Kingston University • Kingston upon Thames
The industry-facing pharmacy master’s — formulation, analysis and drug development in South West London, aimed at pharma careers rather than the register.
Our take
Kingston’s Pharmaceutical Science MSc answers a different question from every clinical page on this site: not “how do I practise pharmacy in the UK?” but “how do I work in the industry that makes the medicines?” Formulation, analytical science and drug development are its core, taught in labs shared with the City St George’s MPharm partnership, with the South East’s pharma and biotech corridor — one of Europe’s densest — within commuting range. It confers no GPhC registration and does not aim to; pharmacy graduates choosing between the register and the industry are exactly who we counsel here. January and September starts; chemistry and pharmacy graduates both convert well.
| Duration | 1 year full-time |
| Intake | January & September |
| Accreditation | Kingston University — Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education |
| Tuition | Within Kingston’s 2026/27 international postgraduate band of £19,300–£25,000; exact fee confirmed in your offer. The £5,000 deposit is deducted from tuition. |
Where this leads: Does NOT lead to GPhC registration — deliberately. This is the pharmaceutical-industry route: formulation, analysis, regulatory and development careers rather than patient-facing practice.
Both intakes run across the science portfolio.
Why Kingston
The South East hosts the UK’s pharma and biotech concentration — R&D sites, CDMOs and regulatory consultancies hire from exactly this training.
Facilities shared with the City St George’s pharmacy partnership give the MSc analytical infrastructure most post-92 science schools lack.
Pharmacy graduates pivoting to industry and chemistry graduates specialising toward pharma both fit the entry profile.
The industry’s conferences, employers and interviews are reachable without central-London rent.
What you study
Entry requirements
English language
Kingston can consider Medium of Instruction (MOI) evidence for some courses — though clinical and regulated programmes usually still require a formal test. Kingston will consider a Medium of Instruction (MOI) letter or degree transcript confirming your entire qualification was taught in English, where the awarding institution meets its recognition standards. MOI evidence is usually valid for five years, and degrees delivered through franchise or affiliated campuses are not accepted for a waiver — so approval is case by case and we verify your documents against the current policy first.
Also accepted: PTE Academic 59 (most taught master's), IELTS 6.0 with 5.5 in each band for most undergraduate courses. Pre-sessional English is available if you fall short.
Careers
Your country
Kingston typically considers HSSC/Intermediate results of around 65% and above for undergraduate entry, though some courses expect a foundation year first. For taught master's, a bachelor's degree from an HEC-recognised university at a strong second-class-equivalent level is usually expected — four-year degrees are the most straightforward. IELTS 6.5 (5.5 per band) is the standard postgraduate requirement; an MOI letter can be considered for fully English-taught degrees, and we check yours against the current policy before you apply.
Full guide for PakistanFor undergraduate entry Kingston typically asks for around 70% in CBSE/CISCE Class XII, or around 80% from some state boards; strong two- or three-year bachelor's results can also be considered for advanced entry. For taught master's, a bachelor's degree with around 60% or CGPA 6.0/10 is the usual benchmark. PTE Academic 59 is accepted alongside IELTS 6.5, and MOI letters from fully English-taught degrees are considered case by case.
Full guide for IndiaKingston publishes Nigeria-specific entry requirements: WAEC/NECO SSCE with good credit passes (typically five subjects including English and Maths) supports undergraduate entry, often via a foundation year for competitive courses. For taught master's, a bachelor's degree at second-class level from a recognised university is usually expected. English evidence is assessed individually — IELTS 6.5 is the standard postgraduate route, and we confirm whether your degree qualifies for an MOI-based waiver before you commit to a test.
Full guide for NigeriaStudents applying from UAE schools with A Levels, IB or Indian/Pakistani board qualifications are considered against those curricula; holders of the UAE secondary school certificate (Tawjihiyya) typically need a foundation year first. For master's, a recognised bachelor's degree at second-class-equivalent level is the usual expectation. The September and January intakes both work well from the UAE, and many of our Dubai- and Abu Dhabi-based applicants choose Kingston for its London location and business school accreditation.
Full guide for the UAEGo deeper
FAQ
No — deliberately. Patient-facing UK practice requires GPhC registration (OSPAP for overseas pharmacists). Pharmaceutical Science trains you for the industry side: formulation, analysis, development and regulatory work. Different career, different economics — we counsel the choice explicitly.
Registration leads to community and hospital practice with prescriber-era progression; industry leads to laboratory, development and regulatory tracks where employer sponsorship is common and the ceiling runs through R&D management. Neither dominates — your temperament and timeline decide, and we map both honestly.
Pharmacy, chemistry, pharmaceutical and biomedical science graduates at 2:2-equivalent or above — the cohort typically mixes pharmacists pivoting to industry with chemists specialising toward it.
Fees sit in the £19,300–£25,000 band for 2026/27, exact figure in your offer, with the £5,000 deposit deducted and zone-6 London living costs beneath.
Fees, entry requirements, English-language policies and intake dates are correct to the best of our knowledge at the date shown, but universities review them every cycle and immigration rules change. Always treat figures as a guide — we confirm the exact, current requirements with the university before you apply. Facts on this page last checked July 2026.
Intakes shown are for this course specifically; Kingston runs other intakes for other programmes — see the full Kingston profile.
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