Skip to Main Content

General Catalog

Pharmacy

Download as PDF

College of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy

Program Contact Information

Website: pharmacy.utah.edu

30 South 2000 East,
Salt Lake City, UT 84112

Phone: 801-581-6731

Professional Accreditation

The University of Utah College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Accreditation Council on Pharmacy Education.

Program Description

The professional degree currently offered by the University of Utah College of Pharmacy is the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD).

The University of Utah College of Pharmacy includes four departments: Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Pharmacotherapy.

All classroom instruction takes place in the Eccles Health Sciences Education Building, which houses state of the art, classrooms, laboratories, computer facilities, conference rooms, lockers and student lounges.

The College of Pharmacy has well-equipped facilities to train students in all areas of the pharmaceutical sciences and professional practice. State-of-the-art scientific instruments are available for undergraduate and graduate research. Additional adjacent facilities for research and instruction include the Biomedical Polymers Research Building, University Research Park, Poison Control Center, and University Hospital. Clinical clerkships and fellowships or residencies are available in a variety of professional practice settings.

The student-faculty ratio in all programs is small, so students receive concentrated, individual attention. The faculty, many of whom are recognized authorities in their areas of specialization, are committed to providing each student with a valuable educational experience. Since the College is located within the Health Sciences Center, pharmacy students can interact on a daily basis with students who are training in the other health professions and sciences. Student professional organizations are active on campus and provide students with the opportunity to participate in extracurricular service and social activities.

Currently, to become a registered pharmacist in Utah, a student must graduate with a PharmD degree from an ACPE accredited school or college of pharmacy, and complete the required internship hours, and pass the North American Pharmacy Licensing Exam (NAPLEX) and Federal and State law examinations. The pass rate for University of Utah graduates taking these exams for the first time is close to 100%.

Approved Combined/Dual Degrees

Program Admissions Requirements

The pharmacy curriculum is divided into a two to three-year pre-professional curriculum and a four-year professional curriculum. After completing pre-professional courses and General Education requirements, students can then apply to the four-year professional PharmD program.

For more information on PharmD Admission, please see link: https://pharmacy.utah.edu/student-information/pharmd-applicant/admissions.php

Pre-professional Admission

Admission to the pre-professional curriculum does not guarantee admission to the professional PharmD program.

  • High school graduates without previous college work are admitted as first semester freshmen in pre-pharmacy if they meet the admission requirements of the University of Utah.

  • Transfer students are admitted at the pre-professional level if they are accepted by the University Admissions Office.

Application forms may be obtained from the Admissions Office, 201 South 1460 East, Rm. 250S, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9057. Applications are also available on-line at https://admissions.utah.edu/apply/

PharmD Admissions

Admission is determined by the College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee and is limited to 60 students per year. Applicants begin professional courses only in the fall semester of each academic year.

A PharmD transfer student from another institution (with or without a prior degree) must:

To apply for Admissions:

  • Apply for admission to the University of Utah College of Pharmacy Professional Program You must apply to the College of Pharmacy for admission to the College of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy Program through PharmCAS (http://www.pharmcas.org/). Please read and carefully follow the instructions in the section called, Preparing to Apply on the PharmCAS website before beginning your application.

  • Apply for admission to the University of Utah through the Graduate Admissions Office (https://admissions.utah.edu/apply/graduate/), University of Utah, 201 South 1460 East, Rm. 250S, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9057.

All students must provide supplementary transcripts to the College of Pharmacy Office of Student Affairs, 30 South 2000 East Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-5820 showing grades in courses completed after the application for admission was submitted. Notifications of acceptance, denial or waitlist will be sent within 2 weeks of being interviewed.

For more information on PharmD Admission, please see link: https://pharmacy.utah.edu/student-information/pharmd-applicant/admissions.php

TOEFL Internet-based test. An applicant whose first language is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT) and submit the test scores to the College of Pharmacy. To be considered for admission, a TOEFL iBT test must be provided with a total score of 80 or better will be required of all applicants that English is a second language. For information concerning this examination, contact the University of Utah Testing Center, 498 Student Services Building, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112 (801) 581-8744.

The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) is required for all applicants with or without a B.A. or B.S. degree. Information regarding the PCAT may be obtained from any university or college’s testing center, the University of Utah Testing Center, 201 South 1460 East, Rm. 450S, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9057, (801) 581-8744(801) 581-8744, or the Psychological Corporation, 555 Academic Court, San Antonio, TX 78204 (800-622-3231800-622-3231).

The following college courses must be completed in order to be admitted to the Professional Program:

  • Human Anatomy: one semester

  • Human Physiology: one semester

  • Technical Writing/Professional Writing: one semester (may also be fulfilled by a College-level Public Speaking class)

  • General Chemistry: one academic year with laboratories

  • Organic Chemistry: one academic year with laboratories (equivalent to that required of chemistry majors)

  • College Physics: one semester (laboratory not required, calculus based recommended)

  • College Statistics: one semester

  • Calculus: one semester (for which algebra and trigonometry are prerequisites)

  • Microbiology: one semester

These courses should be equivalent to the specific University of Utah courses listed under Pre-Requisite Courses.

A minimum cumulative grade point average (including all attempts at taking course) of 2.8 in the pre-pharmacy required courses listed in G above is necessary to be considered for admission. Historically, the average grade point of those accepted is 3.5 or higher. An applicant's overall GPA (the combination of pre-pharmacy classes and undergraduate classes) needs to be a 3.0. (Note: An overall GPA of 2.75 or higher may still be reviewed by the committee if a student's prerequisite GPA is higher than 3.0.) Selection of applicants is based primarily on pre-professional grade point average, the Admissions Committee’s assessment of the candidate’s statement of purpose and motivation as requested on the application form, patient exposure/pharmacy experience, volunteer work, leadership experience, and PCAT scores. A personal interview will be scheduled by the committee to further assess those factors as well as communication skills, maturity, and career goals.

Applicants who have not completed the pre-professional requirements listed above may be conditionally accepted if current registration and past performance indicates a high probability that all requirements will be satisfactorily completed by July 1. Such acceptances become final when all prerequisites for admission have been satisfied. Failure to do so will result in the offer of acceptance being rescinded.

Following notification of acceptance, applicants are required to submit a $2,000.00 deposit within a specified time (about 15 days from date of notification). The deposit is nonrefundable, but it is applied toward the applicant’s fall semester tuition.

For more information on PharmD Admission, please see link: https://pharmacy.utah.edu/student-information/pharmd-applicant/admissions.php

Powered by Coursedog