Pharmacy Degrees Abroad: Costs, Countries, and How Registration Actually Works

Where you can study it

Every country below has verified programmes listed on Global Admissions. Figures are the cheapest-to-median sourced tuition per country, not a currency conversion — tap through to the sample programmes below for individual, linkable listings.

Figures are the fee as recorded on Global Admissions from each programme's own listing — basis (per year, per semester, or per credit) can vary by programme; verify the exact figure directly on the university's own page before budgeting.

Sample programmes

A cheapest-first sample of individual, sourced programmes — each one links to its own page on Global Admissions.

Fees as recorded from each programme's own listing; verify on the university's page before budgeting.

The famous names

These pharmacy schools come up constantly once you start researching — here's what each one actually is, so you can look past the name recognition and check registration for the country you actually want to work in.

What pharmacy programmes actually cost

The University of Sheffield lists an international tuition fee of £32,100 for its Pharmacy MPharm — near the top of the UK's sourced range. At the other end, France's cheapest sourced pharmacy-related master's programmes on Global Admissions start around $270 a year, though degree structure and language of instruction differ sharply from the UK's MPharm model.

If you're applying on a UK Student visa, budget separately for the maintenance requirement: £1,529 a month in London, £1,171 a month outside London, for up to nine months.

Getting in

The University of Bath's MPharm requires AAB across three A levels including Chemistry plus another science or maths subject, GCSE Maths and English at minimum grade 4/C, and IELTS 7.0 overall with at least 6.5 in every component. The University of Sheffield's MPharm asks for AAB including Chemistry and a second science, with a pass required in the practical element of any science A levels taken, alongside GCSE Maths and English at grade 6/B and the same IELTS 7.0 threshold.

The practical-element pass requirement is easy to miss if you're only checking the headline grades — check it directly on the programme page if you're taking A-level sciences.

Graduating isn't the same as being licensed to practise

Many pharmacy-abroad pages collapse together academic pharmacy degrees, exchange options and eventual pharmacist licensure — three genuinely different things. The gap that actually matters is between an approved education route and the registration exam that follows it, and both are set by the country, not the school.

In Great Britain, that's an accredited MPharm followed by foundation training and a registration assessment with the GPhC. Non-EEA qualified pharmacists start instead with the Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme, a one-year postgraduate diploma, then 52 weeks of foundation training. In the US, NABP requires FPGEC Certification before a foreign-educated pharmacist can even sit the NAPLEX exam — and is explicit that certification alone isn't a practising licence.

Before you shortlist a pharmacy programme

A few checks specific to pharmacy admissions and later registration, worth running through before you apply.

1. 1

   Confirm the programme is accredited in the country you want to practise in eventually

   An MPharm accredited for GPhC registration in Great Britain isn't automatically recognised the same way in the US or Australia. Check the accreditation body relevant to your target country, not just the school's home country.

2. 2

   Check the practical science requirements, not just the headline grades

   Some universities require a pass in the practical element of A-level sciences on top of the overall grade — this can be missed if you're only comparing headline offers.

3. 3

   Map the post-graduation registration chain before you enrol

   Foundation training length and registration assessments both take time; non-EEA-qualified applicants in Great Britain also add a postgraduate diploma year. All of it is part of actually becoming a licensed pharmacist, so budget time and cost for the full chain, not just the degree.

4. 4

   If you trained outside your target country, check the specific certification step first

   In the US, that's FPGEC Certification before you can sit the NAPLEX. In Great Britain, it's the Overseas Pharmacists Assessment Programme for non-EEA qualified applicants. Confirm the equivalent for wherever you're headed.

Where pharmacy is regulated — and what that means for you

Pharmacy is licensed everywhere it's practised. An accredited degree is the starting point; registration is a separate process that follows it.

Licensing and registration rules change; verify directly with the named regulator before relying on this table.

Scholarship and funding routes worth checking

None of these are pharmacy-specific schemes — they're broad government or EU routes that may cover a pharmacy-related master's if the individual programme and your nationality qualify. Verify the current call before treating any of them as a plan.

Each route name links to its official source. Verify the current call and eligibility before applying — cycles and seat counts change annually.

Frequently asked questions