Pharm.D. Program Admission
We are glad you are interested in the PharmD program at South Dakota State University. The College of Pharmacy is proud of our reputation, and we are excited to tell you about our program. If you are a prospective student who is interested in visiting the College of Pharmacy, please contact the Office of Admissions at (605) 688-4121 or (800) 952-3541 (toll-free).
Pharm.D. Program Admission
Background Information
The College of Pharmacy offers a six-year course of study leading to a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. The Pharm.D. Degree is a professional degree which allows graduates to pursue additional career opportunities and assures that their pharmacy education prepares them for future changes in the profession. It is an exciting opportunity for students who want to make a significant contribution to the health care needs of our society. As one of the health professions, pharmacy is concerned with public health and safety and all activities related to preparation, distribution and rational use of medicines. The goal of the College of Pharmacy is to qualify its graduates to assume their professional responsibilities, including the provision of optimal therapeutic outcomes for their patients. Therefore, pharmacy students must not only be provided with sound scientific and professional training, but also be given the opportunity to gain as much liberal education as possible to more adequately understand the society which they serve. The College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Graduates of the College of Pharmacy are eligible to apply for licensing in any state. Licensing as a pharmacist requires graduation from an accredited college of pharmacy, a certified period of supervised internship experience and successful completion of a series of examinations administered by the board of pharmacy of the individual state. These requirements vary slightly from state to state. Students interested in practicing in a particular state should contact the board of pharmacy of that state for information concerning requirements.
Preparation for Admission
In high school the student should take an academic curriculum in preparation for entrance to college. A sound basic education in science and math courses is an essential part of preparation for the study of pharmacy. Good written and verbal communication skills are also important. The pharmacy curriculum is divided into a 2-year pre-pharmacy (66 credits) and a 4-year professional program phase (152 credits). Students may be admitted as freshman into pre-pharmacy or as transfer students into the second year of the pre-pharmacy program. Students planning to transfer from another college or university should consult with the College of Pharmacy early in their academic careers to plan course work that will transfer to the pharmacy program. Numerous transfer equivalencies have been established for courses from many colleges and universities. To determine if your course or courses will transfer as equivalent to specific SDSU courses, click here. The professional program is limited to 70 positions. Selection is competitive and based on pre-pharmacy course work, ACT and other standardized scores, written and oral communication skills, completion of shadowing experience and residency status. The PCAT is required of all students who do not have an ACT score obtained prior to beginning college. The minimum cumulative GPA of those admitted is greater than 3.3; however, any student who anticipates successful completion of the pre-pharmacy math, science and communication requirements prior to the next academic year is eligible to apply. A bachelor's degree prior to beginning the professional program is a noted point of advantage by the Admissions Committee during the selection process. However, high performance in the required 2-year pre-pharmacy curriculum also well prepares the student for the professional program courses. Over 55% of the students admitted to the SDSU professional program in the past two years were traditional students with only 2 years of college course work, and another 23% had completed only 3 years prior to being admitted to the professional program.
Pharm.D. Program Application Information |
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