Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) in Advanced Pharmacy Practice

The program information below was valid for the fall 2023 term (September 1, 2023 - December 31, 2023). This is the archived version; the most up-to-date program information is available through the current Graduate Studies Academic Calendar.

The Graduate Studies Academic Calendar is updated 3 times per year, at the start of each academic term (January 1, May 1, September 1). Graduate Studies Academic Calendars from previous terms can be found in the archives.

• Admit term(s) 
  • Fall
• Delivery mode 
  • On-campus (Kitchener campus)
• Length of program 
  • 6 terms/24 months
• Program type 
  • Master's
  • Professional
• Registration option(s) 
  • Full-time
• Study option(s) 
  • Master's Research Paper

• Minimum requirements 
  • Minimum 78% in the final two years of accredited undergraduate Pharmacy degree program (BScPharm, or PharmD) or equivalent overall standing for internationally educated applicants.
  • Must be licensed or eligible for licensure as a pharmacist in Ontario.
  • It is highly desirable that applicants have completed at least one year of pharmacy practice or an accredited pharmacy residency program prior to entering the MPharm in Advanced Pharmacy Practice program.
  • An interview may be required.
• Application materials 
  • Résumé/Curriculum Vitae
  • Supplementary information form
  • Transcript(s)
• References 
  • Number of references:  2
  • Type of references: 

    academic or professional

• English language proficiency (ELP) (if applicable)

Master's Research Paper option:

Graduate Academic Integrity Module (Graduate AIM)

Courses 

• Students must complete 8 one-term (0.50 unit weight) graduate level courses; 6 of the 8 courses are required and the remaining 2 are electives.
• Full-time students must complete required courses by the end of their third term in the program; elective courses may be completed later in the program.
• A minimum of 70% must be obtained in any graduate course taken by a MPharm in Advanced Pharmacy Practice student to be granted pass standing, and the candidate must obtain an average of at least 75% in the courses presented in fulfillment of the MPharm in Advanced Pharmacy Practice degree.
  • Required courses:
    • PHARM 651 Advanced Principles of Medication Management 1
    • PHARM 652 Advanced Principles of Medication Management 2
    • PHARM 653 Methods in Clinical and Applied Research
    • PHARM 654 Critical Appraisal and Evidence-based Practice
    • PHARM 655 Physical Assessment and Clinical Laboratory Testing
    • Biostatistics requirement: Students must complete an approved course in biostatistics or quantitative data analysis offered in the School of Pharmacy or other departments at the University of Waterloo. 
  • Elective courses:
    • Students must complete a minimum of 2 elective courses selected on the basis of their individual career goals. Suggested courses may include but are not limited to special topics in primary care, pharmacoepidemiology, pharmacoeconomics, systematic reviews, digital design, advanced statistics, computer science, leadership and management. Students will be encouraged to choose elective courses that are relevant to their anticipated career goals.
    • Graduate level courses from outside of the School of Pharmacy curriculum may be accepted toward these requirements if approved by the supervisor, Advisory Committee and Graduate Officer. Among the 2 elective courses taken, one 400-level course may be accepted toward this requirement if approved by the supervisor and Advisory Committee. The main criterion for acceptance will be based on gaining knowledge in an area that is outside the background of the student but will benefit their research program. Graduate students and their Advisory Committee must ensure that the course selection reflects a graduate degree in Pharmacy.
    • Students can only take 1 ‘Special Topics’ course for credit toward their graduate degree program requirements (e.g. PHARM 608 or PHARM 611).

Link(s) to courses

• Pharmacy (PHARM) courses

Fundamentals of University Teaching

• Students must complete the “Fundamentals of University Teaching” offered by the Centre for Teaching Excellence at the University of Waterloo. This program involves 6 teaching workshops and the delivery of three micro teaching lessons to peers.

Leadership Workshop

• The leadership workshop milestone requires students registered in the program to complete the leadership workshop such as the “Student Leadership Program” offered by the Student Success Office at University of Waterloo. This workshop will focus on leadership styles, communication and conflict management in order to provide students with skills relevant to professional leadership. With the approval of the Graduate Officer, students may fulfill this requirement by completing another suitable leadership program.

Graduate Studies Practicum

• Students must complete a minimum of 750 hours of clinical experiences involving direct patient care in one or more health care settings (hospital, primary care, long-term care, community practice). Students will be able to tailor their clinical experiences in order to meet their future practice goals. The practicum will be supervised by a faculty member in the School of Pharmacy or a designated clinical supervisor affiliated with the School of Pharmacy. Clinical supervisors will complete a detailed rubric assessing student progress in a number of areas. Students will normally begin the clinical practicum during the third term.

Master’s Research Paper

• Research projects will address an important problem related to an area of medication use or clinical practice. Students must write a protocol and conduct all aspects of the research including obtaining ethics approval, recruitment of participants, data collection, data analysis and preparation of a final report. Students will orally defend their completed research to the satisfaction of the Advisory Committee.