There are schools of pharmacy in every state and territory in Australia. Depending on whether which pathway you take, it takes a minimum of 5 to 6 years to become a pharmacist. After completing study at university, you must undertake a one year internship to become a registered pharmacist.

Undergraduate entry into pharmacy

For entry into undergraduate pharmacy courses in 2020, the ATAR was generally in the 70s or 80s. Following is a guide for the ATAR scores for every pharmacy course in Australia in 2020:

Please note that apart from your ATAR, entry and/or placement requirements for undergraduate pharmacy may also include:

• a police check
• a working with children check
• pre-requisite subjects
• first aid training
• health checks and immunisations

It is also worth noting that some universities will accept applicants who hold a full or partial Bachelor’s degree. Some universities also have different entry requirements for students from a rural or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander background. Please check with the universities you are looking at applying to for their complete entry requirements as this varies widely across the different universities.

Graduate entry into pharmacy

Entry into postgraduate pharmacy courses will involve requirements such as a high Grade Point Average (GPA) in your undergraduate degree as well as pre-requisite subjects.

Following is a table which shows postgraduate qualifications which lead to registration as a pharmacist in Australia (following internship):

Please note that apart from your GPA and pre-requisite subjects, graduate entry and/or placement requirements for pharmacy may also include:

• a police check
• a working with children check
• first aid training
• health checks and immunisations

Pathways to becoming a pharmacist

Following is an infographic which summarizes the above pathways to becoming a pharmacist. For simplicity, it does not include the possibility of transferring into pharmacy from another course. Click here for more information on our become a pharmacist page.

Current list of approved programs of study to become a pharmacist

The information presented in this article was correct at the time of publishing. Please check with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency for an up to date list of approved programs of study to become a pharmacist in Australia.

If you would like to find courses to become a general dentist:

1. Go to https://www.ahpra.gov.au/Accreditation/Approved-Programs-of-Study.aspx
2. In Profession select Pharmacist
3. In Country make the appropriate selection – for example, Australia
4. In Qualification Type select General
5. Click Search

More resources on My Health Career

• Your free guide to a career in pharmacy
• Videos about a career in pharmacy
• University scholarships
• Two pharmacists on what they love about their job

Disclaimer

This information is general in nature and does not take into account your personal circumstances.

My Health Career accepts no responsibility for ensuring that you enrol in a course that is right for you. Please do your own research to ensure that you enrol in the correct course. This may include speaking with people in the profession, a careers advisor, guidance officer, career development practitioner, representatives of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, and admissions officers from the university or universities you are looking at applying to.