The Awarding Bodies - Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland

Awarding Bodies are organisations that are authorised to make awards, certification, or award qualifications

Listing Awarding Bodies

WhichCollege.ie provides an overview of awarding bodies operating in Ireland, the UK, and internationally. While many postgraduate qualifications are issued by organisations with statutory authority, a wide range of professional bodies also grant their own awards linked to advanced study. Although most Irish courses lead to qualifications from domestic awarding bodies, some programmes result in international or non‑Irish awards, depending on the institution or field of study.

A number of Irish institutions act both as education providers and as awarding bodies in their own right. This includes the Irish universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT), which have the authority to confer postgraduate qualifications.

An academic award (whether a degree, diploma, or certificate) is granted when a learner successfully completes a recognised programme of higher education at undergraduate or postgraduate level. These awards are issued by designated awarding bodies and are aligned with the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ). The NFQ distinguishes between major and non‑major awards, with the latter covering minor, special‑purpose, and supplemental awards.

Major awards represent the primary qualification type at each NFQ level and correspond to substantial learning achievements. Examples include an Honours Bachelor Degree at Level 8, a Master’s Degree at Level 9, and a Doctoral Degree at Level 10.

Recent legislative changes have streamlined Ireland’s qualifications system, reducing the number of statutory awarding bodies. The responsibilities previously held by organisations such as the National Council for Educational Awards (NCEA), the National Council for Vocational Awards (NCVA), Solas, Teagasc, CERT, and Bord Iascaigh Mhara have been consolidated under the awards councils FETAC and HETAC.

Below, WhichCollege.ie outlines the awarding bodies responsible for certification across Ireland and the UK.

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The Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland plays an important role in assuring high standards of education and training in pharmacy. The PSI is responsible for the accreditation and approval of educational programmes. Most noteworthy, this includes the three Bachelor pharmacy degree programmes in Ireland the Masters in Pharmacy degree.

PSI Accreditation

The PSI’s role includes ongoing recognition and accreditation of pharmacy degree programmes. In addition, they assess of applications from new schools of pharmacy.

The Pharmacy Act 2007 made accreditation of pharmacy degree programmes a requirement. Therefore, it is the PSI's to review the education and training provided by each of the three schools of pharmacy. It does this within a five-year period. Pharmacy degree programmes are assessed against the PSI’s approved accreditation standards. Consequently, the PSI assures consistency across the pharmacy degree programmes in Ireland. the The Council of the PSI accredits new and existing programmes.

The PSI and continuing professional development

The PSI ensures that registered pharmacists undertake appropriate continuing professional development (CPD). Since 2007 CPD is mandatory for pharmacists in Ireland. As a result, all pharmacists must complete a declaration on an annual basis that they undertake to ‘maintain appropriate experience in the practice of pharmacy, keep abreast of continuing education and professional developments in the profession of pharmacy and undertake appropriate continuing professional development relevant to the practice of pharmacy'.

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