Official guides / Enrolment & course planning

Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) - School of Pharmacy (Overview) (Monash Malaysia)

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Monash University Malaysia

Last checked: 25 Oct 2026 UTC

What this page covers

Areas of study

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The Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours) course at the Malaysia campus is closely matched to that offered at the Parkville campus and uses the same robust, current and evolving curriculum. Teaching and learning are supported by innovative and intelligent use of learning technology. The Monash research ethos underpins and informs our teaching in terms of technical content as well as sound, closely evaluated educational practice.

Focused work-based learning (placements) allow students to integrate classroom learning with real world experience and develop their pharmacy practice skills.

Students have the option to transfer to the Parkville campus at the end of Year 1 or Year 2. Following graduation, an additional internship year is required in order to qualify for registration with the Pharmacy Board of Australia. For those completing their degree at Monash Malaysia, completion of the Australian Pharmacy Council Knowledge Stream (including an eligibility check and passing exams) is also required. Graduates are required to sit local registration exams before they are allowed to practice.

Areas of study

As an undergraduate student studying Pharmacy at Monash, you'll cover the six fundamental themes;

The structure and function of the body - how the body works, including studies of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry relevant to the discipline.
Drug structure, disposition and action - how medicines work, including studies of medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics relevant to the discipline.
Professional practice - what pharmacists do, including the sociocultural context in which the pharmacist and customer operates, social and health practice issues, as well as the ethical and legal context of pharmacy.
Comprehensive care - how to manage diseases and disorders, including the relationship between pathophysiology and the design and use of drugs in treating various health conditions.
Inquiry and innovation - how to employ problem-solving and innovative thinking skills in a laboratory, clinical, social or business environment.
Professional experience - work based training programs and internships.

This course will develop the practical and analytical skills you require for pharmacy practice, as well as oral and written communication, critical thinking, inquiry, numeracy, information literacy and leadership.

It will prepare students not just for initial registration, but also to be next-generation global pharmacists, with the highly advanced leadership and research skills that will lead professional change.

Please refer to the Undergraduate Handbook for more information.

What is GPA at Monash?

All campuses

GPA is calculated on a 4.0 scale from your grades rather than your marks: High Distinction 4.0, Distinction 3.0, Credit 2.0, Pass 1.0, Near pass 0.7, Fail and Hurdle fail 0.3, Withdrawn fail 0.0. Some results, such as SFR and NE, are not counted. Your GPA is shown in WES and on your transcript. Malaysia also uses a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) with different values: High Distinction 4.0, Distinction 3.67, Credit 2.85, Pass 2.15, Near pass 1.7, Fail and Hurdle fail 1.15, Withdrawn fail 0.0. It is not on your academic record, so you request a CGPA letter.

How do I withdraw from a unit?

Australia: withdraw through WES while enrolment changes are open. Before the census date there is no fee and no record; after it, you keep the fee liability and the unit shows as a withdrawal. If you are on a student visa you have study load requirements to maintain: Monash's study load page says you can reduce your load only in compassionate or compelling circumstances, unless you are in your final year and will finish within the time on your CoE. Malaysia: after the census date a withdrawn unit shows as WD-LATE or WD-FAIL, and the date you withdraw can affect fee refunds and your academic record. The last day to withdraw without academic penalty is before the WD-LATE date ends; the dates are in Monash Malaysia's Principal Dates. With a Student Pass, going below 24 credit points a semester is an underload: it needs approval, it can never go below 18 credit points, and below 18 you have to apply for intermission.

How many hours can I work on a student visa?

The rules are each country's, not Monash's, and they are different. Australia: work rights for student visa holders are set by the Australian Government, and the cap has changed several times in recent years. Monash's page links to the current Department of Home Affairs conditions - always confirm the number there before relying on it. Malaysia: with a Student Pass you may work only during semester breaks or public holidays of more than seven days, and for no more than 20 hours a week, at restaurants, petrol kiosks, mini markets or hotels; the page lists jobs that are not allowed. Every job has to be approved by the Immigration Department: you apply through the International Student Pass office and must be there in person when the application is submitted.