Purdue College of Pharmacy

Doctor of Pharmacy

The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) is a four-year professional degree. The classroom, lab, and experiential requirements provide students with the educational background to enter any field of pharmacy practice. Upon graduation, students are eligible to take the pharmacy licensing examination. Or they may choose to move on to graduate-level studies in pharmacy or related fields. PharmD graduates may also pursue post-graduate residency programs in general or specialty practice areas, To be considered for entrance into the PharmD program, applicants must have successfully completed Purdue College of Pharmacy’s two-year Pre-Pharmacy Program or the equivalent coursework at another accredited institution.

Purdue College of Pharmacy is consistently ranked in the top ten pharmacy programs in the U.S. and boasts an extremely distinguished 85-member faculty renowned for both its cutting-edge work in pharmaceutical research and for developing educational curricula used in pharmacy programs around the world.  Students benefit from an integrated, hands-on approach, learning valuable lessons not just in classrooms and laboratories, but also by experience, beginning in the first year of the program in the Purdue University Pharmacy, and thereafter in blocks of time on rotations in hospitals, pharmacies, and other real-world settings for pharmaceutical professionals. Doing your Pre-Pharmacy work through Purdue’s condensed two-year program can save you up to two years of study and student loan debt, as well as get onto the job market two years faster. That’s a big part of the reason why Purdue PharmD graduates have less debt upon completion of their degree than PharmD students from any other Big Ten pharmacy program.

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Pre-Doctor of Pharmacy
PharmD Plan of Study
Experiential Learning
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PharmD Admission

The Purdue University Doctor of Pharmacy Admissions Committee admits academically prepared and qualified students who exhibit character, integrity, academic readiness, and outstanding interpersonal skills, as these are important traits when providing comprehensive, compassionate patient care and public service to diverse patient populations. Evidence of community volunteer service and leadership experience is also valued in the selection process.

Pre-PharmD Requirements

Prior to entering the PharmD program, applicants must complete all pre-pharmacy program requirements within 5 years of application. Our requirements include:

  • 8 semester hours of Anatomy and Physiology with labs
  • 3 semester hours of Biochemistry
  • 3 semester hours of Calculus
  • 3 semester hours of Economics (Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, or a general Survey course)
  • 8 semester hours of General Biology I & II with labs
  • 8 semester hours of General Chemistry I & II with labs
  • 3 semester hours of Humanities or Social Sciences
  • 3 semester hours of Immunology (we will accept upper-level credit in Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Genetics, or Cellular Biology)
  • 4 semester hours of Microbiology with lab
  • 3 semester hours of Oral Communication (for example Public Speaking)
  • 8 semester hours of Organic Chemistry I & II with labs
  • 4 semester hours of Physics with lab (can be non-calculus based)
  • 3 semester hours of Statistics
  • 3 semester hours of Written Communication
Admissions Considerations
  • Applicants are limited to two core math/science courses during the summer term immediately prior to beginning the PharmD program.
  • International applicants must have all foreign transcripts evaluated by World Education Services (WES).

Application Process

Students applying for admission into the PharmD program must complete an application through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) starting mid-July and finishing by December 1 for fall admission.

      Application Considerations
      • PCAT scores are not used in the Purdue College of Pharmacy PharmD admissions process.
      • International applicants who did not complete college level English Composition at a U.S. College or University must submit a TOEFL score.
      Interviews
      • Applicants will be contacted at the end of January if selected for an interview.
      • Interviews will be conducted mid-February. Students will be invited to in-person interviews; if a candidate is not from Purdue and is unable to come to campus for an in-person interview, the interview will be conducted virtually.
      • Applicants will be notified by March 1st regarding admission decision. Admission letters must be accepted within 14 days of the dated letter and include a non-refundable deposit fee (deposits are determined by the University and are subject to change).
      Admitted Student Requirements
      • Participate in the PharmCAS Spring Academic Update which includes sending spring semester transcript with grades as soon as they are available.
      • Information on the PharmD orientation program is provided in July.
      • Incoming students must be inoculated against and have evidence of the absence of tuberculosis, measles, rubella, hepatitis B, and varicella (chicken pox). The hepatitis B vaccine series takes 6 months and therefore, the student may not have it completed until the middle to end of the first professional year. Students may elect to sign a waiver in lieu of receiving the hepatitis B series. Students are responsible for the arrangement and payment of any medical inoculations.
      • Accepted applicants must produce a satisfactory criminal background check conducted by Certiphi Screening.