Introduction
The need for a skilled pharmacist in Australia is high. With the gates wide open, Australia welcomes students to pursue higher education.
Pharmacy is an undervalued subject in India, but in Australia, the scope is immense. Two pharmacy degrees are available to become a registered pharmacist in Australia, namely the Bachelor of Pharmacy and the Master of Pharmacy.
The program focuses on identifying, discovering, isolating, synthesising, and formulating biologically active compounds for clinical use. In Australia, the registered pharmacist mainly works in community and hospital pharmacies.
Why Study Pharmacy in Australia?
- Australia has some of the top-ranked universities that provide world-class education. These prestigious universities offer a comprehensive program for a Master's in Pharmacy in Australia.
- According to the most recent data released by the Pharmaceutical Board of Australia, registration data from 1 January 2020 to 31 March 2020 shows that there were 32,777 registered pharmacists in Australia at this date.
- Jobs for Pharmacists are expected to grow from 25,500 in 2018 to 27,400 in 2023, according to Job Outlook of Australia.
- It is predicted that there will be around 2,600 pharmacist jobs per year in Australia for the next five years.
- 68% of the pharmacists are working on a full-time basis in Australia.
- The percentage of female pharmacists in Australia is much higher than that of male pharmacists, i.e. 62%.
Universities Offering Pharmacy Programs:
Curtin University, Bentley campus
Griffith University, Gold Coast
The University of Western Australia, Crawley Campus
University of Canberra, Canberra
University of Sydney, Sydney
University of Technology Sydney, Sydney
University of Queensland
University of Monash
University of Tasmania
Admission Requirements For Bachelor of Pharmacy
If you plan to study pharmacy in Australia, you can opt for a Bachelor's degree, a four-year full-time course.
Applicants eligible for admission into the Bachelors of Pharmacy are subject to meeting the following criteria:
After completing an undergraduate degree, you can choose to take a Master's, i.e., a postgraduate degree which is a 2-year full-time course. You may also need to pass examinations like the Graduate Australia Medical Admissions Test (GAMSAT) and Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).
Admission Requirements For Master's of Pharmacy
Applicants eligible for admission into the Master of Pharmacy are subject to meeting the following criteria:
- Minimum 15 years of education with a 10+2+3 breakup
- A 4-year bachelor's degree in science, pharmacy, or other related fields.
- Proof of English proficiency.
- Completed an eligible science or health science bachelor's degree within the past ten years.
- Achieved an overall GPA greater than or equal to 5.0 (on a 7.0-point scale) or 60% in the last 18 months of undergraduate study.
Documents Required
As part of your application, you must provide scanned, coloured originals or certified original documents.
- Academic transcript
- Completion certificate
- CV or resume
- Australian Student visa
- Passport or birth certificate
- Evidence of satisfying the English Language Requirements for this course.
- Letters of work experience (where applicable).
Time of application
Most universities in Australia offer admission intakes twice a year, from January to June and June to November.
The university recommends international students apply well before the specified deadlines to have enough time for the Australian visa process and secure admission to the program in the desired semester.
Necessary Requirements
Before applying for Bachelor of Pharmacy and Master of Pharmacy in Australia, you should make sure to have the following requisites:
- Application form
- Statement of purpose
- GPA scores
- TOEFL, IELTS, or other similar English proficiency test scores
- Official transcripts and bachelor's degree
- Updated CV
- Criminal record or police clearance
About Visa
An international student must obtain an Australian Student Visa to study and work in Australia for over six months.
You can complete the visa application by paying the necessary fee of AUD 413. The overall student visa acceptance rate is 90%-95% for all levels of study.
Typically, students must submit the following for the visa:
- Scanned copy of Birth Certificate.
- Copy of passport bio-data page (some students may be asked to provide their passport physically)
- Certificate of Enrolment or Letter of Offer
- Evidence of sufficient funds
- Evidence of health insurance cover
- English proficiency test results
- Criminal record check results
- Four recent passport-sized photographs
- Australian student visa application form
- Most visa applications take four weeks to get processed.
Suppose one studies in Australia for a course longer than ten months and finishes at the end of the Australian academic year (usually mid-December). In that case, the visa will often be valid until 15 March of the following year.
If the course is longer than ten months and is finished from January to October, then the visa will usually be valid for two months following the completion of the course.
Fees and Scholarship
It costs an average of 31900 AUD 52440 AUD/yearly to study a bachelor's or master's program in Pharmacy in Australia.
The cost of living can vary depending on the lifestyle of international students.
There are plenty of scholarships available for international students studying in Australia. Some of these scholarships include full tuition and fees. These scholarship amounts range between 1,000-120,000 AUD.
Career Opportunities
Australia's average annual Pharmacist salary is around AUD 94,940 (INR 50,64,961). Hobart, Tasmania, Sydney, Queensland, and Perth are some of the highest-paying cities in Australia for Pharmacy.
With the demand for pharmacists growing worldwide day by day, the career opportunities with a master's degree are vast and financially rewarding.
Some of the top companies for employing pharmacists in Australia with their salaries are as follows: The Chemist Warehouse, Priceline, Terry White, Amcal, My Chemist, Pharmacy 777, and Terry White Pharmacy.
The Future
The post-study work visa allows international students to stay, work or look for a job in Australia after graduation.
Depending on their study region, the stay durations are 18 months to 3 years. So, under this visa, you can complete your registration with the Australian Pharmacy Board, secure a paid internship, apply for permanent residence, and then apply for citizenship after a few years.
If your dream is the same, all you have to do is join Academically. It is an online platform that helps aspiring students pass the exam and settle in Australia. So what are you waiting for? Join us!!
