Fakultät für Chemie und Pharmazie

Structure of the degree program Pharmacy state examination

What does the study program look like?

The Approbationsordnung für Apotheker (19th July 1989), changed on 2nd December 2007, includes the education and examination regulation. For more details about the degree program in Munich please have a look at the study regulation and the plan of studies.

1. Traineeship (“Famulatur”)

During the primary education (“Grundstudium”, see below) a traineeship of 8 weeks has to be fulfilled in a public pharmacy (four of the eight weeks are also possible in a related institution). Thus, the student should get familiar with the profession and have an insight in pharmaceutical work. Pharmaceutical assistants, as well as pharmaceutical-technical assistants are exempted from the traineeship.

2. Higher education

The degree program endures at least four years. Teaching is mainly held as lectures or seminars, such as practical courses in the laboratory (with midterm and final exams). Study time is around 30 hours per week, time for preparatory and subsequent work has to be added on top.

One has to distinguish primary and secondary education:

During primary education basic natural-scientific knowledge is taught, including inorganic and organic chemistry with qualitative, quantitative and instrumental analytics, physics and physical chemistry, biology, special systematic, morphology and anatomy of plants as well as microbiology and basics of pharmaceutical biology, mathematics, history of natural sciences and terminology.

The primary education (Grundstudium) is earliest finished after the fourth semester with the first part of the pharmaceutical exam (1. Abschnitt der Pharmazeutischen Prüfung). It is a written exam with a multiple-choice system and includes four topics:

  • Common, inorganic and organic chemistry
  • Basics of pharmaceutical biology and human biology
  • Basics of physics, physical chemistry and drug development
  • Basics of pharmaceutical analytics

The Approbationsordnung is giving a more accurate overview about the actual subject of this exam.

The secondary education (Hauptstudium) conveys a profound knowledge and abilities in the following fields: pharmaceutical chemistry, pharmaceutical biology, biochemistry, drug development, special legal areas; medical courses are anatomy, physiology, clinical chemistry, nutrition, pharmacology and toxicology.

After at least eight semesters the degree program can be finished with the second part of the pharmaceutical exam (2. Abschnitt der Pharmazeutischen Prüfung).  This is an oral exam in five different fields:

  • Pharmaceutical chemistry
  • Pharmaceutical biology
  • Drug development
  • Pharmacology and toxicology
  • Clinical pharmacy                                                                                                

3. Internship for one year

As a third part, there is an internship with a duration of one year in a public pharmacy (six months can be done in a related institution). The knowledge from university is broadened and practically applied. In addition to the practical work, there will be supporting seminars. The intern will receive a small training allowance as he/she is no longer a student.

The pharmaceutical education is finished with the third part of the pharmaceutical exam (3. Prüfungsabschnitt). Again, it is an oral exam about the following fields:

  • Pharmaceutical practice
  • Special legal areas for pharmacists

After passing this exam, the approbation can be claimed which is necessary for the independent and fully liable professional practice. For special tasks in the pharmaceutical industry, there are several possibilities for obtaining the qualification of a production or control manager.