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 receive a pharmacy intern license in Oregon once accepted into the School. Students are encouraged to access the Oregon Board of Pharmacy at http://www.oregon.gov/Pharmacy
All students must maintain an active Oregon intern license 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. Students will also be expected to apply for and receive an intern license for any state outside of Oregon for which they have a planned experience.
Time limits on program completion
Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences programs: All degree requirements must be completed within seven years. Timing begins on the date of matriculation into the Graduate program. Terms spent on a leave of absence are counted toward the timing limit. Students may petition based on extraordinary circumstances.
Doctor of Pharmacy program: All degree requirements must be completed within ten years. Timing begins on the date of matriculation into the graduate program. Terms spent on a leave of absence are counted toward the timing limit.
Degree Conferral
Eligible candidates for a May degree conferral must apply for the degree by January 15. All students receiving degrees are required to participate in the May Commencement ceremony. The degree is conferred with distinction upon graduates who have maintained a grade point average of 3.7 or higher in the professional curriculum and have not received substandard or failing grades in the professional didactic and clinical curriculum
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
Students maintain the status of “Good Standing” with the School unless they are currently on probation, suspension, or dismissal. See the Student Handbook for details regarding program policies and procedures around placing students on probation, suspension or grounds for dismissal and administrative withdrawal. Information is also available on leave of absence and processes for appeals.
