Clinical Pharmacy via Study Centres MSc

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Future proof your role as a pharmacist. Learn through an innovative and flexible teaching style. Build on current knowledge and experience and extend your professional development.

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Overview

Clinical Pharmacy via Study Centres is taught at our quality-assured partners worldwide and will provide the additional postgraduate qualification you need to progress in your field. The course focuses on advancing your clinical practice, leadership, management, education, and research skills. It is ideally suited for newly qualified pharmacists and those progressing towards advanced clinical practice.

This course will challenge you, through an innovative and flexible teaching style, to be the best pharmacist for you and your patients. It will provide you with an approach to practice, building on existing knowledge and experiences to extend your personal and professional development.

The course has been developed by healthcare professionals and academics to reflect the most up-to-date and relevant areas to a pharmacist’s practice. To succeed in this course, applicants should preferably work in a patient-facing clinical role.

Please contact your Study Centre for the duration and mode of this course.

Why us?

Pharmacy has been taught at Sunderland for over 100 years
Part-time study is designed to fit around your professional commitments
Access engaging learning materials, including self-assessment quizzes, e-learning modules, video presentations, and applied case-based scenarios

Learn from experienced academic practitioners, specialist advanced clinical pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals in our expert-led webinars
Blended learning with the use of Canvas, our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), and a series of taught, online seminars across the academic year

Course structure

The course is delivered through a blended learning approach, with a strong emphasis on interactive distance-learning materials that you can engage with at your own time and pace.

Teaching is delivered via online lectures, expert interviews, directed reading, case-based scenarios, research activities, tutorials, and dedicated online tutor support. Content is divided into manageable, bite-sized chunks, allowing you to focus on specific areas even within a short timeframe. You can test your knowledge with self-check quizzes, watch expert consultations, or explore video tutorials.

In addition to the online materials, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in a series of live online seminars (webinars). These sessions are led by experienced academic pharmacists actively working in practice, highly specialist advanced clinical pharmacist practitioners, and a wide range of other healthcare professionals.

Modules run throughout the academic year, giving you the flexibility to manage your own schedule and study at your own pace within the module timeframe. Unlike undergraduate courses, this course requires a higher level of independent working, empowering you to take greater control of your learning experience.

You'll be assessed through a combination of written coursework and a work-based portfolio, which assesses learning and development through a variety of workplace tasks specifically tailored to meet the module and course outcomes.

Year 1

Foundations of Clinical Practice (30 credits)

Strengthen your capabilities as a safe and effective practitioner while deepening your critical understanding of the clinical pharmacist's role. Advance your consultation and history-taking skills, integrating diagnostic testing into patient-centred care. Build on existing knowledge with an evidence-based approach to problem-solving, prioritising patient safety and systematic decision-making.

Leadership in Healthcare (15 credits)

Explore your strengths and develop qualities to build and lead effective teams. Learn how to advocate for and implement change using quality improvement and leadership strategies. Deepen your knowledge of risk management and error reporting to improve patient outcomes and reduce adverse events.

Research in Healthcare (15 credits)

Gain the skills to create, analyse, critique, and apply evidence to enhance healthcare outcomes. Explore key approaches, from hypothesis formation to the synthesis of systematic reviews. Design a research project on a topic of your choice, guided by the principles of healthcare research.

Some modules have prerequisites. Read more about what this means in our Help and Advice article.

Year 2

Clinical Practice and Education (30 credits)

Build your skills in acute patient care while fostering personal development, identifying learning opportunities, and reflecting on feedback. Develop confidence in evaluating evidence, creating management plans, and collaborating within a multidisciplinary team. Explore teaching and learning theories used in clinical education and use your expertise to mentor and train colleagues effectively.

Long-term Conditions (30 credits)

Develop your knowledge and skills in managing long-term conditions using a holistic approach within a multidisciplinary team across care sectors. Strengthen your ability to critically evaluate the evidence for managing long-term conditions, while considering the importance of health promotion and public engagement. Create a portfolio showcasing your expertise in caring for patients with long-term conditions and your ongoing professional development.

Research Project (60 credits)

Gain a comprehensive understanding of research methods, including ethical, theoretical, and logistical considerations. Learn to critically evaluate research literature, and design, justify, and carry out research in your chosen clinical field. Develop the ability to communicate research findings effectively and identify ways to apply them to improve healthcare practice.

Facilities

Online facilities include the use of VLE Canvas, reVIEW and Storyline.

Please contact the relevant study centre for information on their facilities and location.

Entry requirements

Our typical offer is:

Qualification	Minimum grade
a Canadian bachelor's degree	GPA 2.40
a USA bachelor's degree	GPA 2.5

If you already hold a postgraduate qualification, please see our Applying for additional postgraduate degrees Help and Advice article.

If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.

If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.

Please contact the study centre for more information on their specific requirements and equivalent qualifications from outside the UK.

Is your qualification not displaying here? For international qualifications, search our full list of international entry requirements for this course.

Fees and finance

Please contact the Study Centre directly for information on fees and finance.

This information was correct at the time of publication.

Student in the Sunderland Futures department

Career ready

We encourage you to plan your future contributions with your employer and how your career will progress. On completing this postgraduate qualification in clinical pharmacy, you will be equipped with the advanced skills and knowledge specifically needed for progression into various senior pharmacist roles.

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Contact

Contact the Student Helpline for further information about studying at the University of Sunderland:

0191 515 3000

student.helpline@sunderland.ac.uk

View Programme Specifications for the Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing

Page last updated: 03 June 2025

We aim to provide clear, accurate and timely information to prospective and current students. We continuously review and enhance course content in consultation with our students and the information provided on our website is the latest available. If you have received an offer from us to start a course, we will communicate any important changes to you in writing. We will always seek to ensure that our prospective students are fully aware of the basis on which they are accepting an offer.