Douglas W. Voth, M.D., Dean
1110 N. Stonewall Ave.
Oklahoma City, OK 73117-1223
Phone: (405) 271-6484
FAX: (405) 271-3830
Internet: http://www.oupharmacy.com
The College offers the doctor of pharmacy as the sole entry-level professional degree. The doctor of pharmacy degree program of the University of Oklahoma is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Graduates of the program are qualified to sit for the pharmacist licensure examination in all 50 states.
The doctor of pharmacy curriculum balances the basic sciences, which are fundamental to learning new concepts, and the clinical sciences, which are essential for delivering comprehensive pharmaceutical care. The College strives to educate professionals who understand the need for life-long learning and students are encouraged to use their elective hours to complete additional humanities and science courses along with general education requirements. Offering an excellent student to faculty ratio, the College provides personalized instruction to students in a broad array of professional courses and a number of student professional organizations and an active student government.
The doctor of pharmacy program provides the clinical training and experience required of entry-level positions in all areas of contemporary pharmacy practice. About one-half of the pharmacy graduates today select a career in community pharmacy and one-third practice in hospitals or related health-system agencies. The remaining graduates choose from diverse opportunities in pharmaceutical industry, government, or education. There are currently five board-certified specialties in pharmacy — pharmacotherapy, psychopharmacy, nutrition, oncology, and nuclear pharmacy.
The doctor of pharmacy degree is awarded after successful completion of an approved four year course of professional study following the completion of the preprofessional prerequisites. The prepharmacy requirements may be completed on the Norman campus of the University of Oklahoma or at any other accredited institution offering the required courses. Admission to the professional program is based upon the academic record of the applicant without regard to the institution attended.
The College of Pharmacy also offers the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in pharmaceutical sciences through the Graduate College. These are research-based programs comparable to graduate degrees in other fields of science, require a thesis/dissertation, and do not qualify graduates for professional licensure. Candidates for admission may hold an entry-level pharmacy degree (B.S. or Pharm.D.) or a degree in another area of science. The primary purpose of these programs is to provide advanced scientific education in preparation for careers in pharmaceutical education, research, and industry.
Prepharmacy advising and counseling is available at the Health Sciences Center through the Office of Pharmacy Student Affairs located in room 117 of the College of Pharmacy Building or at the Schusterman Center Pharmacy Student Affairs located in room 1D27. Applicants may speak to a prepharmacy advisor at (405) 271-6598 or (918) 660-3572. Prepharmacy students on the Norman campus are assigned an adviser in University College.
Admission to the doctor of pharmacy program requires a minimum of two years of preprofessional university study and completion of approximately 60-65 semester hours of approved prepharmacy courses. Applicants must meet the prerequisites listed below prior to admission. The course numbers listed represent courses offered at the University of Oklahoma. Equivalent courses are available at most colleges and universities. Equivalency tables are available through the preprofessional counseling centers of Oklahoma colleges and universities The sequence of prepharmacy courses will vary depending upon the schedule and specific prerequisites of the different institutions. Students entering the college of pharmacy curriculum are also expected to have computer proficiency at or above the level of basic word processing skills. A course emphasizing basic business or professional computing or equivalent experience is recommended. All students are encouraged to contact a prepharmacy counselor at the College of Pharmacy for assistance in planning an appropriate prepharmacy program of study.
Courses on the Norman campus which fulfill the prepharmacy requirements are listed in parentheses.
English Composition (ENGL 1113 and 1213) 6
U.S. History (HIST 1483 or 1493) 3
U.S. Government (P SC 1113) 3
Calculus (MATH 1743 or 1823) 3
Social & Behavioral Sciences Selective 3
Oral Communications or Speech* 3
Business and Economics Selective 3
Zoology (ZOO 1114 with lab)/Biology for Science Majors 4
Microbiology with laboratory (MBIO 3813 & 3812) 4 (Pathogenic preferred)
General Chemistry (CHEM 1315 & 1415) 8
Organic Chemistry (CHEM 3053, 3152, 3153) 8
Biochemistry* 3
General Physics (PHYS 2414 or 2424) 3
Human Physiology* 3
Human Anatomy* 3
General Education and Electives–see below 9
Minimum Total 61
*Beginning Fall 2008, Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Biochemistry, Speech and 6 hours of selective Biology/Life Science courses will be required. Minimum total for 2008 = 79
The College of Pharmacy has maintained general education requirements for all graduates of the doctor of pharmacy program to encourage a broader educational experience. Students are exempt from general education requirements if they: (1) earned an associate degree from an institution in the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education; or (2) earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education. The foreign language requirement consists of two semesters of college credit in the same language or completion of two years of the same foreign language in high school.
Understanding Artistic Forms 3
Western Civilization and Culture 3
Non-Western Cultures 3
Foreign Language
Application for admission to the doctor of pharmacy program requires completion of the Pharmacy Centralized Application Service (PharmCAS) application as well as a supplemental application to the College of Pharmacy. The PharmCAS application may be accessed at http://www.pharmcas.org. The supplemental application may be accessed through the College of Pharmacy’s Web site at http://pharmacy.ouhsc.edu/pharmdadmission/#supp.
The following are required for admission to the doctor of pharmacy program:
1. Completion of all required prepharmacy courses with a grade of C or above and a minimum preprofessional grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students who have completed course work at the University of Oklahoma must have an OU GPA of 2.00 or above. Applicants must be in good standing with the college or university last attended.
2. Submission of the PharmCAS and supplemental applications fees by the established deadline dates. It is required that official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, three letters of recommendation and PCAT and/or TOEFL scores be sent directly to PharmCAS. Supplemental application fees include an OUHSC application fee and a departmental processing fee. An application is considered incomplete if either the PharmCAS or supplemental application is not submitted by the deadline. These fees can not be waived. Acceptance of late and/or incomplete applications is at the discretion of the Admissions Committee and will be made upon the individual circumstances.
3. Completion of the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT). Additionally, individuals for whom English is a second language must attain a TOEFL score of 550. Information on these examination is available from The Psychological Corporation, PO Box 91581, Chicago, IL 60693, (1-800/622-3231). Applicants who have not completed or scheduled the required tests at the time of admission should contact the Office of Pharmacy Student Affairs for additional information. Applicants are required to sit for these examinations prior to the application due date to provide the needed information to the Admissions Committee in a timely manner.
4. Completion of a personal interview and submission of a written personal statement or essay as directed. The most highly qualified applicants will be extended invitations to interview. This invitation to interview does not imply acceptance for admission and all expenses are the responsibility of the applicant.
Admission to the doctor of pharmacy program is on a competitive basis and a class of 140 students is admitted each fall semester. The deadline for application is November 1 of the year prior to admission. All admission documents should be submitted by this deadline. Applicants should be scheduled to complete all required prepharmacy courses by June 1 of the admission year. Residents of Oklahoma will receive some preference in the selection process but all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. Applicants who have completed all admissions requirements and interviews are generally advised of their admission status in April of the admission year.
An increasing number of students admitted to the College of Pharmacy have earned a prior degree in another discipline. Individuals with a recent degree in science usually have fulfilled most of the prepharmacy requirements. Those who have been out of school for more than several years, or who have degrees in nonscience areas, generally require some current courses in science and/or mathematics to prepare for the professional curriculum. Individuals who have completed or are currently completing another degree and are interested in pharmacy are invited to contact the College of Pharmacy to discuss prerequisite requirements. The prepharmacy counselor will provide advice on an appropriate program of study as well as career options open to individuals with other degrees.
The doctor of pharmacy degree is a four year professional degree. Successful completion will require approximately 200 credit hours including the 60 hours of preprofessional prerequisites. The doctor of pharmacy degree is awarded after successful completion of the curricular requirements with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 out of a possible 4.0.
Pharmacy provides a diversity of career options and affords the individual the opportunity to attain personal goals while achieving professional satisfaction. Career opportunities are expected to remain strong for graduates as pharmacists move into innovative and rewarding roles within the changing health care arena. The increasing numbers of elderly and the more culturally diverse population will require more highly skilled pharmacists to provide the care and services necessary to meet society’s health care needs. Pharmacists will continue to participate in the scientific advances and development of new and novel drug products and delivery systems for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. They will also be essential partners with well-informed consumers and other health professionals who require detailed information about the proper use and management of drug therapy. The increasing severity of the typical patient’s illness in acute care settings coupled with the major strides in drug development, is likely to heighten the demands placed on clinically trained pharmacists in all health care settings.
The career outlook for pharmacists is excellent. Salaries for pharmacy graduates are influenced by location, size, and type of employer; the education and professional attributes of the pharmacist; and position requirements and responsibilities. Graduates also have a number of post-graduate training and education opportunities available to them to develop the skills necessary to enter advanced practice positions and environments. Whatever career track is selected by a pharmacy graduate, the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy provides the educational excellence necessary to attain this goal.
Additional information on the doctor of pharmacy program is available from the Office of Pharmacy Student Affairs at (405) 271-6598 or (918) 660-3572.
September 2006