Advance Your Pharmacy Career
Duquesne University’s School of Pharmacy is proud to partner with CVS to offer an exclusive tuition scholarship, Tuition Advantage, for its Online Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program. This scholarship will go to CVS employees who meet the qualifications. Elevate your professional skills and open doors to leadership roles—all while receiving financial support that makes your bigger goals more accessible.
Graduate Application Undergraduate Transfer Application
When completing the application, you are required to select the application type that corresponds to your academic background. If you hold a bachelor's degree or higher, you should select the Graduate application. If you have completed an associate degree or have earned some college credits, you should choose the Undergraduate Transfer application.
In both the Transfer and Graduate applications, under the "Program Type" section, you must select the "Doctor of Pharmacy, PharmD Online Program."
Tuition Advantage—Exclusive Tuition Scholarship for Qualified CVS Employees
An exclusive tuition scholarship, Tuition Advantage, is available for Online Pharm.D. students that are CVS employees and who meet the qualifications. Elevate your professional skills and open doors to leadership roles—all while receiving financial support that makes your bigger goals more accessible.
Tuition Advantage Highlights
- Significant Tuition Savings: CVS colleagues admitted to Duquesne’s online Pharm.D. program and have all the qualifications necessary receive a 50% tuition discount.
- Career Growth: Opportunity to work in a community-based practice providing healthcare to underrepresented populations.
- Comprehensive Support System: Benefit from personalized academic advising, career guidance, and a supportive online learning environment.
Standard Admissions Requirements
Applicants must successfully complete required prerequisites before entering the Professional Phase of the Pharm.D. The following criteria apply:
- A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required for application. In order to be considered competitive, applicants must possess a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Applicants who have obtained a grade lower than a "C" in a prerequisite course must retake the course and achieve a grade of "C" or above.
- Prerequisite courses are accepted from accredited two-year or four-year U.S colleges and universities or their equivalent.
- Applicants will participate in an interview process with the Duquesne University School of Pharmacy faculty and staff.
- Accepted applicants will be required to complete a background check conducted by CastleBranch prior to matriculating to the School of Pharmacy.
Why Earn Your Pharm.D. Online at Duquesne?
Become a Pharmacist
In the professional phase of the Pharm.D. program, student pharmacists complete courses in pharmacology, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, pharmacy administration, therapeutics, and pharmacy practice and participate in a series of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations at different sites and with different areas of focus. Locations of rotations will vary.
Earn your Pharm.D.! Students who earn a Pharm.D. degree will be eligible for licensure in all 50 states and DC based on curriculum.
Many graduates opt to complete optional residency programs for more rapid job advancement in areas of practice. Residency programs focus on a specific area of pharmacy. The Duquesne University School of Pharmacy offers PGY1 residency programs focused in community practice and long-term care and a PGY2 residency program focused in internal medicine.
Further specialization options for licensed pharmacists include earning board certification in a specialty area of practice. Some examples include:
- Board Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist (BCACP)
- Board Certified Critical Care Pharmacy (BCCCP)
- Board Certified Pediatric Pharmacy Specialist (BCPPS)
- Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist (BCPS)
- Certified Geriatric Pharmacist (CGP)
The Duquesne University School of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and meets all requirements for the conferral of the Pharm.D. degree. Students who earn the Pharm.D. degree will be eligible for licensure in all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on the academic curriculum. Attainment of the Pharm.D. degree is one element of the state licensure process for pharmacists.
In addition to the Pharm.D. degree, candidates for pharmacist licensure must also pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) to be a licensed pharmacist in the United States. Most states also require passing the Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Exam (MPJE) to obtain a pharmacist license in that state.
Some states may have additional requirements for pharmacist licensure. Applicants and current students should consult individual state boards for information regarding specific requirements to attain a pharmacist license in that state.
Pharm.D. Program Curriculum
142 Credits
The following science and mathematics prerequisites are required for applicants who hold a bachelor’s degree:
|
Course Title |
Credits |
|
General Biology I & Lab |
4 |
|
Human Anatomy & Physiology I |
3 |
|
Human Anatomy & Physiology II |
3 |
|
Intro to Microbiology & Lab |
4 |
|
General Chemistry I & Lab |
4 |
|
General Chemistry II & Lab |
4 |
|
Organic Chemistry I & Lab |
4 |
|
Organic Chemistry II & Lab |
4 |
|
Calculus 1 |
4 |
|
Statistics |
3 |
|
Total Credits |
37 |
In addition to the science and mathematics prerequisites, undergraduate applicants
are required to have completed the following coursework:
|
Course Title |
Credits |
|
English Composition I |
3 |
|
English Composition II (or Literature course) |
3 |
|
Humanities (must include one ethics course) |
21 |
|
Additional Credits Total (if needed) |
27 |
|
Total Credits (if you do not have a degree) |
64 |
| Fall | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHPR 300 | Pharmaceutical Calculations | 1 |
| PHBM 350 | Biochemistry I: Peptides and Carbohydrate Metabolism | 3 |
| PHBM 330 | Clinical Pathophysiology | 4 |
| PHCE 360/360R | Pharmaceutics I with Recitation | 3/0 |
| PHBA 340W | Pharmaceutical Law and Ethics | 2 |
| PHPR 341W | Pharmacy Practice I: Patient Care Skills I | 2 |
| PHBA 310 | The American Health Care System | 2 |
| PHEX 301 | Continuous Professional Development (CPD) I | 0.5 |
| OPY1 Fall Total | 17.5 | |
| Spring | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHBM 351 | Biochemistry II: Metabolism, Protein Synthesis and Nucleic Acids | 3 |
| PHBM 331 | Basic and Applied Immunology | 3 |
| PHCE 361/361R | Pharmaceutics II with Recitation | 3/0 |
| PHBM 352 | Foundations in Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry | 3 |
| PHPR 342W | Pharmacy Practice II: Patient Care Skills II | 1 |
| PHBA 311 | Public Health and Epidemiology | 2 |
| PHEX 302 | CPD II | 0.5 |
| PHPR 444 | Pharmacy Practice III: Self-Care in Pharmacy Practice | 2 |
| OPY1 Spring Total | 17.5 | |
| Summer | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHIN 321 | Ability-Based Laboratory Experience (ABLE) I | 0.5 |
| PHIN 322 | ABLE II | 0.5 |
| PHEX 372 | Intro Experiential Education I | 0.5 |
| OPY1 Summer Total | 1.5 | |
| OPY1 Total | 36.5 | |
| Fall | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHBM 432 | Biomedical Sciences and Therapeutics (BMST): Cardiology | 5 |
| PHBM 418 | BMST: Infectious Disease I | 3 |
| PHBM 439 | BMST: Respiratory, Dermatology, and Ophthalmic Disorders | 3 |
| PHBM 401 | Patient Case Scenarios I | 0 |
| PHCE 430 | Biopharmaceutics | 3 |
| PHPR 448 | Pharmacy Practice IV: Drug Literature Evaluation | 2 |
| PHEX 403 | CPD III | 0.5 |
| PHPR 498 | Pharmaceutical Science & Practice of Immunization | 1 |
| OPY2 Fall Total | 17.5 | |
| Spring | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHBM 431 | BMST: Psychiatry and Neurology | 4 |
| PHBM 419 | BMST: Infectious Disease II | 3 |
| PHBM 435 | BMST: Pain, Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders | 2 |
| PHBM 437 | BMST: Endocrine Disorders I | 3 |
| PHBM 402 | Patient Case Scenarios II | 0 |
| PHCE 431 | Pharmacokinetics | 3 |
| PHEX 404 | CPD IV | 0.5 |
| PHBM ### | BMST: Endocrine Disorders II | 2 |
| OPY2 Spring Total | 17.5 | |
| Summer | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHIN 423 | ABLE III | 0.5 |
| PHIN 424 | ABLE IV | 0.5 |
| PHEX 468 | Intro Experiential Education II | 0.5 |
| OPY2 Summer Total | 1.5 | |
| OPY2 Total | 36.5 | |
| Fall | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHPR 443 | Pharmacy Practice V: Physical and Clinical Assessment | 3 |
| PHPR 442 | Pharmacy Practice VI: The Development, Implementation, Management and Evaluation of Pharmacy Services in Current and Future Pharmacy Model | 3 |
| PHBA 411 | Pharmacy Management Concepts | 2 |
| PHBM 441 | BMST: Principles of Hematology, Oncology and Transplantation | 3 |
| PHBM 442 | BMST: Gastroenterology | 3 |
| PHBM 403 | PBL III | 0 |
| PHEX 405 | CPD V | 0.5 |
| XXXX ### | Elective(s) | 3 |
| OPY3 Fall Total | 17.5 | |
| Spring | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHBA 413W | Management Theory and Application | 1 |
| PHBA 412W | Advanced Law and Ethics Applications | 1 |
| PHBM 443 | BMST: Therapeutics in Special Populations | 4 |
| PHBM 444 | BMST: Therapeutics in the Critically Ill | 3 |
| PHIN 490 | Personalized Therapeutics: Clinical Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacogenomics, Pharmaceutics | 2 |
| PHBM 404 | PBL IV | 0 |
| PHIN 469 | Health Promotion and Disease Management | 1 |
| PHEX 406 | CPD VI | 0.5 |
| Elective(s) | 6 | |
| OPY3 Spring Total | 18.5 | |
| OPY3 Total | 36 | |
| Summer | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHIN 425 | ABLE V | 0.5 |
| PHIN 426 | ABLE VI | 0.5 |
| PHPR 501-509 | Certificate Menu | 1 |
| PHEX 482-483 | Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE): Blocks A & B | 4-8 |
| OPY4 Summer Total | 6-10 | |
| Fall | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHEX 482-488 | APPE: Blocks C, D, E, & F | 8-16 |
| PHEX 407 | CPD VII | 1 |
| OPY4 Fall Total | 9-17 | |
| Spring | ||
| Course Number | Course Title | Credits |
| PHEX 485-488 | APPE: Blocks G, H, & I | 8-16 |
| PHEX 408 | CPD VIII | 1 |
| OPY4 Spring Total | 9-17 | |
| OPY4 Total | 33 | |
Available concentration tracks include:
- Acute Care
- Ambulatory Care
- Community Practice
- Entrepreneurial Pharmacy
- Geriatric Pharmacotherapy
- Health Services and Outcomes Research
Read more about electives and concentrations.
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Accreditation
Duquesne University's Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60603, 312-664-3575; Fax 866-228-2631, website: www.acpe-accredit.org