Bachelor (Honours)
The Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) is the only pathway to becoming a pharmacist in South Australia. We are the only South Australian provider of pharmacy education, and one of the four universities in Australia to be a member of the prestigious National Alliance for Pharmacy Education (NAPE).
Graduating with a higher-level qualification honours degree will set you apart from the crowd, ensuring you have a competitive edge and are ready for broad career opportunities including patient facing clinical practice in settings such as primary care and hospital pharmacy, pharmaceutical industry, government regulation or further postgraduate study and research.
We offer a state-of-the-art, purpose-built pharmacy laboratory to develop skills in drug development and pharmaceutical sciences, and a pharmacy practice suite where you will develop clinical and professional competence and learn the vital communication skills needed when dealing with patients. The suite utilises integrated information technology and digital platforms to prepare you for the future of pharmacy practice.
Students have exposure to world-class research conducted by the UniSA Cancer Research Institute.
This honours degree will equip you with the knowledge, skills and practical expertise needed to embark on a career in the ever-changing field of pharmacy.
As an honours student there is also a strong focus on research, and you will graduate with the skills needed to undertake and manage research projects in a health-related setting.
During your first two years you will study:
During the third and fourth years you will study:
In fourth year, you will also complete professional placements in community and hospital-based pharmacy settings, with opportunities for rural and international experiences.
You can gain an extra qualification and broaden your career prospects by completing a Diploma in Languages.
In Australia, growth in the pharmacy profession has been on the rise, with career prospects continuing to look very strong, having an expected 13,000 job openings over the next five years.1
Pharmacists are the medicines experts in the healthcare team. To be successful as a pharmacist you will need to have an interest in the care, health and wellbeing of individuals and the community. You will also need to have an interest in the physical sciences and acknowledge the significance of the social sciences in the development of a health professional. The ability to work without supervision and with a high degree of accuracy under pressure is essential, as is a willingness to develop high-level problem-solving skills.
In addition, you should be motivated to take on an intellectual challenge, have a desire to gain expert specialised knowledge in your discipline, and a strong interest in research. You will need to be meticulous, accurate and results-driven, and possess exceptional communication skills to manage interactions with patients and other professional.
With new therapeutic developments and expanding clinical roles pharmacists have more career options than ever before, which is great news for graduates.
Pharmacists gain employment in:
As an honours student you may also choose to pursue a career in research - graduates with honours degrees are highly sought after by prospective employers, particularly within university and research settings. The Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) qualifies students for registration as a pharmacist, however, to become a practicing pharmacist, you will need to undertake the Pharmacy Intern Training Program at UniSA or another institution.
Other postgraduate opportunities include the Master of Clinical Pharmacy.
Where can my interest in science take me?
View our guide on Science Careers for more information.
1Australian Government Department of Jobs and Small Business, 2023 Small Business Projections.