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Aston is a modern technological university close to the centre of Birmingham. The pharmacy school offers a four-year undergraduate programme leading to the degree of MPharm and a comprehensive range of postgraduate programmes for practising pharmacists. It was awarded the highest possible score (24 points) in a recent teaching assessment by the Higher Education Quality Assurance Agency. The school has an active research division - the Aston Pharmaceutical Sciences Institute - which includes eight research groups covering all areas of the pharmaceutical sciences and practice of pharmacy. The undergraduate pharmacy programme has been designed to integrate the scientific, clinical and professional aspects of pharmacy. It develops both the knowledge base and the professional skills necessary for students to gain employment equally in all branches of pharmacy. Each year has a distinct theme with the final year teaching focused upon pharmaceutical practice through the integrated study of drugs and medicines. This is closely linked to the study of the use and management of medicines by a clinical pharmacy course involving case studies and ward-based clinical tutorials in local hospitals. Other final year modules develop understanding of evidence-based practice and its application to the provision of pharmaceutical services including prescribing advice. Specialisation is provided through a dissertation, a final year research project and a wide range of optional courses, which may be vocational or scientific in emphasis. The practice of pharmacy is taught throughout, assisted by pharmacists from both hospital and the community. The school uses a wide range of assessment methods and degree classification is determined by performance in the third and fourth years. The relevance of all our courses is enhanced by a large group of teacher-practitioners, including the first teacher-practitioner funded by a National Health Service education consortium and three teacher-practitioners who work with primary care groups. The school also offers a range of postgraduate programmes from one day specialist courses to taught certificate, diploma and masters courses. This year the school has introduced a new certificate course in psychiatric pharmacy and a new diploma programme in evidence-based pharmacotherapy. These join the established programmes in clinical community pharmacy and clinical hospital pharmacy which are offered in a flexible format with both taught and distance-delivered options. The school's research institute is closely integrated with both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and research activity informs course development. There are currently over 100 graduate students registered for PhDs. The pleasant location and layout of the Aston campus, together with its educational, social and sporting facilities provide an excellent opportunity for a fulfilling experience of university life. Aston is able to accommodate two-thirds of its undergraduates in on-campus accommodation with a place guaranteed to all first year students and extensive provision for postgraduate research students.
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BIRMINGHAM Aston Pharmacy School, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham B4 7ET