Why study pharmacy or pharmaceutical science?

Monash University and the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (PPS) are continuously aiming to learn from our First Nations peoples. We have intentionally designed aspects of our pharmacy program to educate our student body. We ensure that all members of the PPS community are exposed to a minimum standard of content that incorporates historical and contemporary issues drawing on Indigenous perspectives in curriculum and learning environments.

Throughout the entirety of your degree, you will have access to a range of opportunities exploring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledge, safe practice and care, and develop a deep understanding of how you can truly give back to your community as a health professional in the pharmaceutical industry.

Pharmacy is a health profession, and the course trains you to become a health professional who is the medicines expert on the health care team. Working alongside other health professionals such as doctors and nurses, pharmacists educate their patients and colleagues as to how medicines can be used safely and effectively to treat and cure disease. They make a vital contribution to our healthcare system and communities.
Studying a pharmacy degree leads to registration as a pharmacist; this means that only those who hold a pharmacy degree can practice as a pharmacist. Pharmacists are mostly found in hospital and community settings, although students can also choose to use their degree in a variety of ways, working for pharmaceutical companies, government organisations, and more.
Pharmacy is one of the most in-demand professions in Australia, and has great employment outcomes around the country. According to the 2020 Graduate Outcomes survey, 95.7% of pharmacy students were employed within four months of graduating.
To find out more about studying pharmacy, including possible careers post-graduation, visit this page.
Pharmaceutical Science is a specialised, job-ready science degree that focuses on advancing the science of new and existing medicines. New diseases emerge all the time, and old ones are constantly evolving; we need skilled pharmaceutical scientists to create new medicines and treatments to keep up with evolving disease.
As a pharmaceutical science graduate, you could end up working as a biomedical researcher or within a pharmaceutical company. But it’s important to note that job opportunities for pharmaceutical science graduates are broad; wherever chemistry expertise for the creation of a product is required, a pharmaceutical scientist can play a role. Many of our graduates go on to work in industries such as skincare and cosmetics, food and beverage, and paint and coatings, for example.
Pharmaceutical science is a specific discipline and our intake is relatively small compared to other courses. You can be assured of small class sizes with individual teacher attention, allowing you to develop fast, strong connections with your teachers and peers. You’ll spend lots of time in the lab, learning on industry-grade equipment, and the third year of the course has a compulsory placement (organised for you by the faculty) where you’ll be able to use your skills to solve real-world problems. Further, we have a number of course options available; enhance your Bachelor studies with a research Honours year, or couple your pharm sci studies with an Engineering degree at Monash Clayton.
To find out more about studying pharmaceutical science, including possible careers post-graduation, visit this page.