Aug 30, 2025  
2025-2026 Academic Catalog 
  
2025-2026 Academic Catalog

Doctor of Pharmacy, Pharm.D.


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For students who entered the Pharm.D. program prior to Fall 2025, they must complete 133 hours of required coursework that includes nine semester hours (300 contact hours) of introductory pharmacy practice experiences and 40 semester hours (1,600 contact hours) of advanced pharmacy practice experiences in which students extend their learning from the classroom to various pharmacy practice settings and have opportunities to provide care for diverse patient populations. In addition, 9 semester hours of elective or selective coursework are required. 

The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) with an integrated Pharmaceutical Sciences (B.S.) curriculum consists of the undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program followed by a four-year professional program. Coursework for the first professional year overlaps with coursework required in the senior year of the integrated pharmaceutical sciences program so that students may earn a bachelor’s degree while completing the first professional year of the Pharm.D. program. The bachelor’s degree is earned upon satisfactory completion of all bachelor’s degree requirements which typically occurs after four academic years of study. The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) can also be integrated with a Neuroscience (B.S.) curriculum and Data Science (B.S.) curriculum similarly.

They must take yearly longitudinal introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPE) for the first three professional years. Each of these IPPE courses are worth one-credit hour and run over the course of two semesters. Students spend 7 contact hours in class and 20 contact hours in the field for these experiences.

During the summer semesters between the first and second professional year and between the second and third professional year, students take concentrated IPPE courses that consist of 120 contact hours in the field (three weeks in length) and are worth three credit hours.

During the advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE) in the final year of the professional program, students spend a minimum of 40 hours per week in assigned, University-approved health system pharmacy, community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy and other approved practice sites. APPEs are five weeks long and worth five credit hours each. Both IPPE and APPE requirements are mandated by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

Graduates of the Pharm.D. program have the abilities necessary for entry into post-graduate training programs. Graduates are able to think critically, solve complex problems and communicate effectively to provide high-level, interprofessional patient and population care that is evidence-based, culturally sensitive and includes disease management and promotion of health and wellness. Graduates will also be able to manage medication-use systems to optimize patient safety and system efficacy, advocate for the pharmacy profession and within their communities, apply quality improvement principles to advance the practice of pharmacy including practice models that are economically sustainable, and be consumers of and contributors to research and scholarly works.

See appropriate list below for the required Doctor of Pharmacy program courses.

 

For students who entered the Pharm.D. program during Fall 2025 and thereafter, they must complete 139 hours of required coursework that includes nine semester hours (300 contact hours) of introductory pharmacy practice experiences and 40 semester hours (1,600 contact hours) of advanced pharmacy practice experiences in which students extend their learning from the classroom to various pharmacy practice settings and have opportunities to provide care for diverse patient populations. In addition, 9 semester hours of elective or selective coursework are required. 

The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) with an integrated Pharmaceutical Sciences (B.S.) curriculum consists of the undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program followed by a four-year professional program. Coursework for the first professional year overlaps with coursework required in the senior year of the integrated pharmaceutical sciences program so that students may earn a bachelor’s degree while completing the first professional year of the Pharm.D. program. The bachelor’s degree is earned upon satisfactory completion of all bachelor’s degree requirements which typically occurs after four academic years of study. The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) can also be integrated with a Neuroscience (B.S.) curriculum and Data Science (B.S.) curriculum similarly.

During the summer semesters (P1-P3), there will be concentrated IPPEs. The summer IPPE between P1 and P2 year is four credit hours (160 contact hours/ 4 weeks). The summer IPPE between P2 and P3 year is 3 credit hours (120 contact hours/ 3 weeks). 

They must take one longitudinal introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPE) in the third professional year. This IPPE course is worth one-credit hour and run over the course of two semesters. Students spend 7 contact hours in class and 20 contact hours in the field for these experiences.

During the advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE) in the final year of the professional program (P4), students spend a minimum of 40 hours per week in assigned, University-approved health system pharmacy, community pharmacy, clinical pharmacy and other approved practice sites. APPEs are five weeks long and worth five credit hours each. Both IPPE and APPE requirements are mandated by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

Graduates of the Pharm.D. program have the abilities necessary for entry into post-graduate training programs. Graduates are able to think critically, solve complex problems and communicate effectively to provide high-level, interprofessional patient and population care that is evidence-based, culturally sensitive and includes disease management and promotion of health and wellness. Graduates will also be able to manage medication-use systems to optimize patient safety and system efficacy, advocate for the pharmacy profession and within their communities, apply quality improvement principles to advance the practice of pharmacy including practice models that are economically sustainable, and be consumers of and contributors to research and scholarly works.

See appropriate list below for the required Doctor of Pharmacy program courses.

Required Courses


Note


*course spans over fall and spring semester

Electives


Electives in the professional curriculum broaden and deepen students’ educational experiences beyond the required courses. In the pharmacy curriculum, electives offer students an opportunity to explore pharmacy related topics in depth, allowing them to see the complexities of pharmacy practice and related issues.

The electives offered in this program should have a meaningful relationship with pharmacy practice and professional outcomes.

As a requirement for graduation, all students are required to complete a minimum of 9 hours of electives (one elective course must have a writing emphasis) in addition to the 3-credit hour Integrated Capstone Selective.

  • Professional electives 9 Credit(s) (one writing emphasis required)

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