Program Details
Accreditation
The School of Pharmacy is fully accredited by Accreditation Council of Pharmacy Education (ACPE) Board of Directors. Information on the accreditation process may be found on the Council’s website at www.acpe-accredit.org. The ACPE Board of Directors reviewed the Doctor of Pharmacy program for purposes of continued accreditation at its January 2015 meeting. The accreditation term granted for the Doctor of Pharmacy program extended until June 30, 2025.
Pacific University received institutional accreditation from the Northwest Association of Schools and of Colleges and Universities (NASC), Commission on Colleges and Universities, in 1929. In 1945 the University requested permission and received approval from NASC to offer the doctoral degree. Pacific University is fully accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU), which until the year 2003 was part of NASC.
Clinical Educational Facilities
The School has affiliations with a variety of clinical training sites, including but not limited to health-systems (e.g. hospitals), managed care pharmacy organizations, community pharmacies (e.g. chain and independent), ambulatory clinics, long term care facilities, home infusion/specialty pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, and the pharmaceutical industry. The vast majority of these facilities are located within the states of Oregon and Washington. Clinical sites are continually added by the School in order to provide variety and quality to the clinical experiences. Students will complete all rotations at sites assigned by the School and where the School has a current, active affiliation agreement.
Policies: School of Pharmacy
See the School of Pharmacy Student Handbook for all program policies.
Program Length
The PharmD program curriculum is a semester-based schedule with concurrent semester-long courses with two different pathways (three year or five year). Unlike traditional undergraduate programs, the entire curriculum is housed within the School of Pharmacy so there is no risk of conflicting class schedules and we are also trying to minimize the risk of overlapping exams.
The PharmD/MS program is approximately 46 months divided into four years, with the additional year dedicated to a research-focused curriculum.
Licensing Requirements
Students must apply for and received pharmacy intern licenses in both Washington and Oregon once accepted into the School. Students are encouraged to access the Oregon Board of Pharmacy at http://www.oregon.gov/Pharmacy and the Washington Board of Pharmacy at https://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/ProfessionsNewReneworUpdate/PharmacyProfessions.
All students must maintain an active Oregon intern license and Washington Intern Registration while enrolled at the School. A copy of this document must be provided to the Office of Experiential Education, who is responsible for tracking student adherence with this policy. Revocation, expiration, or lack of said license precludes students’ ability to participate in experiential activities.
Prior to the third year or fifth year, students may be required to submit proof of Intern licensure to the Office of Experiential Education prior to beginning any rotation.
Time limits on program completion
A student may take up to five (5) years to complete the three year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program at Pacific University. A student may take up to three (3) years to complete the Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences degree (MS). For the joint PharmD/MS, all requirements must be completed within six (6) years of matriculation. All forms of leave (voluntary withdrawals, administrative withdrawals, or leaves of absence) may be extended to a maximum of 24 months total (either consecutive months or cumulative time) with approval from the AD for Student Affairs (ADSA) and/or the AD for Educational Outcomes (ADEO). A student will be dismissed from the program five (5) years for the PharmD program, four (4) years for the standalone MS, or six (6) years for the PharmD/MS program from their start date if they have not completed program requirements, unless the Dean approves an alternative plan based on student-specific situations. The student may choose to re-apply for admission to the School as a first-year student.
Transfer Credits
Pacific University School of Pharmacy will consider transfer students for admittance to advance standing only after careful review of all available information. The School will evaluate students who wish to transfer on a case by case basis, and will include a student interview. Student prerequisites, course descriptions and syllabi from the previous institution, hours completed, transcripts, and other significant data will be used in making a decision.
Normal Load
9 credits or higher is a full-time course load; 5 credits is half-time.
Auditing
Auditors enroll in and attend classes, but are not required to complete assignments or take examinations. No credit is received for audited courses. Students must declare the audit option before the end of the add-drop period; once the audit option has been declared, the course cannot revert back to the graded option. See the catalog section on Business Policies on Tuition and Fees for payment information.
Grading
The School uses a combination of A-F grades and Pass/No Pass system of recording student achievement. Letter Grades will be assigned using the following scale. Grades will be calculated by the following point allocation with no rounding.
A = 93 & above
A- = 90 to <93
B+ = 87 to <90
B = 83 to <87
B- = 80 to <83
C+ = 75 to < 80
F = below 75 or academic dishonesty, unprofessional conduct, unsatisfactory clinical progress, unsafe clinical practice
P = Pass
N = No Pass
Students must complete all coursework with satisfactory grades. If the student earns a single grade of “F” or “N” in any required/core course in any given semester, the student will be required to retake the course one more time or will be dismissed from the program.
Academic Standing
Good academic standing in the School of Pharmacy is defined as:
- satisfactory academic performance
- sound practice skills
- adherence to University and School rules and procedures
- behavior that leads to professional competence and positive interpersonal and professional relations
See the Student Handbook for details regarding unsatisfactory standing, withdrawals, suspensions, dismissals, appeals, and LOA.
Admission
Reapplication Procedures
Students reapplying to the School of Pharmacy in subsequent years must fill out current application forms and submit all requested information, including official transcripts for all work completed since the last application. The student should provide evidence that any deficiencies noted on the last application have been addressed. It is required that the student reapplying for admission submit a reapplicant essay outlining steps taken to strengthen the application.
All previous applications are kept on file for two years. When an applicant reapplies, we combine the previous application(s) with the new application and application materials in order to compare all of the information provided. For each admissions cycle, all re-applicants must complete a PharmCAS application. We will match your old application to your new PharmCAS application.
Prerequisite Courses
The applicant must complete a minimum of 62 semester credits of pre-pharmacy study in a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. Competitive candidates are recommended to have a 2.7 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent, and have received a grade of “C” or better in all prerequisite courses. GPA is calculated by PharmCAS, which includes courses from all institutions attended. Courses taken pass/fail will not be accepted. Science prerequisite courses must be for science majors and include laboratory as indicated below. Low level non-science major courses will be unacceptable in meeting the requirements. The costs associated with the evaluation of the adequacy of the prerequisite courses taken in other countries will be the responsibility of the student. The program does not grant advanced standing for any course. While a bachelor’s degree is not required in order to apply to the PharmD program, it can make an application more competitive.
It is recommended that all required science coursework be completed within seven calendar years of the time of application to the program. The applicant must report all coursework completed and failure to reveal educational history will forfeit eligibility for admission. All materials submitted to Pacific University for admission become the property of the University and will not be returned or released.
Biological Sciences – minimum of 19 semester credits or 29 quarter credits
- General Biology with Lab: 8 semester credits/12 quarter credits
- Microbiology: 3 semester credits/4 quarter credits (lab not required)
- Human Anatomy and Physiology with Lab: 8 semester credits/12 quarter credits
Chemistry - 16 semester credits or 24 quarter credits
- General Chemistry with Lab: 8 semester credits/12 quarter credits
- Organic Chemistry with Lab: 8 semester credits/12 quarter credits
Physics - 3 semester credits or 4 quarter credits
- General Physics with Lab: 3 semester credits/4 quarter credits
Calculus - 3 semester credits or 4 quarter credits
- Must include Calculus: 3 semester credits/4 quarter credits
English Composition - 6 semester credits or 8 quarter credits
- Must include one English composition course: 3 semester credits/4 quarter credits
- One other English course: 3 semester credits/4 quarter credits
Speech/Communication/Debate - 3 semester credits or 3 quarter credits (one course)
- Can include Speech, public speaking, oral communication, debate
Psychology - 3 semester credits or 3 quarter credits
- Must include General or Abnormal Psychology
Economics - 3 semester credits or 3 quarter credits
- Must include Micro or Macro Economics
Social/Behavioral Sciences - 3 semester credits or 3 quarter credits
- May include Anthropology, Government, Human Development, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology
Humanities/Fine Arts - 3 semester credits or 3 quarter credits
- May include Geography, History, Religion, Philosophy, Literature, Performance, Visual Arts, Drama
