of its kind – a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science, Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) which you can complete with just two extra years of study.

To be eligible, you will need to achieve a grade point average (GPA) of 5 or more by the end of your second year.

What you'll need Students who undertake activities where interaction with patients/the public is required for their degree, such as field or clinical placements/visits and in University clinics and gyms, must demonstrate they meet mandatory pre-placement conditional requirements.

These include criminal history clearance, a Working with Children Check and immunisation requirements.

Please visit the Clinical Placement Unit for information on key requirements, and to access the full student checklists.

Entry requirements

Admission criteria

The admission criteria have been grouped to assist you to easily find the information most relevant to your circumstances. However, you may fit into more than one and the university will consider applicants against each of the relevant criteria.

Certain conditions apply. For more information refer to Appendix 4 of the University's Selection and Entry policy.

Applicants are required to meet one of the following criteria with a competitive result, and demonstrate that they fulfil any prerequisite requirements and essential requirements for admission:

Recent secondary education Meet any prerequisite requirements with a minimum grade of C- or equivalent AND

• Qualify for the South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE), and achieved a competitive Selection Rank (ATAR), or
• Complete secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE, or
• Complete the International Baccalaureate Diploma with a minimum score of 24 points

Applicants who have not achieved the Selection Rank required for automatic selection may be selected for any remaining places based on the grades of their year 12 subjects.

Recent secondary education ATAR profile

OR Higher education study

• Complete or partly complete a recognised higher education program at a recognised higher education institution, or
• Complete at least four Open Universities Australia (OUA) courses at undergraduate level or above

OR Vocational Education and Training (VET)

• Complete an award from a registered training organisation at Diploma level or above

OR Work and life experience

• Qualify for Special Entry, or
• Complete a UniSA Foundation Studies program or equivalent, or
• Hold completed secondary qualifications equivalent to SACE obtained more than 2 years in the past

Essential requirements for admission

Prerequisites

One of the following:

Assumed Knowledge

Deferment

This degree is available for deferment. This option is made available by responding to your offer during the application process via the SATAC website. Applicants who receive an offer into a midyear degree are eligible to defer for six months.

Students who undertake activities where interaction with patients/the public is required for their degree, such as field or clinical placements/visits and in University clinics and gyms, must demonstrate they meet mandatory pre-placement conditional requirements. These include criminal history clearance, a Working with Children Check and immunisation requirements. Please visit the Clinical Placement Unit for information on key requirements, and to access the full student checklists.

During the first year you will develop an understanding of basic sciences. You will also focus on career development and factors influencing the pharmaceutical industry domestically and internationally.

During the second and third years you will focus on:

• pharmaceutical sciences (including formulation)
• pharmacology and pharmacokinetics
• drug discovery, development and commercialisation.

This degree places a unique emphasis on the development and commercialisation of a range of pharmaceutical products, such as injections, tablets, creams and ointments.

You will then get the opportunity to fine-tune your study to your own personal interests and career aspirations when you choose from a range of elective courses during your final two years.

You may choose to specialise in areas such as:

• research and development (including drug discovery)
• manufacturing and pharmaceutical chemistry (including quality control)
• drug development (including clinical trials)
• business (including sales, marketing, legal, regulatory and drug information).

For each course you study, you will need to allocate time for various classes such as lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars and practicals. Plus you will need additional hours to study in your own time to complete assignments, readings and projects and contribute to online discussion forums (independent study). So as a general rule, if you are studying full-time you would need to allocate 12 – 26 hours of study when at university and 14 – 28 hours of independent study per week.

Your studies will incorporate practical, professionally focused and research-based learning, so assessment types will vary. You can expect them to include:

Our affiliation with several internationally-renowned research groups, the UniSA Cancer Research Institute and Centre for Cancer Biology provide you with valuable networking opportunities and industry contacts.

You will also complete a minimum of 80 hours in an industry project or placement relating to your area of interest, during which time you will further expand your professional network. Examples of recent placement sites include Mayne Pharma, BTG plc, Forensic Science SA, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), CMAX, Vaxine Pty Ltd and many more.

Examples of industry projects, as well as tasks students have undertaken at placement sites have included developing better detection methods for skin cancer (Mayne Pharma), improving a vaccine formulation (Vaxine Pty Ltd) and quality control of radiopharmaceuticals (SAHMRI).

Your career

The pharmaceutical industry is rapidly growing, due in part to an ageing population and technological advances that make it easier and more cost-effective for new medications to be created and tested. This broadening market means graduates of this degree enjoy excellent job prospects.

As a pharmaceutical science professional, you should be interested in science and technology and have a passion for preventing illness and treating disease to improve the quality of life for humans and animals.

Employment opportunities are diverse and you will be qualified to take on professional roles in many areas, including:

• evaluation of medicines by government regulatory agencies
• identification and measurement of drugs by analytical laboratories
• clinical trials that test the efficiency of medicines in patients
• interrogation of medicine usage to improve health outcomes and minimise health costs
• marketing and sales of medicines for human and veterinary use
• research and development of new drugs and medicines
• manufacturing and quality control to ensure high quality medicines are produced
• intellectual property and patent law.

Where can my interest in science take me?

View our guide on Science Careers for more information.

Applying to study with us:

• go to the top of this page and make note of the SATAC code, then click Apply
• you will be redirected through to the SATAC website to continue your application

Our campuses have fantastic facilities including modern lecture theatres, libraries, workshops, laboratories, and areas that simulate real work environments. But you’ll also discover that your journey at UniSA is about social experiences, healthy living and getting involved. You’ll find student sports and fitness facilities, community clinics, tech zones and chill-out spaces. There are campus sport activities to keep you active, and if you are keen to explore the social side of university life, there are movies, cooking demonstrations, parties and loads more.

Adelaide has a variety of accommodation options to suit different requirements and budgets. Options include dedicated student accommodation or private rentals. See our long-term accommodation pages for plenty of options. If you need somewhere to live, our new student accommodation by urbanest is on Bank Street in Adelaide’s lively cultural precinct, an ideal perfect location for students. It is within easy reach of UniSA’s city and metropolitan campuses, Rundle Mall shopping, the Central Market, Chinatown, and the West End’s vibrant nightlife. It is also across the road from the Adelaide train station, and on bus and tram routes.

Our student support services will make your life at university easier. We want you to be successful, and if you need help, we're here to assist. We provide a full range of support services, including:

• academic counselling
• personal counselling
• social support services, including family support and nearby childcare

We have six campuses in metropolitan and regional areas, each with advanced facilities including modern lecture theatres, libraries, laboratories, and areas that simulate real work environments.

You will have access to:

• Purpose-built Pharmacy Laboratories in our new $247m University of South Australia Cancer Research Institute
• Chemistry Laboratory
• Biology Laboratory