Accreditation of courses

Accreditation is a process applied by many professional bodies to ensure that courses provide the content and experience which will enable graduates to obtain appropriate jobs and to develop satisfying and rewarding careers. APS initiated an accreditation process for pharmaceutical sciences courses because pharmaceutical scientists play such a crucial role in the research and development of new medicines and in broader roles in the pharmaceutical industry.
The pharmaceutical science course at the University of Greenwich became the first APS accredited course in 2018. This is the first time that a pharmaceutical science course has been accredited in the United Kingdom and it is also, we believe, a world first.

Achieving accreditation gives assurance to students and employers that the course meets the high standards required by the Academy and that these standards will be maintained throughout the 5-year period of accreditation. Since then four more institutions, Kingston University, Athlone Institute of Technology, London Metropolitan University and University of East London have also achieved accreditation for their courses. APS is delighted that these institutions see the value of our accreditation process and several others are in the process of application to us.

APS believes that the accreditation process will raise the profile of pharmaceutical sciences in both academia and industry. The discipline is key in the discovery, development and manufacture of new medicines and as such is central to government initiatives to encourage the pharmaceutical industry to maintain and strengthen its strong base in the UK and Ireland. The APS will continue to work with other stakeholders to build the science base for the ultimate benefit of patients.
Students and institutions interested in learning more about the accreditation process can download the detailed document from this page.