The University offers the Pharm.D. as the sole entry-level pharmacy practice degree. As described in the mission, this program emphasizes an integrated and problem-based approach to disease management as the core of the didactic, laboratory, and experiential program of study.

The capstone of the Pharm.D. program is a series of seven six-week rotations known as the advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPE). Each APPE course requires a minimum of 45 on-site, practitioner-faculty-supervised hours of internship experience a week for six weeks.

The college expects but cannot guarantee that experiential regions will include Austin/Temple/Waco, Dallas/Fort Worth (the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and other area health care facilities), Galveston/Houston (the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, and other area health care facilities), the Rio Grande Valley (the University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley and health care facilities primarily in Harlingen and McAllen), and San Antonio (the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and other area health care facilities). Students assigned to San Antonio spend two years in this region, while students assigned to other regions spend only the final year in the APPE region.

College of Pharmacy students who complete their experiential courses at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio are considered part of a joint Pharm.D. degree program and receive a degree awarded jointly by the two institutions. The joint nature of this program is reflected on the student’s diploma.

In completing the Doctor of Pharmacy degree, students also fulfill the internship requirements of the Texas State Board of Pharmacy. The final year of APPE courses and several other practice-based experiential courses, beginning in the first professional year, make up the experiential program. The professional experience courses are currently approved by the Texas State Board of Pharmacy to meet its standards for completion of the professional internship licensure requirement. The board reassesses all programs annually.

Graduate Degrees (Research)

Graduate programs leading to the Master of Science in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Doctor of Philosophy in the Pharmaceutical Sciences or Translational Science are offered through the Graduate School and described in the Graduate Catalog. The graduate student may specialize in one of six specialized tracks: chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, molecular pharmaceutics and drug discovery, pharmacotherapy, health outcomes, or translational science. The goal of graduate study in the College of Pharmacy is to develop the intellectual breadth and specialized training necessary for a career in teaching, research, or advanced professional practice. Emphasis is placed on the knowledge, methods, and skills needed for scholarly teaching, execution of original research and problem solving, intellectual leadership, and creative expression.

Minor

While a minor is not required as part of the Pharm.D. degree program, the student may choose to complete additional coursework in a field outside of the College of Pharmacy. A course may not be counted both toward the minor and toward the 219 hours of work required for the Pharm.D. degree.

Applicability of Certain Courses

Physical Activity Courses

Physical activity (PED) courses are offered by the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. They may not be counted toward a degree in the College of Pharmacy. However, they are counted among courses for which the student is enrolled, and the grades are included in the University grade point average.

ROTC Courses

Courses in air force science, military science, and naval science may be substituted for a total of nine semester hours of non-pharmacy electives by students who complete the 16 to 20 semester hours of required air force science, military science, or naval science coursework and accept a commission in one of the services. These courses may not be counted toward the professional elective requirement.

Correspondence and Extension Courses

Credit that a University student in residence earns simultaneously by correspondence or extension from the University or elsewhere or in residence at another school will not be counted toward a degree unless it is specifically approved in advance by the dean. No more than 30 percent of the semester hours required for any degree may be completed by correspondence, and no pharmacy courses taken by correspondence or extension may be counted toward a pharmacy degree.

Core Curriculum

Each student must complete the University's Core Curriculum. Because of the intensity and structure of the professional pharmacy curriculum, and because admission to the professional curriculum is highly competitive, the College of Pharmacy strongly recommends that students complete all of the core courses before they enter the college

The following core requirements are usually met by the pre-professional and professional coursework described below: English composition with one writing flag, mathematics, science and technology (parts I and II), and humanities. Students must complete additional coursework to meet the core requirements listed below; the courses in each core area are listed in Core Curriculum.

Requirements		Hours
Additional Coursework
First-year signature course		3
American and Texas government		6
American history		6
Social and behavioral sciences		3
Visual and performing arts		3
Total Hours		21

Transfer students who complete the core curriculum at another public Texas institution of higher education with core completion specified on their transcript and who are then admitted to the Pharm.D. program are considered "core complete" by the University. Core curriculum requirements are waived for students admitted to the Pharm.D. program who have previously earned a bachelor's degree.

Prescribed Work

Students who enter the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program must complete a minimum of 219 semester hours of coursework in the following areas: the core curriculum, additional basic education requirements, professional electives, and pre-professional and professional coursework.

Flags

All students must also earn the following skills and experiences flags: writing, quantitative reasoning, cultural diversity in the United States, ethics, global cultures, and independent inquiry. See skills and experiences for more information; courses that carry these flags are identified in the Course Schedule. All skills and experience flags are fulfilled by courses within the professional pharmacy sequence, except for global cultures.

Professional Electives Course Requirement

The student must complete at least four professional elective courses, for a total of at least 11 semester hours, on the letter-grade basis. The student must take the courses used to fulfill the professional electives requirement after admission to the professional curriculum.

Concurrent Degrees, Pathways, and Programs

Doctor of Pharmacy/Master of Public Health

Students who have been admitted to the Pharm.D. program can apply for a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree through The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston's School of Public Health. Students will complete requirements for both the Pharm.D. and MPH concurrently over the course of four years. Information about this option is available through the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Doctor of Pharmacy/Master of Biomedical Informatics

Students who have been admitted to the Pharm.D. program can apply for a Master of Science (MS) in Biomedical Informatics degree through The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston's School of Biomedical Informatics. Students will complete requirements for both the Pharm.D. and MS concurrently over the course of four years. Information about this option is available through the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. 

Doctor of Pharmacy-To-Doctor of Philosophy Pathway

The college offers a sequential Pharm.D.-to-Ph.D. degree program to qualified Pharm.D. students. The program combines the features of a professional Pharm.D. degree with the advanced research training of a pharmaceutical sciences Ph.D. degree. The areas of emphasis of the program are: Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Health Outcomes, Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Pharmacotherapy. Information about this program is available through the  Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies.

Lester Entrepreneurial Scholars Program

The Lester Entrepreneurial Scholars Program is designed to prepare pharmacy students in the professional program to develop entrepreneurial and innovative leadership and thinking skills to tackle healthcare issues in innovative new ways. The Program goals are to: identify, nurture, and promote entrepreneurship and innovation skills; promote innovative ideas that improve patients’ lives; and, have projects go from concept to development. The program consists of distinct tracks: product entrepreneurship such as pharmaceuticals and technology; services entrepreneurship including pharmacy services and pharmacy business ownership; and, social entrepreneurship such as social, cultural, and environmental business ventures. Additional information can be found on the program website.

Pathways of Distinction

The Pathways of Distinction are designed to prepare students in a specific area of pharmacy practice. Students must apply to a specific pathway during their second professional year. Each pathway has specific requirements that include elective and experiential education requirements in addition to a final project. Information about this option is available through the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.