Pharmacy education in the UK most commonly involves 18-yearold secondary school leavers going to university schools of pharmacy to read full-time for a Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) degree over four academic years.  Graduation is followed by a pre-registration training year in community (retail) or hospital pharmacy practice (an industrial component can be incorporated).  At the end of this year the student has to be assessed as competent by his/her preregistration tutor and also pass a MCQ registration examination.  Completion of these steps leads to registration as a pharmacist with the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain or the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern Ireland and licence to practise as a pharmacist.  Post nominal letters for a pharmacist are MRPharmS and MPSNI respectively, the M standing for Member of the respective Societies.  Some Members are awarded Fellowships upon achieving seniority in the profession; hence FRPharmS and FPSNI.
Most junior hospital pharmacists go on to study part-time (day release and distance learning) for a Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) or Master of Science (MSc) in clinical pharmacy or technical services pharmacy.
A proportion of pharmacy graduates undertake research and scholarship for a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) or a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).