Diploma of Pharmacy Studies
UndergraduateTAS-PHA-DIP2025
Course information for 2025 intake View information for 2024 course intake
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
- 9 Feb 2025,
- 22 June 2025
- Credit available
- Yes
- Duration
- 1 year full time or part time equivalent
- Total subjects
- 8
- 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. This is the perfect choice if you have not met the entry requirements for the Bachelor of Pharmacy, 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, 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, subjects to develop your study skills and disciplinary subjects taught by the School of Medicine. 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-CSA178 Pharmacy in Health Care
- TAS-CSA123 Counselling and Advice on Medicines
- 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 2024 version of the program, please note CSA118 and CSA119 is no longer offered. You will be required to study CSA178 and CSA123 as replacements within Diploma of Pharmacy Studies.
Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.
Indicative total fee $9,100
The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.
Fees may vary depending on:
- the subjects you choose
- credit from previous work experience
- your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.
To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.
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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.
Australian job snapshots
Data sourced from Australian Jobs 2023.
Role | Earnings | Employment change |
|---|---|---|
Hospital Pharmacists | N/A^ | N/A^ |
Industrial Pharmacists | N/A^ | N/A^ |
Pharmacists | $93K to $120K | Up 28.4% |
Retail Pharmacists | N/A^ | N/A^ |
^ There is no data available
Degree FAQs
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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.
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