Prerequisite Knowledge

Entry to the programme requires a Bachelor degree in the area of biomedical / biophysical or the equivalent science. Normally a credit weighted average for the degree completed no earlier than 2003 will be expected for entry in 2010. Applicants with applied biomedical science degrees (eg. Medical Technology, Nursing etc) will also be considered for entry to the programme if they meet the additional selection criteria indicated below.

Additional Selection Criteria

All prospective students will have to demonstrate adequate knowledge of each of the following areas of basic science at a tertiary level:

• Physiology and Anatomy of the major body systems.
• Cell Biology, including an understanding of the structure and function of eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, membrane transport processes, receptor systems, signalling pathways, cell cycle and cell differentiation.
• Biochemistry / Molecular Biology, including an understanding of DNA structure and function, molecular and structural biochemistry of proteins, enzymes systems, energy generation and the regulation of metabolism.
• Chemistry, including fundamental concepts in physical chemistry such as acid-base equilibria, oxidation and reduction, atomic structure, bonding, stereochemistry, solubility, thermodynamics, and the fundamentals of organic chemistry.
• Mathematics/Statistics. Study of statistics at the tertiary level is a requirement for entry (please see Guide below for further details).

English Competency

All prospective students need to demonstrate a minimum level of competency in written and spoken English. For those whose native language is not English, satisfactory performance in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or equivalent, with a score of 7.5 (new Australian Pharmacy Council requirements from July 1, 2009) and no band less than 7.0 is required (the General IELTS test is not acceptable). Requirements in the Occupational English Test (OET) remain unchanged and a score of either ‘A’ or ‘B’ in each of the four sections of the OET is acceptable. The University accepts international students holding recent bachelor degrees from an Australian university as proof of English competency.

Guide for undergraduate students considering future studies in Pharmacy

The following undergraduate units at UWA (or equivalent from another institution) provide a sound grounding in the biological and physical sciences for postgraduate studies in Pharmacy, and meet the requirements of the Additional Selection Criteria indicated above.

Prospective NON-UWA students should use these UWA unit descriptions AS A GUIDE for undergraduate course selection at other universities. (The units indicated below all have a 6 point weighting, equal to one quarter of a full semester load.)

Level 1 (1st year) units:

• Human Biology I (ANHB1101) OR Core Concepts in Biology (BIOL1130)
• Molecular Biology of the Cell (SCIE1106)
• Biological Organic Chemistry (CHEM1103) AND Biological Inorganic and Physical Chemistry (CHEM1104)
• Mathematics/Statistics

The following UWA units (or equivalent at another institution) are recommended with regard to studies in mathematics and statistics:
(i) Prospective students with TEE Applicable Mathematics and Calculus should take at least Statistics A (STAT1510) or the equivalent.
(ii) Prospective students with TEE Applicable Mathematics only should take Calculus B (MATH1040) AND Statistics A (STAT1510).
(iii) Prospective students with TEE Discrete Mathematics are required to take Calculus C (MATH1050) AND Statistics B (STAT1530).

Level 2 (2nd year) units:

• Physiology of Human Body Systems (PHYL2255)
• Biochemistry of the Cell (BIOC2201)

(additional studies in biochemistry, such as Biochemical Regulation of Cell Function (BIOC2202) are encouraged).

NB: The academic content of all the units indicated above is common to many degree programmes in the biomedical/biophysical and allied health sciences at other tertiary institutions.

Desirable areas of study:

Science majors most compatible with postgraduate studies in pharmacy include physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, microbiology, genetics, pathology, molecular biology, psychology as well as chemistry (as long as the degree includes units of study in biological science that meet the additional selection criteria).

Bridging studies:

Prospective students lacking components of this prerequisite knowledge may complete appropriate units at UWA, or the equivalent units at another university, prior to entering the pharmacy programme.