Introduction
The College of Health Professions offers a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree that articulates directly with the Bachelor of Science in Applied Science. This 3-year/3-year pathway program outlines a path for students and the program outline below is considered pre-approved by the chairs of the School of Natural Sciences to meet the requirements of the Applied Science major. Students following this path are guaranteed admission interviews and consideration for early admission into the School of Pharmacy (SOP). For eligible students, this program aims to nurture career interests, provide enriching pre-professional development, and pave a way for success in receiving both a BS and a PharmD degree in 6 years instead of the 7 years that would be the case if they took these two programs separately.
To utilize this route, all Arts & Sciences (A&S) core coursework requirements, PharmD prerequisites, specified science classes, and a minimum of 102 total credits should be completed by the end of the 3rd academic year. Students are encouraged to apply to the PharmD by September of their third year in order to begin coursework in the SOP for the 4th academic year. Specific coursework completed during the first year in the PharmD program (the 4th academic year) will satisfy the remaining requirements for the Bachelor of Science degree.
These students also are required to complete the A&S Capstone requirement. The undergraduate diploma will be conferred upon successful completion of the student’s 4th year. If a student is not accepted into the SOP program, they will have the opportunity to complete the Applied Science degree during the traditional time-frame with little to no complications.
Undergraduate students may apply to the program after completing the first year of the BS in Applied Science. This timing allows students to complete sufficient coursework to assess their interest in pharmacy and whether they meet initial qualifications for entering the cooperative program.
Students can be admitted to the program after completing the first year of courses, if they complete all courses with a grade of C or better including:
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HUM 102, PACU 101 & PACU 102
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BIOL 200/200L & BIOL 201/201L
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CHEM 220/220L & CHEM 230/230L
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MATH 226 or MATH 207*
*MATH 207 may be taken if MATH 125 has been successfully completed.
Students completing these courses with a GPA of 3.0 or higher will be granted a formal interview in the SOP (fall of sophomore year), which is a contributing factor in the admissions decision. If students have a successful interview, they will be admitted conditionally to the SOP PharmD program (students must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and earn a grade of C or higher in all courses). Students who do not have a successful interview will continue in the cooperative program and will be guaranteed an interview when applying to the SOP during their junior year.
Students participating in the cooperative program must complete the following requirements, in addition to the College of Arts and Sciences core requirements, with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, and earn a grade of C or higher in all courses. Students whose GPAs fall below a cumulative 3.0 in College of Arts and Sciences core requirements may be granted permission to continue participation in the cooperative program, on a case-by-case basis.