New Pharmacy Curriculum at UCM: What Changes from 2026-27

Key data

The Pharmacy Degree at Complutense University of Madrid debuts a new curricular structure from the 2026-27 academic year. The modification, approved by the Council of Universities with a favorable report from the Madri+d Knowledge Foundation and published through the Resolution of July 23, 2026 (BOE-A-2026-17072), introduces optional intracurricular pathways and redistributes credits to align training with current needs of the pharmaceutical and healthcare sector.

For university departments, pharmaceutical sector companies collaborating with UCM on internships, and professional associations designing their reception programs, understanding this new structure is key to adapting agreements, internship offers and selection processes.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution publishes the official modification of the Pharmacy Degree curriculum at UCM. The new structure distributes the 300 ECTS credits as follows:

The most relevant innovation is the introduction of optional intracurricular pathways. Students must choose one of the three available pathways and complete at least 12 of the 24 optional ECTS within the selected pathway:

• Healthcare Pathway
• Industrial Pathway
• Care Pathway

The remaining 12 optional ECTS can be completed with subjects from any of the three pathways, allowing some curricular flexibility within the chosen framework.

The modification has been approved by the Council of Universities with a favorable report from the Madri+d Knowledge Foundation, which guarantees its official validity and recognition for professional qualification purposes.

Economic and operational impact

This modification does not imply changes in academic fees or in the total number of credits to complete (300 ECTS). However, it has direct operational consequences for several sector stakeholders:

• Pharmaceutical companies with internship agreements: The 24 ECTS of external internships maintain their weight, but student orientation will vary depending on the chosen pathway. Industrial companies, for example, will preferentially receive students from the Industrial pathway.
• Pharmacies and hospitals: The Care and Healthcare pathways will channel students more oriented toward community and hospital settings, facilitating profile selection in internships and future hires.
• HR departments in the sector: Specialization from the degree allows identifying profiles with greater precision in selection processes for recent graduates from 2030-31 onwards (when the first cohort of the new plan graduates).
• Pharmacy Associations: Must update their reception and continuing education programs to integrate profile differences between pathways.

Who does it affect?

• New students in the Pharmacy Degree at UCM from the 2026-27 academic year.
• Pharmaceutical companies (manufacturing, distribution, pharmacy offices) with internship agreements with UCM.
• Hospitals and healthcare centers that host students in external internships.
• Official Pharmacy Associations that design professional incorporation programs.
• Selection and HR departments in the pharmaceutical sector that hire UCM graduates.
• Academic advisors and university access counselors advising future students.

Does not affect students already enrolled in the Pharmacy Degree at UCM before the 2026-27 academic year, who will continue with the current curriculum until graduation.

Practical example

A generic drug manufacturing company that has signed an internship agreement with UCM regularly receives 4-6 students per year. With the new plan, from the 2026-27 academic year it can indicate to the faculty that it prefers students who have chosen the Industrial pathway, ensuring they have completed at least 12 ECTS of optional subjects oriented toward the pharmaceutical industry.

This allows the HR department to reduce the student's adaptation time during internships and, in the medium term, identify with greater precision the profiles for permanent positions among graduates of the new plan (from 2030-31 onwards, when the first cohort graduates).

Similarly, a community pharmacy or hospital that hosts students in internships can orient its selection toward the Care or Healthcare pathways respectively.

What should companies do now?

1. Review internship agreements with UCM: Contact the Faculty of Pharmacy to update the requested profiles and indicate the preferred pathway (Healthcare, Industrial or Care) based on the company's activity.
2. Update job descriptions for internships: Incorporate reference to the new plan's pathway in internship forms to facilitate matching with appropriate students.
3. Inform selection teams: HR managers must understand the new curricular structure (300 ECTS, pathways, 24 ECTS internships) to correctly interpret applications from graduates from 2030-31 onwards.
4. Adapt reception programs: Professional associations and major sector employers must review their new graduate training plans to integrate profile differences between pathways.
5. Communicate with advisors and talent acquisition teams: If the company participates in university fairs or employer branding programs, update materials to reflect the new pathways and desired profile.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is purely informational in nature and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-17072