Pharm.D. Degree

UConn School of Pharmacy students throw their caps in the air following graduation

Become a trusted health professional as a graduate of the UConn School of Pharmacy. Academic exploration, groundbreaking research, and impactful community involvement will prepare you to lead in the health care industry. Pharmacists make a difference in people’s lives, whether interacting with patients at a pharmacy, discovering tomorrow’s health care solutions in a biopharmaceutical lab, or providing life-saving medications in a hospital or long-term care facility.

UConn’s School of Pharmacy is ranked in the top 20% of U.S. pharmacy schools and #1 in New England.

U.S. News & World Report, 2020-2021 (last review)


93% PGY1 match rate in 2023
Compare to 82% national average. A PGY1 rate illustrates the number of students who applied to and got matched to specialized paid residencies after graduation. Not all pharmacy graduates apply for these.

Admissions Drop-In Sessions

Looking to learn more about a PharmD degree? Join one of our virtual drop-in sessions to chat with a member of our admissions team.  Check our events calendar for upcoming sessions: UConn School of Pharmacy Calendar | UConn School of Pharmacy

Transfer to our Pharm.D. Program

We welcome applications from UConn undergraduates and transfer students from other colleges and universities. Please refer to our TRANSFERS application information for specifics.

Careers in Pharmacy

In an ever-evolving health care landscape, pharmacy careers span all areas of public and private healthcare and medical research, developing to meet the changing needs of patients. Not only are pharmacists consistently ranked as among the most trusted health professionals in the U.S, but the career offers long term job security and high earnings. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, health-care is the fastest growing sector in the U.S. Starting salaries for pharmacy related professions range between $75,000 and $110,000 annually.

Career opportunities in pharmacy are many. Visit our 100 Careers in Pharmacy page to explore:

Pharm.D. Prerequisites

University of Connecticut pre-professional (pre-pharmacy) students typically complete three semesters of prerequisite course work prior to applying to the School of Pharmacy, however, the time in which it takes to complete the pre-professional phase is flexible. The prerequisites for the Doctor of Pharmacy Professional Program also fulfill requirements for additional schools and programs at UConn, as well as meeting the University General Education Requirements that are necessary for earning a bachelor’s degree. The following is a proposed schedule for required pre-professional courses.

First Pre-Professional Year – Fall Semester

Course Number Credits Course Name
BIOL 1107 4 Principles of Biology
CHEM 1127Q 4 General Chemistry
MATH 1131Q 4 Calculus
ECON 12011 3 Principles of Microeconomics

First Pre-Professional Year – Spring Semester

Course Number Credits Course Name
ENGL 1007, 1010, or 1011 4 Academic Writing
CHEM 1128Q 4 General Chemistry II
PHYS 1201Q 4 General Physics
Arts & Humanities1 3 General Education Requirement
Diversity Course1 3 General Education Requirement

Second Pre-Professional Year – Fall Semester

Course Number Credits Course Name
SOCI 10011,3 3 Introduction to Sociology
PNB 2264 or 2274 4 Human Physiology & Anatomy
CHEM 2443 3 Organic Chemistry
MCB 2610 4 Fundamentals of Microbiology
Diversity Course1 3 General Education Requirement

 

Second Pre-Professional Year – Spring Semester

Course Number Credits Course Name
MCB 2000 or MCB 3010 4 or 5 Introduction to Biochemistry / Biochemistry
PNB 2265 or 2275 4 Human Physiology & Anatomy II
CHEM 2444 3 Organic Chemistry II
W Course1,2 3 General Education Requirement
Arts & Humanities1 3 General Education Requirement
  1. These courses need not be taken in the semester indicated. The high-lighted math and science prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester of the year seeking enrollment.
  2. It is possible for the W requirement to be fulfilled by courses in content areas 1, 2, or 4.
  3. May be filled by any 1000-level sociology, psychology or anthropology course from content area 2.

Environmental Literacy requirement: Beginning fall 2019, students must complete a 3-credit Environmental Literacy (E) course as part of the general education curriculum. Students in the School of Pharmacy may elect to fulfill this requirement during the pre-professional program or after admission to the professional program. The E requirement must be completed prior to the end of P2 and conferral of the B.S. in Pharmacy Studies.

Substitutions

CHEM 1124Q, 1125Q, and 1126Q will be averaged and substituted for CHEM 1127Q and 1128Q.

The same applies for other approved substitutions.

Physics

Physics 1401Q, 1501Q, etc., may be substituted for Physics 1201Q. Taking another physics course, however, (e.g. PHYS 1401Q, 1501Q, etc.) in addition to PHYS 1201Q may be considered repetition of a prerequisite.

AP Work

When AP work is applied toward prerequisites, the number of total prerequisite credits is reduced by the number of credits earned by that AP work.

Rounding for GPA

The School of Pharmacy does not round when calculating grade point averages.  For example, a 2.999 will not be rounded to a 3.000.

Professional Curriculum

The following is the current coursework required of students enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program.  Students must have fulfilled Pharm.D. pre-requisite coursework prior to admission to the program.

Browse the UConn Course catalog for our most up to date Pharm.D. course information.


First Professional (P1) Year – Fall Semester

Course Number Credits Course Name
PHRX 3000 2 Cellular Biology
PHRX 3002 3 Foundations in Bioorganic Chemistry
PHRX 3006 1 Drug Information I
PHRX 3008 3 Pharmacy Communications
PHRX 3009 3 Principles of Drug Action
PHRX 3030 3 Pharmacokinetics/Biopharmaceutics
PHRX 3050 3 Public Health & Healthcare Policy
PHRX 3060 2 Pharmacy Skills Development I
20

First Professional (P1) Year – Spring Semester

Course Number Credits Course Name
PHRX 3001 2 Immunology
PHRX 3003 2 Nutrition
PHRX 3007 2 Drug Information II
PHRX 3031 4 Foundations in Pharmaceutics I
PHRX 3032 1 Non-Sterile Pharmaceutical Compounding
PHRX 3040 4 Neurology Module
PHRX 3065 2 Pharmacy Skills Development II
17

Second Professional (P2) Year – Fall Semester

Course Number Credits Course Name
PHRX 4030 3 Foundations in Pharmaceutics II
PHRX 4031 1 Sterile Pharmaceutical Compounding
PHRX 4040 5 Psychiatry Module
PHRX 4041 2 Immunology Module
PHRX 4050 2 Pharmacy Practice Management
PHRX 4063 3 Pharmacy Skills Development III
3 Professional Electives
 19

Second Professional (P2) Year – Spring Semester

Course Number Credits Course Name
PHRX 4000 1 Pharmacoeconomics
PHRX 4001W 3 Current Topics in Pharmacy – W Course
PHRX 4042 2 Gastroenterology Module
PHRX 4043 3 Endocrine Module
PHRX 4044 1 Dermatology Module
PHRX 4062 2 Healthcare Ethics & History
PHRX 4065 2 Pharmacy Skills Development IV
3 Professional Electives
17

Third Professional (P3) Year – Fall Semester

Course Number Credits Course Name
PHRX 5040 4 Cardiovascular Module
PHRX 5041 2 Renal Module
PHRX 5042 2 Respiratory Module
PHRX 5046 2 Clinical Toxicology
PHRX 5060 3 Pharmacy Skills Development V
PHRX 5062 3 Pharmacy Law and Regulatory Affairs
3 Professional Electives
19

Third Professional (P3) Year – Spring Semester

Course Number Credits Course Name
PHRX 5043 4 Infectious Disease Module
PHRX 5044 3 Hematology/Oncology Module
PHRX 5045 4 Special Populations
PHRX 5048 2 Patient Assessment
PHRX 5065 2 Pharmacy Skills Development VI
3 Professional Electives
18

Fourth Professional (P4) Year

Course Number Credits Course Name
PHRX 5100 4 Prof Exper in Community Pharm
PHRX 5101 4 Prof Exper in Health System Pharm
PHRX 5102 4 Prof Exper Ambulatory Care Pharm
PHRX 5103 4 Prof Exper in General Medicine
20 Professional Experience Electives
36

Fourth Professional (P4) Year Electives (Choose 5 from below list)

At least two of the elective courses must involve direct patient care (indicated by *).

Course Number Credits Course Name
PHRX 5104 4 Prof Exper in Cardiology*
PHRX 5105 4 Prof Exper in Infectious Disease*
PHRX 5106 4 Prof Exper in Oncology*
PHRX 5107 4 Prof Exper in Psychiatry*
PHRX 5108 4 Prof Exper in Pediatrics*
PHRX 5109 4 Prof Exper in Geriatrics*
PHRX 5110 4 Prof Exper in Community Pharmacy II*
PHRX 5111 4 Prof Exper in Critical Care*
PHRX 5114 4 Prof Exper in Emergency Medicine
PHRX 5115 4 Prof Exper in Home Health Care
PHRX 5116 4 Prof Exper in Health System Pharmacy II
PHRX 5117 4 Prof Exper in Industry
PHRX 5118 4 Prof Exper in Managed Care
PHRX 5119 4 Prof Exper in Nuclear Pharmacy
PHRX 5120 4 Prof Exper in Nutrition
PHRX 5122 4 Prof Exper in Long-term Care
PHRX 5123 4 Prof Exper in Surgery*
PHRX 5124 4 Prof Exper in General Medicine II*
PHRX 5125 4 Prof Exper in Ambulatory Care II*
PHRX 5126 4 Prof Exper in Anticoagulation Service*
PHRX 5128 4 Prof Exper in Hospice Care*
PHRX 5129 4 Prof Exper in sub-acute Care and Chronic & Rehab Medicine
PHRX 5130 4 Prof Exper in HIV*
PHRX 5131 4 Prof Exper in Public Health
PHRX 5132 4 Prof Exper in Diabetes Care*
PHRX 5133 4 Prof Exper in Clinical Toxicology
PHRX 5134 4 Prof Exper in Population Kinetics
PHRX 5135 4 Prof Exper in Investigational Drug Service
PHRX 5136 4 Prof Exper in Drug Information
PHRX 5137 4 Prof Exper in Pediatrics II*
PHRX 5138 4 Prof Exper in Industry II
PHRX 5139 4 Prof Exper in a Professional Organization
PHRX 5140 4 Prof Exper in FDA
PHRX 5141 4 Prof Exper in Oncology II*
PHRX 5142 4 Prof Exper in Diabetes Care II*
PHRX 5143 4 Prof Exper in Psychiatry II
PHRX 5144 4 Prof Exper in Geriatrics II
PHRX 5145 4 Prof Exper in Skilled Care Nursing Facility II
PHRX 5146 4 Prof Exper in Managed Care II
PHRX 5147 4 Prof Exper in International Pharmacy
PHRX 5148 4 Prof Exper in Nephrology
PHRX 5149 4 Prof Exper in Critical Care II*
PHRX 5150 4 Prof Exper in Pain Management
PHRX 5151 4 Prof Exper in Management/Drug Information*
PHRX 5152 4 Prof Exper in Patient Safety
PHRX 5153 4 Prof Exper in Academia
PHRX 5154 4 Prof Exper in Organ Transplantation
PHRX 5155 4 Prof Exper in International Pharmacy Practice II*
PHRX 5156 4 Prof Exper in Nephrology II
PHRX 5157 4 Prof Exper in Clinical-based Community Practice
PHRX 5158 4 Prof Exper in Perioperative Surgery
PHRX 5159 4 Prof Exper in Burn Care
PHRX 5160 4 Prof Exper in Academia II
PHRX 5161 4 Prof Exper in Pharmacy Informatics
PHRX 5162 4 Prof Exper in Hospital Administration
PHRX 5163 4 Prof Exper in Neurology
PHRX 5164 4 Prof Exper in Infectious Disease II
PHRX 5165 4 Prof Exper in Management
PHRX 5166 4 Prof Exper in Research I
PHRX 5167 4 Prof Exper in Urban Service
PHRX 5195 4 Special Topics in Clinical Rotations
 PHRX 5199 4 Prof Exper in Research II

Shadowing Program

Wondering what a career in pharmacy looks like? Learn about a day in the life of a pharmacist and gain valuable insights into the pharmacy field through our School of Pharmacy Shadowing Program.

What You’ll Gain:

  • Insight into the day-to-day responsibilities of pharmacists.
  • Networking opportunities with professionals in the field.
  • Guidance on educational paths and career options in pharmacy.

Who Can Participate:

This shadowing experience is open to high school and college students interested in pursuing a career in pharmacy. No prior experience required—just a curiosity and passion for the pharmaceutical field!

Interested students should contact us here.

Specialty Tracks and Honors

To provide pharmacy students with the opportunity to customize their learning experience according to their interests, there are five specialized learning tracks a student can take in addition to the more traditional path to a Pharm.D. degree. These are the: LEADERS, Pediatric Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Urban Service, and Honors tracks.


LEADERS Track

In the rapidly changing and highly competitive environment of pharmacy practice, the profession of pharmacy is seeking to identify the leaders of tomorrow. The School of Pharmacy strives to help identify and distinguish these leaders prior to graduation, preparing them to serve in these leader roles. The Pharmacy LEADERS Track is intended to expand the breadth and depth of a student’s educations and experiences to develop this next generation of pharmacy leaders.


Pediatric Track

As the practice of clinical pharmacy becomes more competitive, this track is designed to provide the pharmacy student with tools to help them succeed as a pediatric clinical practitioner. It will allow students interested in pediatric clinical pharmacy to have a multitude of pediatric experiences throughout their time as a pharmacy student and graduate as a Pediatric Pharmacy Scholar. Find: more detail on the Pediatric Track


Pharmaceutical Sciences Track

The pharmaceutical sciences track will provide pharmacy students with greater exposure to the pharmaceutical sciences and related research. The track is designed to help students that are considering working as a pharmacist for a pharmaceutical company or planning to pursue a joint Pharm.D./Ph.D. degree. This flexible track allows a wide range of options designed to fit each student’s goals, and is designed for easy integration with existing science minors and the pharmacy honors program.


Urban Service Track

The Urban Service Track is a unique collaboration between the University of Connecticut’s Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Dental Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work, the Quinnipiac University’s Physician Assistant Program, and the community. The main goal of the Urban Service Track is to develop a group of health care professionals dedicated to caring for Connecticut’s urban, underserved populations and practicing within interprofessional teams. Each year a group of students from the six professional schools are selected and admitted into the program. These urban health scholars work as a team to learn to solve challenges of health care in urban areas, including implementing community education and outreach programs, providing direct patient care in free clinics, promoting health literacy and cultural sensitivity, and participating in quality improvement initiatives and community-based research. In addition, urban health scholars participate in conferences focusing on health policy and advocacy activities affecting underserved populations. Find: more detail on the Urban Service Track


Honors

Honors students can tailor their learning within the School of Pharmacy's Pharm.D. program and assist with faculty research or focus on a specific specialty such as diabetes, pain management or pharmacy practice. Honors students work directly with a faculty member who guides and accesses each student's progress from beginning through thesis.


University Scholar

The University Scholar Program  is a prestigious program for students who wish to pursue nontraditional programs of study of their own creation. Students can take an interdisciplinary mixture of courses from different units within the university, which can lead to a dual degree, can include graduate studies, and can be tailored to each individual. The University waives the General University Fee for every University Scholar for the remainder of their program. Graduation as a University Scholar is the highest academic honor that the University of Connecticut bestows on undergraduate students.

Dual and Joint Majors

Joint or dual degree programs allow students to combine their Doctor of Pharmacy degree with select master’s and Doctor of Philosophy degree programs. Application to these programs is usually made during the second professional year.

Dose of Inspiration: Pursuing a Pharmacy Degree

Discover the possibilities with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree by watching a recorded panel discussion featuring School of Pharmacy alumni and industry leaders.


 

Questions?

We welcome questions about the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Professional Program and the admissions process at UConn.  Please email pharmacy@uconn.edu and we will assist.