College of Pharmacy

The oldest college in the UF Health Science Center, the College of Pharmacy was established in 1923. Today the college is ranked among the top colleges and schools of pharmacy in the nation. In keeping with the University of Florida mission, the college is dedicated to excellence in pharmacy research, service, and educational programs enhanced through online technologies.

Overview

Established: 1923

Location: Public Health and Health Professions, Nursing and Pharmacy (HPNP) Complex, UF Health Science Center in Gainesville, and three distance education campus sites in Jacksonville, Orlando and St. Petersburg

Rankings: Ranked 14th among110 colleges of pharmacy in the country

Accredited: The Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 135 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 4100, Chicago, IL 60603-4810; 312.664.3575, fully accredits the Doctor of Pharmacy Program.

Programs: The College of Pharmacy offers the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program. Students can also opt to complete joint-degree programs in Master of Business Administration and Master of Public Health as well as a combined program with a Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Degree: Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

Academic Advising: Student Services, G205 HPNP Building, 1225 Center Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611, 352.273.6400

Scholarships and Financial Aid: The College of Pharmacy offers financial aid to admitted pharmacy students through a variety of sponsors, including a Jack Eckerd Endowment and a Charlotte Liberty Family endowment. Other sponsors include pharmaceutical companies, pharmacy organizations and the pharmacy alumni association. A list of scholarships and financial aid is available in the college’s website.

Computer Requirement: Pharmacy students must have a laptop computer.

Internships/ Career Guidance: Clinical experiences in the introductory and advanced pharmacy practice phases of the Pharm.D. curriculum meet internship requirements for licensure in the state of Florida. Career information is available through the Office for Student Affairs.

Student Organizations: The College of Pharmacy has student councils that serve as liaisons for student organizations on all four campus sites. Professional student organizations include the Academy of Student Pharmacists, the Student Chapter of the National Pharmacy Association, the Student Chapter of the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists, the Student Chapter of the Florida Society of Health System Pharmacists, the Student Chapter of the National Association of Community Pharmacists, the Student Chapter of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and the Student Chapter of the American College of Clinical Pharmacists.

Campus Sites for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program

The College of Pharmacy’s four campus sites in Florida provide the education necessary for students to meet requirements for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. The Gainesville campus presently admits 115 students, the Orlando campus admits 70 students and the Jacksonville and St. Petersburg campuses each admit 55-58 students in the first professional year.

The Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum is delivered to students in the distance education programs via streaming video of pharmacy lectures. Students receive these lectures within several hours of the presentation. Students in distance education programs must meet several times per week during the semester to review integrated case studies, present projects, participate in question and answer sessions, and review lecture material before examinations. Not all pharmacy courses are videotaped; thus, students at all four campuses must attend selected courses.

All students take examinations at the same time, usually in the late afternoons and early evenings on designated days. All students receive the same curriculum, take the same examinations and complete the same degree requirements. Pharmacy students in the distance education program interact with faculty facilitators at the campus site, and they communicate with course coordinators and individual lecturers through email and electronic discussion sessions on their computers. Each campus site has an assistant dean, an assistant director, a full-time faculty member, a coordinator of student affairs, staff and faculty facilitators. Large and small classrooms, computer labs, library and administrative offices are available at each campus site as well.