Question 1

How do I enrol?

Accepted Answer

Unlike when you study through a traditional university, you can enrol you in most of the undergraduate subjects available through our website instantly. Enrol in the subjects you’re interested in, and as soon as your study materials arrive, you can start learning online.

As you start completing your subjects, you’ll eventually need to apply to your uni to formally enter your degree. Enrolling in subjects is a great way of becoming eligible and applying successfully. Check out the Registering in this degree section on the degree page you're interested in for more information.

Postgraduate subjects are different. Most of them are restricted, meaning you’ll have to apply for entry and be accepted before you can start studying online. You’ll find information about the application process on the postgraduate degree page that you’re interested in.

Enrolling is easy. You can enrol online or over the phone with a student advisor.

Question 2

How do I know if I’m eligible to apply for a course?

Accepted Answer

Before starting an enrolment, it’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course to ensure that you’re eligible to apply. If you don’t quite meet the requirements, we can help you find a pathway into your course through open-entry subjects, which anyone can study. Chat with us to find out more.

Question 3

Why should I study online through Open Universities Australia?

Accepted Answer

There are a lot of reasons to study your course online through us.

You can enrol without entry requirements
We have a unique open-door policy that makes it possible for everyone to enrol in university study, no matter their academic history. If you don’t meet the entry requirements for a degree, we’ll help you get in through single undergraduate subjects and transition into a qualification from there.
You have total control over how you study
Upskill without committing to a whole degree upfront. Or enrol in a full degree, but take it a subject at a time. We’ll introduce you to flexible study options you didn’t even know about, so you can fit uni around what matters to you.
You’ll graduate with the same qualification as an on-campus student
Once you enrol through us, you’ll study online with the university that provides your degree. This means that when you complete your qualification, you’ll graduate with the same degree as on-campus students.
We’ll help you navigate the university world
Our friendly student advisors will be your guide every step of the enrolment journey. They'll help you compare universities, choose a course, provide documentation and understand your finance options.

Question 4

Am I suited to studying a pharmacy degree?

Accepted Answer

To study pharmacy, you’ll need to be:

Comfortable with maths and science, particularly biology and chemistry
Empathetic towards people, as it’s a patient-centric field
A good communicator, with a willingness for team-work
Highly attentive and accuracy-focused – you’ll be overseeing people’s medications after all.

Question 5

Are online pharmacy courses reputable?

Accepted Answer

The courses available to study online through Open Universities Australia are reputable and delivered by trusted academics at leading Australian universities.

Question 6

Can you get qualified through an online pharmacy course?

Accepted Answer

While you will need to complete an Intern Training Program (ITP) and pass an exam to gain general registration as a pharmacist, you can absolutely begin your studies in chemistry and pharmacy studies online.

Question 7

How do you study pharmacy in Australia?

Accepted Answer

In Australia, you need 4 years in undergraduate pharmacy study or 2-3 years in a graduate-entry course. Many students choose to begin with a degree in science, majoring in chemistry.

By taking this path, you could leverage your degree in chemistry to apply for graduate entry into a degree in pharmacy. If you decide pharmacy isn’t for you, you can use your chemistry degree for something else.

Question 8

How long does a degree in pharmacy take?

Accepted Answer

You can expect to complete at least four years in an undergraduate degree or 2-3 years in a graduate program before taking on a year-long Intern Training Program. Allow yourself a couple of additional years for this and you&rsquo;re looking at 5-6 years of study and interning all up.

Question 9

How long does it take to become a pharmacist?

Accepted Answer

As a base-line minimum, you will need 4 years in undergraduate pharmacy study or 2-3 years in a graduate-entry program.

After this, you will need to complete a year-long internship concurrently with the Intern Training Program (ITP). Finally, you’ll have to pass an exam to gain general registration as a pharmacist.

You will also need to take Continuing Professional Development (CDP) annually to continue your career as a pharmacist.

Interested in clinical trials instead of work in a pharmacist? You will need to add additional postgraduate study in a specialised focus area after completing your degree. This may be a graduate certificate, graduate diploma or masters degree in clinical pharmacy.

Question 10

What can I do with a pharmacy degree?

Accepted Answer

Study pharmacy and you may end up working as a:

Hospital pharmacist
Clinical trials pharmacist and research pharmacist
Pharmacy technician and pharmacy assistant

Read more about a day in the life as a pharmacist.

Question 11

What do you learn in a pharmacy course?

Accepted Answer

Choose to study a pharmacy course and you can expect to study:

Statistics
Chemistry for life science
Microbiology
immunology
Pharmacy practice and skills
Principles of pharmacology
Applied physiochemical principles
Human physiology
Medicine formulations

Question 12

Which is the best pharmacist course?

Accepted Answer

This all depends on the particulars of what you want from a course. As many of our trusted course advisors would say, there’s no single “perfect course” for everyone. But there is the right course for you.

When comparing courses from leadings Australian universities using our marketplace, we recommend looking at the coursework itself (is it the kinds of topics you’d like to cover?), and seeing how the university ranks for the particular field of study you’re interested in.

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