Pharmacy (PharmD)

Since its founding in 1821 as the first college of pharmacy in North America, names like McNeil, Lilly, Wyeth — founders of the top pharmaceutical companies in the world — and many others have launched their careers at our Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (PCP). 

You will study immunizations, comprehensive medicine management, diabetes management, SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) and more, providing the preparation necessary to pass the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination® (NAPLEX®) and obtain state certification to become a practicing pharmacist. Our program is taught by faculty members who are award-winning clinicians, scientists, researchers, innovators and leaders.

Pharmacy practice experiences (also called “rotations") make up 30% of our innovative BS/PharmD program. These hands-on learning opportunities are available to you in more than 400 local, national and international training sites, including some of the most renowned hospitals, medical centers and pharmaceutical companies.

Saint Joseph’s Griffith Hall and Integrated Professional Education Complex (IPEX) building features state-of-the-art learning labs and facilities that prepare our pharmacy students well for the rigors and realities of today’s healthcare environments. These include a compounding laboratory, the continuum of care simulation suite and model pharmacies.

Our certificate programs allow you to pursue in-depth professional interests during your time in pharmacy school. These graduate certificates can be earned without additional cost or the need to extend your academic program and are an outstanding way for you to gain the skills needed to start or run your own pharmacy and distinguish yourself in the competitive pharmacy industry. Certificate options include:

• Pharmaceutical and healthcare business
• Finance
• Pharmaceutical marketing

Our graduates consistently excel at the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and earn top spots in post-graduate residencies and fellowships.

Special agreements with select partner institutions create a clear pathway to the professional phase of the PharmD program at Saint Joseph’s. Professional Bridge agreements allow students who have earned an AS at a partner community college to complete remaining prerequisite courses to enter the PharmD program. Other agreements cater to students who have or will earn a BS degree.

Saint Joseph’s complements your didactic learning with a co-curricular program, Student Excellence in Professional Preparation (StEPP), to promote your personal and professional development. Through StEPP, you can create and execute your own development plans and projects in coordination with your faculty mentor.

You will have the opportunity to connect with our strong network of alumni who are well-respected leaders and active practitioners in the pharmaceutical industry.

Each element of our student-centered PharmD curriculum builds on the others for a well-rounded, innovative approach to learning. You will benefit from a novel, four-year, competency-driven professional curriculum and pharmacy clinicals that:

• Build integrated mastery in human disease, pharmacology, pharmaceutics, therapeutics, pharmacokinetics, pharmacoeconomics, healthcare/pharmacy delivery, law, management and entrepreneurship
• Include 14 Integrated Pharmacy Sciences, Disease, and Therapeutics (iPSDT) modules focused on applying the pharmacy sciences to various diseases and therapeutic decision-making
• Include pharmacy practice experiences, such as clinical rotations focusing on pharmacy care in a team-based model, starting your first professional year
• Include 36 weeks of clinical rotations, including community pharmacy, acute care, health system and ambulatory care settings, plus a variety of elective experiences in areas such as managed care, pharmaceutical industry, global health and pediatrics

Academic Catalog

View required courses for this program in the academic catalog. Please contact us if you have any questions about the program curriculum.

BS to Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

Enter the Doctor of Pharmacy program as a first-year undergraduate student to earn a BS in pharmaceutical and healthcare studies and a PharmD in just six years. Students who’ve taken college coursework but have not received a bachelor’s degree may also transfer into the pre-professional or professional years of the BS/PharmD program depending on the prerequisite requirements completed.

Post-Graduate Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

Enter the Doctor of Pharmacy program as a post-graduate student who has a bachelor's degree or higher and has completed all prerequisites.

Affordable tuition options start at $1,041 per credit.*

The annual tuition for graduate professional PharmD students entering fall 2024 is $37,740* per year.

Additional information regarding fieldwork, doctoral experiential, and experiential learning requirements: Students are expected to travel for fieldwork, doctoral experiential, and experiential learning. Costs incurred for travel, housing, tolls, food, parking, etc. are the responsibility of the student. In addition, students are responsible for health and safety requirements such as fingerprinting, required by most fieldwork and doctoral experience sites. 

*Pricing does not include room and board; health insurance; or any professional, clinical or transportation fees. Visit our Tuition & Fees page for a detailed cost breakdown. Please note that the Tuition and Fee page reflects the current 2024-2025 costs.

Financial aid may be available to you to help offset the cost of your degree. Explore your options on our Financial Aid page.

The Philadelphia College of Pharmacy's Doctor of Pharmacy program at Saint Joseph’s University is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education:
190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 2850
Chicago, IL 60603 312-664-3575, FAX 866-228-2631
Website: www.acpe-accredit.org

Visit the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy for information on licensure requirements, including the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination and internship experience requirements.

Visit the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy for information on graduation rates and NAPLEX passing rates for first attempts.

View the Technical Standards that apply to all clinical training students in Saint Joseph’s University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program in the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy.

You must meet the following requirements to be considered for admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program:

• Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college*
• Complete all prerequisite courses listed below by the end of the spring term preceding enrollment at Saint Joseph’s
• Achieve a minimum 2.70 cumulative GPA, with a “C” or better in all prerequisite courses
• Interview:
  • An invitation-only interview is required for admission into the program. Interviews begin in October and continue until all seats are filled.
• Students must have a social security number before they can enter their first professional year of study

GRE scores and the PCAT are not required. Shadowing hours are not required but highly recommended of all applicants.

*A previously earned pharmacy degree from a university outside of the United States, or enrollment in a pharmacy program outside of the United States, provides no priority consideration for admission. Only non-professional level courses are considered in the review process.

Prerequisite Coursework

Required prerequisite courses that should be completed by the end of the spring term preceding enrollment at Saint Joseph’s include:

• General Biology I & II with labs (8 credits)
• General Chemistry I & II with labs (8 credits)
• Calculus I (3 credits)
• Writing Intensive English (3 credits)
• Social/Behavioral Science (includes sociology, psychology, anthropology, etc.) (3 credits)
• Organic Chemistry I & II with labs (8 credits)
• Physics with lab (4 credits)
• Human Anatomy & Physiology I & II with no laboratory requirement  (6 credits)
• Microbiology with lab (4 credits)
• Statistics (3 credits)
• Introduction to Communications or Public Speaking (3 credits)
• Economics (e.g., Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Health Economics) (3 credits)

Apply via the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) by May 1. No supplemental application is required. Please submit all documentation directly to PharmCAS.

You can enter this program as an incoming first-year student through our direct-entry admission pathway, earning BS and PharmD degrees in as little as six years after graduation from high school. If you are a transfer student, you may enter the pre-professional phase (Year 1 or 2) or professional phase (Year 3) of the six-year BS/PharmD program depending on the prerequisites you’ve completed. 

Please visit the BS to Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) page to learn more about admissions requirements and how to apply.

If you’re applying as an international student, you must provide proof of English Language Proficiency and Certification of Finances along with your application. Check the Graduate Admission page for additional requirements.

A career in pharmacy allows you to practice in a vast array of areas including:

• Clinical (Prescribing medication to patients) 
• Industry (Bringing medications to the market)
• Pharmacies 
• Hospitals
• Home care agencies 
• Physician offices
• Specialty clinics

Pharmacists also work in nontraditional settings such as academia, research, regulatory agencies and more.

It takes six to eight years of college to become a pharmacist. You must have a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an accredited institution. Most PharmD programs take four years to complete if you’ve already completed four years of prerequisite undergraduate coursework — a requirement to be admitted into a pharmacy school.

At Saint Joseph's, we offer a PharmD program with multiple pathways to completion:

• Direct-entry/6-Year PharmD: Enter as an incoming first-year student and earn a BS and PharmD degree in six years.
• Transfer:
  • Transfer into the second year of the pre-professional phase (sophomore) of the 6-Year PharmD program;
  • Transfer into the first year of the professional year (P1) without a degree OR
  • Transfer into the first year of the professional year (P1) with a degree
• Post-graduate: Enter the professional phase of the program if you have a bachelor's degree and have completed all admission requirements.

After earning your PharmD, you’ll need to obtain a license in the state where you decide to practice to work as a pharmacist.

All newly graduated pharmacists are required to have a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree from an accredited institution and obtain a license.

Pharmacy is considered one of the best-paying jobs in the U.S. The median annual salary for pharmacists was $128,710, according to 2020 data from the BLS.