Wondering how to break into the pharmaceutical industry? Study the Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice. With extended placements and world-class teachers, you’ll get the edge you need.

In this program, you'll learn the stages of drug or device development and the lifecycle management process, from understanding how need drives the discovery process, through pre-clinical development to post-registration surveillance.
Learn about the associated disciplines like pharmacovigilance, health economics, regulatory, quality assurance, quality control, and biometrics, as well as commercialisation, intellectual property, and project and finance management.
Undertake placements in Australia or overseas in your second year. Placements can be in any aspect of product development ranging from discovery, manufacturing and pharmacovigilance, complementary medicines, project management, and more.
Choose to undertake an independent project working alongside one of our world-class UQ Pharmacy researchers, in state-of-the-art laboratories at the $100 million Pharmacy Australia Centre of Excellence.

Our recognised leaders in the field, state-of-the-art facilities and an extensive placement in medical technologies and pharmaceuticals will give you the competitive edge to succeed in your career.

Fast Facts

Learn from the leaders in the field

You’ll be taught by award-winning lecturers and internationally renowned researchers. We have extensive national and global partnerships, and you'll get to meet and network with current leaders in the industry.
Professional experience

Extensive placement opportunities

Work alongside some of the university’s leading academics and researchers with an optional research component, or complete two extended placements in your second year with recognised leaders in the sector. We find your placements for you.
Why study

A university in the world's top 50

UQ is the highest ranking Australian University in the Nature Index (2018) and the highest ranking Australian university for research impact in Pharmacy and Pharmacology. UQ developed the technology that led to the life-saving cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil®.
Employability

Gain leadership experience

Gain practical experience by working in a team to tackle the challenges of bringing innovations to market, and become an independent, creative thinker with leadership and problem-solving skills that empower you to create positive change within the industry.

The Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice leads to careers in:

drug discovery and formulation
pre-clinical research
clinical trials coordination
clinical research project management
regulatory affairs
manufacturing
marketing
drug and device safety assessment
medical affairs / medical science liaison
pharmacovigilance
health economics
medical writing
data management
biostatistics.

Why study

Learn more about the Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice

Program details Next

Summary

Program code

5703
Faculty

Health & Behavioural Sciences
Duration

2 Years full-time
Commencing

Semester 1 (24 Feb, 2020)
Semester 2 (27 Jul, 2020)
Program level

Postgraduate Coursework
Units

32
Delivery location

Pharmacy Aust Cntr Excellence
AQF

Level 9
CRICOS code

098320G

Admissions criteria

Prerequisites

To enrol in the program, a person must:

hold an approved bachelor degree in science, engineering, medical science, or equivalent; and
have a minimum GPA 5 in their previous degree; and
satisfy the executive dean that, based on the person's academic record and prior work experience, the person is qualified for admission.

English Proficiency

IELTS overall 6.5; reading 6; writing 6; speaking 6; listening 6. For other English Language Proficiency Tests and Scores approved for UQ

TOEFL IBT - Overall 87, listening 19, reading 19, writing 21 and speaking 19.

TOEFL PB - Overall 570, listening 54, reading 54, writing 59/5.

Pearsons - Overall Score of 64 and 60 in all sub bands.

BEP - A minimum overall grade of 4 plus a minimum grade of C in all macro skills.

CES - Overall 176 and 169 in all sub bands.

OET is not accepted.

view the English proficiency policy.

Visa requirements

International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice are eligible to apply for an Australian student visa.

The Australian Government has simplified the visa application process. Now, all international students apply for the Student Visa (subclass 500).

There are a number of requirements you must satisfy before a visa is granted. Find out more about the visa application process.

Learn more about entry requirements

Program structure

Courses

The courses offered in the Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice are set out in the course list. Each course is allocated a certain number of units (#).

Courses Program Rules

The Program Rules explain what is required to complete the Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice. These requirements include the total number of units you need to complete in order to graduate.

Program Rules

To have your degree conferred, you also need to comply with UQ’s policies and rules.

Practicals, placements and internships

Students will undertake two placements in year two. Alternatively, students may opt for one placement and one independent research project. Placements and independent research project are completed on a full-time basis. The School of Pharmacy will organise to find and coordinate the placements for students.

Each placement involves in excess of 1000 hours of supervised experience in the medical technologies and pharmaceutical (MTP) sector. Placements can be in any area related to a product's life cycle, from discovery to post-registration surveillance, including: drug discovery, chemical processes, formulation, manufacturing, pre-clinical, clinical trials, pharmacovigilance, pharmacoeconomics, regulatory, medical affairs, marketing and biometrics. During placements, students will have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to a real-life setting and experience firsthand how interactions between the various areas within industry are crucial to successfully managing the life cycle of the product and ultimately, product registration.

Students may undertake their placements outside the Brisbane metropolitan area, including at overseas sites. In this instance, students are required to self-fund travel, accommodation and daily living expenses.

Professional memberships

Graduates may be eligible for membership with the following professional bodies:

Association of Regulatory and Clinical Research Scientists
Society for Clinical Research Sites

Programs and Courses

If you're a current student who has already commenced study at UQ, refer to Programs and Courses in my.UQ for full information about your program structure, rules and requirements.

Financial aid

As an international student, you might be eligible for financial aid – either from your home country, or from the Australian Government.

Find out more about financial aid, including scholarships and financial aid programs.

Indicative annual fee

AUD $41,040

Indicative fee 2020

The "indicative annual fee" is the cost of enrolling in the Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice for the 2020 academic year. It is calculated based on a standard full-time study load.

A standard full-time study load is 16 units per academic year.

If you enrol in a larger or smaller study load, your fees will be calculated on a proportionate basis.

All fees are reviewed annually.

Visit Tuition fees for more information.

Scholarships

International students are eligible to apply for a number of scholarships and prizes. These may be offered by the University, the Australian Government, foreign governments, or private organisations.

Many scholarships have specific eligibility criteria and are very competitive. More information, including information about how to apply, is available on the Scholarships website.

Applying online

Apply now

All international student applications for the Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice can be lodged directly to UQ using our online application form or through an approved UQ agent in your country.

The program code for the Master of Pharmaceutical Industry Practice is 5703. You'll need this when applying.

Find out more about applying for postgraduate coursework study.

Apply now