Expand+Graduates, Pharmacy Technicians and Mature Entrants apply directly to RCSI using the RCSI online application, which is available on the Admissions section of the RCSI website from 1st November until 1st February each year.

Graduate Entry
Graduate...

Hide-Graduates, Pharmacy Technicians and Mature Entrants apply directly to RCSI using the RCSI online application, which is available on the Admissions section of the RCSI website from 1st November until 1st February each year.

Graduate Entry
Graduate candidates must hold or expect to hold on year of admission, a minimum second class honours result in their first honours bachelor degree (NFQ Level 8).

Mature Entry
The aim of the Mature Entry Pathway is to widen access and provide an opportunity for individuals who may not otherwise find it possible to join a pharmacy course through the traditional CAO/College entry routes.

The Mature Entry Pathway focuses on life experience such as volunteer work or relevant work experience in addition to the candidate's academic background. Mature applicants are advised to gain knowledge of the breadth of pharmacy and should offer educational experiences in a subject relevant to pharmacy (normally in the sciences) as minimum requirements before applying. As the demand for mature entry to pharmacy is competitive, the candidates applying determine the entry criteria for a given year and these can vary.

Mature applicants often present a third level qualification but this is not an essential requirement for consideration.

Mature applicants must be 23 years of age on or before 1st January prior to admission to be eligible to apply for Mature Entry Pharmacy. Mature applicants are selected for admission on the basis of open competition and interview.

Pharmacy Technician Entry
Must be 23 years of age or before 1st January prior to admission

Must be at least three years post qualification as a Pharmacy Technician

Must meet NUI Matriculation criteria (to include Irish, English, Maths, a science subject* and a third language)

Candidates may satisfy these criteria by presenting two science results attained in more than one sitting of the Leaving Certificate, Chemistry must be presented with a minimum Grade H5 and one other lab science.

The Pharmacy Technician qualification which an applicant holds must be of at least Level 6 on the National Framework of Qualifications (HETAC Level 6).

Graduate and Pharmacy Technician and Mature entry applicants are selected for admission on the basis of open competition using the following criteria:

Academic eligibility (see above)

Confidential references and life experience (work life balance, extracurricular activities, relevant work/voluntary experience)

Structured interview

Expand+Free Fees Scheme
◾EU Fees are set by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

◾RCSI is part of the "Free Fees Initiative" funded by the HEA. The tuition Fees for EU school leavers who have not previously attended University are theref...

Hide-Free Fees Scheme
◾EU Fees are set by the Higher Education Authority (HEA).

◾RCSI is part of the "Free Fees Initiative" funded by the HEA. The tuition Fees for EU school leavers who have not previously attended University are therefore normally covered under the Free Fees Scheme.

◾Students are required to pay a student contribution fee for non-tuition costs. For the academic year 2016/17, the EU Student Contribution fee for Undergraduate Pharmacy is €3,860 per annum (comprising a student contribution charge of €3000, an IT fee of €475 and two one-off fees, a health screening charge of €250 and a National University of Ireland fee of €135).

EU Fees
◾Free Fees can only be drawn down once and candidates who have previously attended third level education under the "Free Fees Scheme" are liable for EU fees.

◾Students who are not covered under the Free Fees Scheme are required to pay a Student Contribution fee in addition to the EU Tuition Fees.

◾In 2016/17, the overall EU fee for Undergraduate Pharmacy (including the EU Tuition Fee, student contribution charge etc.) is €9,002 per annum.

◾EU Fees for the academic year 2017/18 are set by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) and have not been set at this time.

Note: Pharmacy is a five year integrated degree programme from 2015 entry. This applies to all undergraduate pharmacy programmes being offered in the Republic of Ireland from 2015. Pharmacy graduates in 2020 will exit with a Master of Pharmacy (Level 9 degree award on the national framework of qualifications) therefore the Free Fees Scheme (Level 8 degrees only) will not cover the cost of the final 5th year of any Pharmacy programme in Ireland. Tuition fee costs for the final 5th year of the Pharmacy programme have not yet been set, however the cost is estimated to be approximately €9,000

Expand+Early online application (discounted): Fee €25 Closing Date: 20th January 2017 at 5:15pm

Normal online application: Fee €40 Closing Date: 1st February 2017 at 5:15pm

Late online application - restrictions apply: Fee: €50 Closing Date: 1st May 2...

Hide-Early online application (discounted): Fee €25 Closing Date: 20th January 2017 at 5:15pm

Normal online application: Fee €40 Closing Date: 1st February 2017 at 5:15pm

Late online application - restrictions apply: Fee: €50 Closing Date: 1st May 2017 at 5:15 pm

Change of Mind: Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1st July 2017 5:15 pm

Exceptional online late application - see page 14 of the 2017 CAO Handbook: Fee €50 Closing Date: 22nd July 2017 at 5:15pm

You should avoid submitting an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all fees are non-refundable.

LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5:15pm on 1st February 2017 and will be accepted up to 5:15pm on 1st May 2017, subject to the restricitions listed on page 3 of the 2017 CAO Handbook.

Late Applications (Exception to Timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22nd of July at 5:15pm applies only to applicants who are currently undergraduate students in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system.

If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.

Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.

Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Trinity College Dublin and the University of Limerick have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these three HEIs, you should apply through CAO.

Refer to page 15 of the 2017 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.

Restricted-category Applicants
Mature applicants – most HEIs will require mature applicants, who wish to be assessed on mature grounds, to have applied to CAO by 1st February 2017 at 5:15pm. (This restriction does not apply if the applicant wishes to be considered on the basis of school leaving qualifications only.) For more information about applying to CAO on the basis of mature years go to www.cao.ie/mature.

Applying for the HEAR and/or DARE schemes – to be considered for the HEAR and/or DARE schemes applicants must have registered on the CAO system by 1st February 2017 at 5:15pm and must have completed the HEAR/DARE application form by 1st March 2017 at 5:15pm – supporting documents must be sent to CAO offices before 1st April 2017 at 5:15pm.

Expand+The mission of RCSI is “to educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health.” The aim of the five year integrated Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) programme is to provide an outstanding student experience that supports graduates to become lea...

Hide-The mission of RCSI is “to educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health.” The aim of the five year integrated Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) programme is to provide an outstanding student experience that supports graduates to become leaders in healthcare provision and innovation. Our MPharm programme combines progressive and innovative teaching with hands on clinical experience and dynamic research opportunities. The programme seamlessly integrates the study of pharmaceutical sciences with clinical application in the practice setting. It will empower you to become a healthcare professional with expertise in medicines, knowing both why medicines work and how they improve the health and well being of patients. These skills will open up exciting and varied career pathways, from those in patient facing settings to opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry. The School of Pharmacy is subject to both internal quality review and accreditation by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland (PSI, the Pharmacy Regulator) which the School welcomes as an opportunity to showcase the educational excellence and quality of its programmes.

If you are motivated to be such a leader in Pharmacy Practice of the Pharmaceutical Sciences - welcome to RCSI.

The focus of the programme is on the pharmacist’s role in the delivery of person-centred care to all members of society. The primary focus of the programme is on health, and the role of the pharmacist in working with people to maintain their health. We avoid a predominant focus on disease and illness, and believe that health as a social concept is a fundamental concept for students to appreciate at all levels of study, in order to develop as patient-centred practitioners. Our focus is on pharmacists as medication therapy experts and the students will be supported in developing a strong professional identity and professional behaviours throughout their studies, as well as developing the relevant knowledge, skills and competence over the course of the programme.

Expand+Pharmacy Curriculum Overview
Students study a five year programme leading to a Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) from both RCSI and the National University of Ireland (NUI).

Academic content is delivered over a number of modules, which is based on the ...

Hide-Pharmacy Curriculum Overview
Students study a five year programme leading to a Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) from both RCSI and the National University of Ireland (NUI).

Academic content is delivered over a number of modules, which is based on the systems of the human body. Each module integrates the life sciences, clinical sciences and practice and is defined by a series of learning outcomes (outcomes-focused).

Structured professional placements are integrated throughout all five years of the programme. A four month structured placement in the 4th year and an eight month placement in the final 5th year ensure that all graduates are ready for practice.

The programme consists of five years of study, leading to the award of Degree of Master of Pharmacy upon completion. The modules are primarily delivered sequentially, with the foundation modules running in parallel. This is illustrated in the image to the left. Each semester consists of 12 weeks of scheduled teaching and learning activities, with further time allocated to revision and assessment. The programme meets the requirements of the indicative curriculum of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland. Placements are dispersed throughout with major blocks of structured placements occurring in Years 4 and 5. The programme is modular in structure. It is compulsory to complete all modules (including one optional module and the non credit bearing professional development modules).

Teaching and Learning for RCSI Pharmacy Students
RCSI employs an innovative approach to teaching. We employ a variety of teaching methods including traditional lectures; case based learning (where a clinical case is used to illustrate or contextualise learning); small group learning; practicals (e.g. anatomy dissection); computer assisted learning; Grand Rounds; shadowing; observation; skills workshops; tutorials; out of hours pharmacy attendance; ward attendance; simulation based clinical teaching; laboratory work and dispensing practicals.

Students also have the opportunity to learn alongside students from the Schools of Medicine and Physiotherapy in order to prepare them for collaborative practice. Learning is contextualized by the structured Professional Placement Programme which occurs throughout the five years.

RCSI pharmacy students have the opportunity to travel to other countries in the European Union through the Erasmus programme and to the United States of America to undertake part of their studies.

There is a strong emphasis on clinical practice and clinical competence from the beginning of the programme.

Clinical Teaching for RCSI Pharmacy Students As students progress through the programme there is a shift of emphasis with less focus on the enabling sciences and increasing focus on clinical pharmacy in the later years.

In keeping with the pharmacy graduate profile, students from Years 1-3 of the programme have short-duration structured professional placements. This takes the form of:

• Early patient contact
• Out of hours pharmacy visit
• Shadowing a pharmacist
• Case discussion facilitated by pharmacist
• Clinical data interpretation
• Attendance at hospital Grand Rounds by video conference link in the 4th year, students undertake four months of a structured professional placement in either a clinical or non-clinical setting.

In the 5th year, students undertake eight months of clinical training under the supervision of an RCSI Trainer. This ensures that students have the opportunity to apply in a supervised clinical setting, all of the knowledge and skills acquired over the previous four years at the RCSI School of Pharmacy.

Expand+Assessments take place during a module or at the end of a module and take many forms including, multiple choice questions (MCQs), short answer written questions, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), peer assessment and, when you are un...

Hide-Assessments take place during a module or at the end of a module and take many forms including, multiple choice questions (MCQs), short answer written questions, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs), peer assessment and, when you are undertaking structured professional placements, trainer assessment.

Assessment modes are appropriate to the different types of learning outcome (knowledge, skills and attitudes) and assessments are carefully blueprinted to the course material for each module.

Expand+Programme Completion and Registration as a Pharmacist
Students are required to complete the MPharm programme and graduate in no more than seven academic years following commencement. Students may only repeat two academic years in total during the MP...

Hide-Programme Completion and Registration as a Pharmacist
Students are required to complete the MPharm programme and graduate in no more than seven academic years following commencement. Students may only repeat two academic years in total during the MPharm subject to programme conditions.

On successful completion of the five-year programme, MPharm graduates will then be eligible to apply to the PSI for registration as a pharmacist.

Degree Awarded
Graduates of the RCSI Pharmacy programme receive the award of Master of Pharmacy both by the National University of Ireland (NUI) and RCSI. This professional qualification allows graduates to apply to be registered as a pharmacist nationally, throughout the European Union and internationally.