9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂ

On this page: 

• Applying
• Selection process
  • Stage 1: Academic entry requirements
  • Stage 2: Multiple mini-interviews (MMIs)
  • Interview advice
  • Work experience
  • After your interview
  • Application timeline
• Deferred entry
• Mature students
• Students with a disability
• After your degree
• Frequently asked questions

Applying

At the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ of Sheffield we offer the four-year MPharm Pharmacy course (UCAS code: B230).

The course currently has 60 places.

Minimum entry requirements and information about fees and funding, can be found on our webpage in the online prospectus.

You should apply through the . The deadline to apply for 2026 entry is 14 January 2026.

For entry in 2025, we received approximately 830 applications for 50 places. We are unable to consider any late applications.

Widening Access to Pharmacy

If you've applied to study Pharmacy and have experienced issues of a personal, social or domestic nature that have affected your studies, or your ability to meet our published entry requirements, we'd encourage you to let us know by completing our Disrupted Studies form. Submissions are considered on a case by case basis.

Selection process

We use a two-stage selection process to decide which applicants will receive an offer to study Pharmacy at the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ of Sheffield: UCAS application form and multiple mini interviews (MMIs).

Stage 1: Academic entry requirements

We will look at the results of all your previous qualifications, your predicted grades for any qualifications you are currently studying for and your personal statement.

We will use this information to determine whether or not you meet our minimum entry requirements. We do not rank applicants at this stage, so there is no advantage for students who exceed our minimum entry requirements.

We require all personal statements to reflect application to a Pharmacy course. We will request additional personal statements from any applicants whose personal statement is for another subject. You may provide a second personal statement in advance to pharmacy@sheffield.ac.uk 

Stage 2: Multiple mini-interviews (MMIs)

If you meet our minimum academic entry requirements (and, where relevant, our widening participation criteria), you will be invited to interview.

For applicants resident in the UK, we use a multiple mini-interview (MMI) format, which applicants attend in person. 

On the interview day you will have the opportunity to attend a welcome talk and get involved in activities with staff and students alongside your interview. Accompanying people are welcome and you are encouraged to apply for an Access+ bursary to cover the visit.

Applicants resident overseas will be invited to an online panel interview.

Multiple mini-interviews for 2026 entry will take place from December 2025 through to April 2026. Online panel interviews for international applicants will be held in March and April 2026. 

As part of your mini multiple interview you will answer questions that focus on: 

• Depth and breadth of interests (achievement in specific fields)
• Empathy and evidence of commitment for caring  
• Knowledge of, and interest in, study in Sheffield  
• Motivation for Pharmacy 

And you will be additionally assessed on your  

• Communication Skills  
• Critical thinking, problem solving and logical reasoning  
• Values and attitudes  

Interview panels are made up of pharmacists, health care professionals and lay people.

You will be scored on your performance of the MMIs out of five, as follows:

There are five stations: two motivation stations, one comprehension station and two situational judgement stations

Scores for the Situational Judgement stations will be doubled to a score out of 10. All MMI scores will be added together for a total score out of 35. You will then be ranked alongside all other applicants based on this score. Applicants who achieve a score of three or better in every MMI section will be prioritised in the ranking process.

Students scoring 1 on any station or less than 3 on the situational judgment stations will not receive an offer.

Interview advice  

Your interviewers will not have read your UCAS personal statement, but you can expect to be asked questions about the kind of topics that applicants often write about in personal statements.

You are encouraged to prepare by reading the , and the General Pharmaceutical Council’s . You should also keep up-to-date with pharmacy breakthroughs, topical controversies and ethical debates.

You will be provided with pre-reading for your comprehension station and you are encouraged to read around the subject before your interview 

We encourage students to dress professionally, however comfort is also important as you will be moving through multiple rooms

The Interview format for the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ of Sheffield has been designed according to the 

Work experience

We do not require students to have work experience in a pharmacy setting

After your interview

We will use your MMI scores and ranking to determine whether you will be offered a place to study Pharmacy at the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ of Sheffield. If you are successful, you will be notified via UCAS.

Offers are subject to satisfactory UCAS references, health clearance and an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (or equivalent). You will receive information about the processes for health clearance and DBS checks if you make the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ of Sheffield your firm choice in UCAS.

Application timeline

• 14 January 2025: UCAS application deadline
• 15 October 2025 – 30 January 2026: Applications reviewed for minimum entry requirements
• December 2025 – April 2026: Multiple mini-interviews
• March – April 2026: Online panel interviews for applicants resident overseas
• January – April 2026: Offers of places shared with applicants via UCAS and the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏÂ's Admissions Service

Deferred entry

We welcome deferred entry applications.

Mature students

We welcome applications from mature students and do not have an upper age limit for students who want to study Pharmacy at the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ of Sheffield.

Mature students are still required to meet academic entry requirements. Please note we do not accept the Access to HE Diploma for entry to Pharmacy.

Students with a disability

We welcome applications from people with a disability. Your personal experience of disability can give you greater insight into the lives of patients and make you better equipped to assist them as a pharmacist.

After your degree

At the end of your course, you will be awarded an MPharm degree. To qualify as a pharmacist you must complete a one year paid period of foundation training and successfully complete the GPhC registration exam.

Frequently asked questions

I submitted my application to UCAS before the closing date but have still not heard the outcome of my application. When might I expect to hear?

We start processing applications from October and continue until after the application deadline has passed on January 14. Applicants that are to be invited to interview will be notified directly by email by the end of February 2026 at the latest.  Applicants who are not going to be invited to interview will be notified via UCAS that their application has been unsuccessful by the end of February 2026. Our selection process will run to the timetable shown earlier on the page.

Can I send you any additional information to go with my application form?

If you have extenuating circumstances or health problems that we need to be aware of, you are encouraged to submit a Disrupted Studies form.

Do you use the UCAS Personal Statement?

We consider the UCAS Personal Statements as part of the interview pre-selection process alongside predicted and achieved grades. Your personal statement should show an understanding of the pharmacy profession and why you are suited to it. 

 A second personal statement will be requested from applicants that are discussing a course other than Pharmacy. You are welcome to provide this in advance by contacting pharmacy@sheffield.ac.uk.

The activities, interests and values that candidates express in their Personal Statements are commonly explored during the Multiple Mini-Interviews. However, the interviewers will not have read your personal statement.

In the event that UCAS flags the personal statement to us as being potentially plagiarised we will consider the evidence and if justified we will deem the application to be unsuccessful, regardless of whether the academic minimum thresholds have been met.

What sort of work experience should I do?

It is not essential to have work experience in a Pharmacy setting. We encourage all applicants to gain work experience to enable them to discuss and reflect the transferable skills they have gained.

I just missed getting the necessary grades can I still apply?

You can apply to the Pharmacy programme with less than our minimum entry requirements but we cannot guarantee you will be put forward to interview.

Will my Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) count towards meeting the academic entry requirement?

Yes, if it is in a relevant subject. We encourage applicants to provide information on the topic in their initial UCAS application.

I would like to come to Sheffield and find out more about Pharmacy. Can I arrange this?

While we are unable to arrange individual visits there are a number of general 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ Open Days that allow you to have a look around the campus and meet members of the Pharmacy team.

I’m applying for the MPharm with a preparatory year is the process the same?

The MPharm with a preparatory year is only open to GPhC registered Pharmacy Technicians. The selection process is the same as for the MPharm with the interviews including staff from our dedicated life long learning team.

Do you accept transfers from other Pharmacy Schools?

Only under exceptional circumstances. The academic reference must be written by a member of academic staff at the previous institution.

Do you accept transfers from other degree programmes at the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ of Sheffield?

Yes, but all applicants are considered as new applicants, must apply by 14 January deadline and complete an interview process. All transfers start in Year 1 of the Pharmacy course.

Do you accept resit candidates?

We welcome applications from those re-sitting their A Levels. Where A Levels have previously been attempted, applicants are normally expected to have obtained a minimum of grade BCC at the first sitting. Any applicants who do not meet these criteria should only apply after they have achieved the grades specified in the course entry requirements (AAB).

For applicants who meet our Access+ criteria: Your achieved results should normally be no lower than CCC.  Any Access+ applicant who does not meet these criteria should only apply after they have achieved the grades required.

We recognise that some applicants may have faced challenging extenuating circumstances that affected their ability to achieve the grades they were expecting. If this is the case for you, we would invite you to contact the course (pharmacy@sheffield.ac.uk) for advice.

Do you accept students who have completed a preparatory year or foundation year at another institution.

No, we do not accept these qualifications.

Do you accept applicants through UCAS Extra or Clearing?

We do not expect to process applications through UCAS Clearing.

I have been invited to attend an interview but am unable to attend on any of the interview dates. What should I do?

You will be provided with a range of interview days. Interview slots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. We are not able to offer interviews outside of the interview period, and any applicant who is unable to attend on any interviews dates during that period will have their application deemed unsuccessful. 

Contact pharmacy@sheffield.ac.uk if there are specific reasons why you cannot attend. 

I have been invited to attend an interview and have received confirmation of my selected interview date and time.  Can I now change my interview date or time?

We can consider requests to change interview dates but only if slots are available and there are compelling reasons for the change. You should email pharmacy@sheffield.ac.uk.

I think I have booked my interview date and time, but I have not received a confirmation.  What should I do?

When you book your interview slot you will be sent a confirmation email that confirms the date and time of your interview. If you have not received such an email within an hour of your booking attempt (check that it has not gone into your Spam folder) then you have not completed your booking, and should try booking again.

What happens if I am late for my interview?

You should arrive at the time detailed on your interview booking confirmation letter.  You will be allocated to an interview session on arrival. 

Applicants who arrive late may miss the welcome talk and will be allocated to one of the later interview sessions within the time slot of your day.

Am I allowed to bring notes into the interview?

You are permitted to use notes during the interview. However, the interviewers are interested to know what you have to say, rather than what you can read to them.  While you are encouraged to be prepared for your interview, you are strongly discouraged from reciting answers to the interviewer.

My application to the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ of Sheffield Pharmacy course has been successful.  Can I obtain feedback on my interview performance?

Congratulations on receiving an offer of a place to study Pharmacy with us! Receiving an offer of a place indicates that your interview performance was strong across all stations. We do not provide additional feedback to offer holders. We do not release scores attained for the interview or its component stations.

My application to the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ of Sheffield Pharmacy course has been rejected. How can I obtain feedback?

If your application is rejected, you may request feedback by contacting the pharmacy team. This feedback will generally be limited to indicating those stations of the interview in which your performance was less than satisfactory. We do not release scores attained for the interview or its component stations. Please email your request to: pharmacy@sheffield.ac.uk.  We aim to answer such requests within three weeks.

My application to the 9 1Ãâ·Ñ°æÏ of Sheffield Pharmacy has been rejected. May I apply again next year?

Applicants who are unsuccessful are welcome to apply again next year if they wish. You should take steps to address any issues that resulted in your application being rejected.