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Pharmacy (Professional Program: PharmD)
Mailing Address:
Chicago Campus:
College of Pharmacy
Student Services Center
833 S Wood St, Room 172 (MC 874)
Chicago, IL 60612-7230
(312) 996-7242
Rockford Campus:
College of Pharmacy
Room A220
1601 Parkview Avenue
Rockford, IL 61107
(815) 395-5736
Contact Information:
pharmd@uic.edu
https://pharmacy.uic.edu/programs/pharmd
PharmD Program
The College of Pharmacy offers the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The PharmD is the highest level of professional education in pharmacy and has been approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as the sole entry-level degree for the profession.
The curriculum provides a patient-centered education that develops skills and attitudes necessary to anticipate change, criticize, evaluate, and modify practice in a changing healthcare arena. The curriculum also provides a fundamental core of knowledge necessary to meet the competencies for a general practitioner who delivers pharmaceutical care.
The program prepares students to:
- enter the practice of pharmacy to serve society as ethical and caring professionals;
- apply knowledge of drugs and drug therapy to solve problems and make decisions on behalf of their patients;
- educate, communicate, and collaborate with patients, colleagues, and other health professionals;
- learn—professional practice is a lifelong learning experience;
- practice pharmacy in traditional and nontraditional settings;
- assume a leadership role in the future direction of the profession.
To earn the Doctor of Pharmacy degree, students complete a minimum of six years of study: the first two years of pre-pharmacy course work can be accomplished at any accredited college or university; the final four years of professional education are completed at the UIC College of Pharmacy (Chicago or Rockford Campus). The prospective applicant is advised to contact the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) at the College of Pharmacy for further information at (312) 996-7242 or to obtain information from the College of Pharmacy website.
The Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional degree program. For more information on the PharmD program and the application process, please consult the following websites:
- Information for prospective students, including pre-pharmacy course work and admission requirements.
- PharmD curriculum outline
- Information for current students, including advising and the Student Handbook
The following are the joint degrees programs currently offered in the College of Pharmacy. Visit the College of Pharmacy website for additional information about the joint programs or contact the College of Pharmacy Office of Student Affairs, Room 154.
Optional PharmD Concentrations
The PharmD program offers eight optional concentrations. The Urban Pharmacy Services (UPHARM) in Chicago and Rural Pharmacy Services (RPHARM) in Rockford are interprofessional programs of study available to students who plan to practice pharmacy in rural Illinois or urban Illinois. Students apply to these programs upon admission into the PharmD, but before they enroll in the PharmD program.
In addition, the college offers six concentrations designed to deliver a focused level of expertise through didactic course work, independent study, and APPE. Students apply to these concentrations in the fall of the P2 year. These concentrations are offered in the following areas:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Health Economics and Outcomes Research
- Acute Care Pharmacy
- Ambulatory Care Pharmacy
- Experimental Therapeutics and Clinical Research
- Pharmacy Administration and Leadership
Detailed information on all PharmD concentrations can be found on the PharmD Academic page.
Joint Degrees
PharmD-PhD Program
In response to industry and academic demands for pharmacists with PhD training, the college offers a joint Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) – PhD degree program. Students enrolled in this program can pursue the PharmD—the standard degree for pharmacists—simultaneously with any of the college's PhD degree offerings. The joint program is highly competitive and designed for select students who have interests in both the clinical aspects of pharmacy and research in the pharmaceutical sciences. With judicious selection and timing of courses, joint program participants can earn both degrees in less overall time than would be required to complete the degrees separately.
PharmD-MSHI Program
This joint degree program integrates Pharmacy Science and clinical practice with health informatics, the goal being identification, collection, processing and management of information to support pharmacy practice, administration, education and research. It promotes the expansion of pharmacy knowledge and leadership and is an important new dimension of pharmacy practice. Students in this joint program learn to identify the social issues that inhibit the effective use of information technology in health care and to apply creative solutions that address these issues.
PharmD-MS-CTS Program
There is widespread consensus that the U.S. is facing a shortage of qualified researchers in clinical research who can apply accelerating advances in basic science and biotechnology to clinical practice as well as to translate clinical science into practice so that these advances improve population health. Graduates of the MS in Clinical and Translational Science (MS-CTS) will have the skills to direct a broad range of clinical studies, including the translation of scientific knowledge into clinical practice, and will be able to interact effectively with all of the complementary disciplines with which clinical investigators need to collaborate.
PharmD-MBA Program
The five-year joint PharmD/MBA program provides students with the business skills necessary to manage health care facilities as well as their own practices. Students spend the first two academic years in the College of Pharmacy. During the summers of the first two years, they can complete up to 16 semester hours of MBA core courses. The third year of the program will be dedicated to fulfilling the remaining requirements towards the MBA through the CBA. If students carefully follow the recommended course sequence, they should be able to complete the program in five years. Pharmacy students must complete all requirements in the College of Pharmacy prior to receiving the MBA.
Admission Requirements
- Prerequisite Course Worka The following prerequisite courses with a grade of C- or better are required. Each course must be a minimum of 3 semester or 4 quarter hours.
- AP and Test-Out Credits: AP and test-out credits will be accepted to meet pre-pharmacy prerequisite course work if credit for these are given on a transcript. Pre-Pharmacy Prerequisite Coursework Guides are available for most Illinois schools and some out-of-state schools.
- Prerequisite Completion Deadline: All pre-pharmacy prerequisites courses do not need to be completed at the time of application. The prerequisites remaining at the time of application must be included in the coursework section of the PharmCAS application, indicating the particular course that will be taken, as well as where and when the course(s) will be taken.
- Foreign Course Work: Any applicant with foreign course work (other than study abroad course work taken through a US college) must provide a WES foreign course work report. Please contact the Office of Student Affairs (email Pharmd@uic.edu) with any questions.
-
Course List Code Title Hours Communication Course Work Written Communication: 1 semester or 1 quarter courseVerbal Communication: 1 semester or 1 quarter courseAdditional (Written or Verbal): 1 semester or 1 quarter courseLife Sciences Course Work General Biology and Labs: 2 semester or 3 quarter coursesAnatomy and Physiology: 2 semester or 2-3 quarter coursesMicrobiology and Lab: 1 semester or 1 quarter coursesPhysical Sciences Course Work General (Inorganic) Chemistry and Labs: 2 semester or 3 quarter coursesOrganic Chemistry and Labs: 2 semester or 3 quarter coursesPhysics: 1 semester or 1 quarter coursesBiochemistry: 1 semester or 1 quarter courseMathematics/Statistics Course Work Calculus (integrals and derivatives): 1 semester or 1 quarter courseStatistics: 1 semester or 1 quarter courseSocial/Behavioral Science Course Work Social/Behavioral Sciences: 1 semester or quarter courseHumanities Course Work Humanities: 1 semester or 1 quarter course
- Minimum Grade Point Average To be considered applicants must have a GPA of 2.50/4.00 or higher in three areas:
- Cumulative: All course work taken at every institution attended; grades from all attempts of repeated courses are included.
- Pre-Pharmacy Prerequisites: Only course work used to meet the prerequisites; only the highest grades from the repeated courses are included.
- Science/Math: All science and math-related course work; grades from all attempts of repeated courses are included.
- Applicants not meeting the GPA requirements at the time of application will be considered for review again after the PharmCAS Fall and/or Spring Academic Update.
- Test Scores Although the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test) is not required, it is one of many things considered in a holistic application review if an applicant opts to take it. Admitted students composite scores have ranged from 30 to 99 (percentile). Low scores cannot hurt an applicant. Scores above 50th percentile will be a plus and taken into account in the application review process.
- Service and Professional Development Activities Prospective students are expected to demonstrate a record of participation in activities that develop and demonstrate personal responsibility, improve communication and people skills, further personal knowledge of pharmacists’ roles and the pharmacy profession, and activities that demonstrate leadership abilities. These include health care-related employment opportunities, pharmacy/healthcare shadowing or volunteer experiences, sustained organizational memberships, and community service.
- Minimum English Competency Test Score
- TOEFL 80, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, and Writing 21 (iBT Test); 60, with subscores of Reading 19, Listening 17, Writing 21 (revised Paper-Delivered Test), OR,
- IELTS 6.5, with subscores of 6.0 for all four categories, OR,
- PTE-Academic 54, with subscores of Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, and Writing 56
- Recommenders Names of at least two recommenders must be provided (one academic and one work or volunteer supervisor).
- Applicationa Students apply using the PharmCAS application. Students who have met the prerequisite and GPA requirements will be invited to submit the UIC PharmD Supplemental Application after the course work and GPA information have been verified.
- a
For detailed information on meeting the admissions requirements and submitting the application, please see the PharmD Admissions Requirements website.
Degree Requirements
- Minimum Semester Hours Required 133.
- Course Worka
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1, Fall Semester (17-18 hours) | ||
| Integrated Physiology | ||
| Introduction Pharmacy Practice | ||
| Fundamentals of Drug Action | ||
| Pharmaceutics I - Pharmaceutics Principles, Drug Delivery Systems, and Calculations | ||
| Pharmacokinetics | ||
| Pharmacy Learning, Advising, Mentoring, and Engagement for Students (PhLAMES) 1 | ||
Electives | ||
| Year 1, Spring Semester (17-18 hours) | ||
| Introductory Pharmacy Practice (IPPE): Community | ||
or PHAR 413 | Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE): Hospital | |
| Fundamentals of Drug Action II | ||
| Pharmaceutics II – Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms and Calculations | ||
| Introduction to Drug Information | ||
| Pharmacy and the U.S. Healthcare System | ||
| Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics (PDAT) 1: Self Care | ||
| Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics (PDAT) 2: GI/Endocrine | ||
| Pharmacy Learning, Advising, Mentoring, and Engagement for Students (PhLAMES) 2 | ||
Electives | ||
| Year 2, Fall Semester (16-18 hours) | ||
| Introductory Pharmacy Practice (IPPE): Community | ||
or PHAR 413 | Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE): Hospital | |
| Pharmaceutics III – Complex Dosage Forms and Calculations | ||
| Social and Behavioral Pharmacy | ||
| Personal and Professional Development | ||
| Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics (PDAT) 3: Renal, Electrolytes, and Nutrition | ||
| Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics (PDAT) 4: Immunology/Respiratory | ||
| Pharmacy Learning, Advising, Mentoring, and Engagement for Students (PhLAMES) 3 | ||
Electives | ||
| Year 2, Spring Semester (15-18 hours) | ||
| Introductory Pharmacy Practice (IPPE): Introduction to Patient Care | ||
| Pharmaceutics IV – Drug Delivery Systems Design and Calculations Competency | ||
| Pharmacoepidemiology and Biostatistical Reasoning | ||
| Evidence-Based Medicine | ||
| Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics (PDAT) 5: Cardiovascular | ||
| Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics (PDAT) 6: Infectious Diseases | ||
| Pharmacy Learning, Advising, Mentoring, and Engagement for Students (PhLAMES) 4 | ||
Electives | ||
| Year 3, Fall Semester (14-18 hours) | ||
| Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics (PDAT) 7: Neurology, Psychiatry, and Pain | ||
| Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics (PDAT) 8: Special Topics | ||
| Patient Care: Institutional/Hospital | ||
or PHAR 516 | Patient Care: Ambulatory Care/Community | |
| Applied Pharmaceutics, Pharmacokinetics, and Pharmacogenomics | ||
| Pharmacoeconomics and Payment | ||
| Pharmacy Learning, Advising, Mentoring, and Engagement for Students (PhLAMES) 5 | ||
Electives | ||
| Year 3, Spring Semester (13-18 hours) | ||
| Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics (PDAT) 9: Hematology and Oncology | ||
| Pathophysiology, Drug Action, and Therapeutics (PDAT) 10: Advanced Disease Management | ||
| Patient Care: Institutional/Hospital | ||
or PHAR 516 | Patient Care: Ambulatory Care/Community | |
| Management and Informatics | ||
| Pharmacy Law and Ethics | ||
| Pharmacy Learning, Advising, Mentoring, and Engagement fo Students (PhLAMES) 6 | ||
Electives | ||
| Year 3, Summer and Year 4, Fall and Spring Semesters (28 Hours) | ||
Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences - APPE (7x6-week APPEs, 4 semester hours each) b | ||
| Pharmacy Learning, Advising, Mentoring, and Engagement for Students (PhLAMES) 7 | ||
| Pharmacy Learning, Advising, Mentoring, and Engagement for Students (PhLAMES) 8 | ||
- a
Academic policies related to the College of Pharmacy curriculum are available on the College of Pharmacy website.
- b
Four APPE courses are required (Community, Hospital, Ambulatory Care, and Medicine). The remaining three APPE courses are selected from a list of APPE options in consultation with the program advisors.
Optional PharmD Concentration Requirements
Concentration in Rural Pharmacy (RPHARM)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Foundations in Rural Family and Community Healthcare I | ||
| Foundations in Rural Family and Community Healthcare II | ||
| Foundations in Rural Family and Community Healthcare III | ||
| Foundations in Rural Family and Community Healthcare IV | ||
| Foundations in Rural Family and Community Healthcare V | ||
| Foundations in Rural Family and Community Healthcare VI | ||
| Capstone Project in Rural Healthcare | ||
3 APPEs in same rural community | ||
RPHARM students complete a total of 135 hours for the degree. | ||
Concentration in Urban Pharmacy (UPHARM)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Foundations in Urban Family and Community Healthcare 1 | ||
| Foundations in Urban Family and Community Healthcare 2 | ||
| Foundations in Urban Family and Community Healthcare 3 | ||
| Foundations in Urban Family and Community Healthcare 4 | ||
| Foundations in Urban Family and Community Healthcare 5 | ||
| Foundations in Urban Family and Community Healthcare 6 | ||
| Capstone Project in Urban Healthcare | ||
2 APPEs in designated urban community | ||
UPHARM students complete a total of 135 hours for the degree | ||
Concentration in Pharmaceutical Sciences
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Electives (5 Hours) | ||
| Concentration Research | ||
| Drug Discovery, Design, and Development | ||
| Required Experiental Elective (4 Hours) | ||
| Selectives (4 Hours) | ||
| Select from: | ||
| College of Pharmacy Colloquium Lecture Series | ||
| Biostatistics for Pharmaceutical Scientists | ||
| Principles of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery | ||
| Advanced Drug Delivery Systems | ||
| Research Techniques in Pharmacognosy | ||
| Principles of Medicinal Chemistry | ||
| Pharmaceutical Applications of Genomics | ||
Concentration in Health Economics and Outcomes Research
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Electives (6 Hours) | ||
| Concentration Research | ||
| Health Economics and Outcomes Research Overview | ||
| Departmental Seminar in Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes and Policy | ||
| Required Experiential Elective (4 Hours) | ||
| Selectives (3 Hours) | ||
| Select from: | ||
| Comparative Effectiveness Research | ||
| Pharmacoepidemiology | ||
| Pharmaceutical Policy | ||
| Principles of Economic Evaluations of Health Care Interventions | ||
Concentration in Acute Care Pharmacy
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Electives (5 Hours) | ||
| Concentration Research | ||
| Applied Research Methods and Skill Development | ||
or PMPR 487 | Clinical Research Design | |
| Concentration Seminar | ||
| Required Experiential Elective (4 Hours) | ||
| Selectives (4 Hours) | ||
| Select from: | ||
| Journal Club and Advanced Literature Analysis | ||
| Clinical Toxicology | ||
| Advanced Transplant Therapeutics | ||
| Case Based Infectious Diseases | ||
| Topics and Issues in Clinical Post-Graduate Training Programs | ||
| Pediatric Therapeutics | ||
| Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) - Interventions and Treatment | ||
| Critical Care I | ||
Concentration in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Electives (5 Hours) | ||
| Concentration Research | ||
| Applied Research Methods and Skill Development | ||
or PMPR 487 | Clinical Research Design | |
| Concentration Seminar | ||
| Required Experiential Elective (4 Hours) | ||
| Selectives (4 Hours) | ||
| Select from: | ||
| Management of the HIV Patient | ||
| Exploration of Telemedicine in Pharmacy Practice | ||
| Exploring Advanced Topics in Ambulatory Care | ||
| The Role of the Pharmacist in Tobacco Cessation | ||
| Pharmacotherapeutic Issues in Women's Health | ||
| Topics and Issues in Clinical Post-Graduate Training Programs | ||
| Clinical Aspects of Diabetes Mellitus | ||
| Pediatric Therapeutics | ||
| Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) - Interventions and Treatment | ||
| Managed Care Pharmacy | ||
Concentration in Experimental Therapeutics and Clinical Research
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Electives (5 Hours) | ||
| Concentration Research | ||
| Applied Research Methods and Skill Development | ||
or PMPR 487 | Clinical Research Design | |
| Concentration Seminar | ||
| Required Experiential Elective (4 Hours) | ||
| Selectives (4 Hours) | ||
| Select from: | ||
| Journal Club and Advanced Literature Analysis | ||
| Applied Research Methods and Skill Development | ||
| Undergraduate Research in Pharmacy Practice | ||
| Special Projects in Pharmacy Practice | ||
| Medical writing | ||
| Concentration Research | ||
| Clinical Research Design | ||
| College of Pharmacy Colloquium Lecture Series | ||
Concentration in Pharmacy Administration and Leadership
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Electives (7 Hours) | ||
| Concentration Research | ||
| Applied Research Methods and Skill Development | ||
or PMPR 487 | Clinical Research Design | |
| Concentration Seminar | ||
| Pharmacy Practice Leadership | ||
| Required Experiential Elective (4 Hours) | ||
| Selectives (2 Hours) | ||
| Select from: | ||
| Dean's Leadership Forum | ||
| Topics and Issues in Clinical Post-Graduate Training Programs | ||
| Managed Care Pharmacy | ||
| Introduction to Specialty Pharmacy | ||