Diploma of Pharmacy Studies
Undergraduate | TAS-PHA-DIP | 2024
Launch your career as a pharmacy assistant or technician
Gain entry into pharmacy as an assistant or technician, or enhance your employability within the primary care sector with this set of mathematics and science skills.
- Study method
- 100% online study with practicum placement
- Assessments
- 100% online
- Applications close
- 23 June 2024
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 1 year full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 8
- Price from
- $8,740
- Available loans
- Australian Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- CSP available
- Yes
Diploma of Pharmacy Studies
About this degree
Upon successful completion of this program, students should be able to:
- Identify opportunities to promote wellness at community and population levels, and undertake socially inclusive health promotion, and preventive health activities.
- Communicate and collaborate to optimise health outcomes for individuals and the broader community.
- Review and evaluate relevant health information, and identify potential solutions to make treatment recommendations.
- Apply experience-based evidence and critical reflection to develop practices that enhance learning.
- Identify and use Pharmacy-specific knowledge in relevant study areas to underpin professional practice and further study.
The Diploma of Pharmacy Studies is your stepping stone into the Bachelor of Pharmacy with Honours. This is the perfect choice if you have not met the entry requirements for the Bachelor of Pharmacy with Honours, or would like a more supported entry into University studies. Upon completion of this program, you will meet the maths and chemistry pre-requisites, as well as gaining additional skills to help you succeed at University.
This program will prepare you for future study in the Bachelor of Pharmacy with Honours or you can choose to enter the workforce with highly employable skills in roles such as pharmacy assistant or pharmacy technician.
You’ll complete a mix of subjects needed to enter the Bachelor of Pharmacy with Honours subjects to develop your study skills and disciplinary subjects. You’ll also meet the University’s General Entry Requirements when you complete this program, which may allow entry into other university programs.
Recommended study pattern
For students studying full-time, the following study pattern is recommended.
8 subjects including:
6 Core Subjects:
- TAS-CSA118 Pharmacy in Health Care
- TAS-CSA119 Managing Minor Ailments
- TAS-CSA120 Complementary Medicines in Contemporary Society
- TAS-ZAS123 Applied Chemistry OR TAS-KRA161 Introduction to Chemistry (Note KRA161 has an on-campus requirement)
- TAS-XAB011 Learning at University
- TAS-XAB084 Introductory Scientific Principles
2 Discipline Electives from the following subjects:
- TAS-KMA002 Applied Mathematics Foundation
- TAS-KMA100 Introduction to University Mathematics
- TAS-XAB090 Bridging Maths
- TAS-ZAA135 Professional Communication
Award requirements
Satisfactory completion of 8 subjects, as required in the schedule, within 1-3 years from commencement.
Degrees are usually made up of core subjects and electives. Some degrees include a choice of majors, so you can focus your studies on a specialisation.
This list is a general overview. Download the full Degree Guide for more information.
Transition arrangements are changes that occur when courses are updated or phased out. This happens regularly as part of continuous improvement. It may affect you if you are currently enrolled in this course, or if you plan to use credit from previous study towards it.
For students admitted into the 2022 version of the program, please note CSA103 is no longer offered. You will be required to study CSA118 and CSA119 as replacements within Diploma of Pharmacy Studies.
Wherever you are, the University of Tasmania brings its island campus to you through a growing range of online programs across art and design, business, education, health, science, sustainability, technology, and more. It’s never too late to switch things up. Kickstart that career you’ve been dreaming about, or upskill for the one you’re in. You’ll also become a part of the world's leading university on climate action.
Learn more about UTAS.
Explore UTAS courses.
- QS Ranking 2024:
- 20
- Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:
- 19
Entry requirements
- Partially completed an undergraduate program at Diploma level or higher (or equivalent). You must have completed at least one subject of study (equivalent to 12.5 UTAS credit points), at 100 level or higher and which may include 100 level subjects completed in the UTAS Diploma of University Studies. If you have failed any subjects, your application may be subject to further review before an offer is made; OR
- Completed the UTAS University Preparation Program (or an equivalent qualification offered by an Australian University).
Successful completion of one OUA open access subject of study at the equivalent AQF level, unless otherwise specified.
Completed the TCE or an equivalent qualification.
Successful completion of a Certificate III or higher (or equivalent) in any discipline.
Applicants without senior secondary, tertiary or VET / TAFE study can complete a personal competency statement.
Applicants may be eligible for an offer if they have relevant work and / or life experiences which demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this program.
The University of Tasmania grants credit and recognition of prior learning that may include formal and/or informal prior learning. More information is available here.
Study method requirements
Attendance requirements - Students enrolled into KRA161 will be required to attend to a set of laboratory exercises to complete the subject. For students that have enrolled as a distance student, you must attend a laboratory workshop delivered in the last week of semester. Both options are on campus at either the Hobart or Launceston campus.
Career opportunities
Diploma of Pharmacy graduates have a range of skills which would enable them to be employed and/or enhance their employability within the primary care sector as pharmacy assistants or pharmacy technicians. The content would complement existing education offered within the pharmacy sector by TAFE and professional bodies.
Career outlook
- Hospital Pharmacists:
- Unknown average
- Industrial Pharmacists:
- Unknown average
- Pharmacists:
- $93K to $120K
- Retail Pharmacists:
- Unknown average
Degree FAQs
That's up to you! Because we let you choose when to study online, you can actually pick up and pause study when it suits you. Many universities have a set time you need to complete your degree within. For some this is up to 10 years, and for others there is no limit.
There are some degrees that are stricter about when you can take breaks, and about how many years you can take to complete your degree. Please always check with your uni what the limits are.
As a general guide, Commonwealth supported place students have 10 years to finish their undergraduate degree through OUA, However, if you're studying with Griffith University, there's a limit of 8 years to complete your studies. If you want to take a break that lasts more than two study terms, you'll need to apply for a leave of absence. You can apply for a leave of absence for up to 12 months, as long as you complete your studies within the maximum time allowed for your degree.
If you're studying with Macquarie University, with the exception of certain degrees, there's no limit to how long you can take. But, please check with Macquarie Student Administration to be sure.
If you're studying with the University of Adelaide, you have up to 9 years to complete your undergraduate degree and graduate.
If you're studying with La Trobe University and want to take a break of minimum 1 study term, you must apply for leave of absence to avoid being inadvertently withdrawn from your degree.
Through OUA, you can study all year round, so it's possible to fast-track and finish up sooner than studying at a traditional uni would allow. That said, you need to spend around 12 hours a week on each undergraduate subject you do, so taking on extra work to finish ahead of time can be challenging.
You may be eligible for a HELP loan from the Australian government, depending on your citizenship status and where you'll be living during your studies. You can also pay upfront with your credit card.
Payment options are explained in Fees, and you can contact a student advisor for more information.
You might find learning through OUA a little different to how you've studied in the past. It can take time to develop the skills you need for independent online study.
We connect you with subjects and degrees that are taught by leading Australian universities. You can complete single subjects, or follow a degree structure to work towards a specific qualification. Subjects are offered in several study terms throughout the year, so you can choose to study part-time or full-time, continuously or with breaks.
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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.
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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
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Here at Open Universities Australia, we make enrolling online as straightforward as possible. To get started, find the course for you by browsing the options on this page. You can also compare different qualifications using our handy comparison tool, or request help from one of our student advisors.
When you've made your choice, click 'Apply now' on the relevant course page and follow the prompts to begin your enrolment. We'll ask you to supply some supporting documentation, including proof of your identity, your tax file number, and a unique student identifier (USI) during this process.
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