College of Pharmacy

Academic Policies

Admission to Professional Pharmacy Programs

The professional programs in pharmacy are divided into two phases: preprofessional curriculum and professional curriculum. While the requirements of the preprofessional phase can be completed at any accredited four-year institution or community/state college before entering the College of Pharmacy, students choosing to matriculate at a college other than the University of Florida for pharmacy studies should make certain they can fulfill all admission requirements.

Admission to this college is selective and the college is unable to guarantee admission to every candidate who meets minimum requirements. Through the admissions committee, the college annually selects eligible applicants to begin studies in August. Specific requirements are listed below.

The deadline for submitting all application materials is the beginning of March for each fall semester. Application, transcripts and PCAT score(s) must be submitted to the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS), a centralized application service. Additional application materials, including personal profile/campus preference form and university application, must be submitted online. Interviews of competitive candidates are required as part of the application evaluation process.

All applicants to the professional program are required to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT). Requests for information should be directed to Pharmacy College Admission Test, 1.800.622.3231.

Examinations are held in July, September, with limited seating in October, November and January for admission in August of the following year. Students taking the PCAT should request that their scores be sent to PharmCAS by using code 104.

The test may be taken more than once. The admissions committee will view all scores and give consideration to the set of scores with the highest percentile composite.

Academic Advising

Students who are considering a major in pharmacy should contact the Office for Student Affairs in the College of Pharmacy for advice, literature (P.O. Box 100495, G205A HPNP Building, Gainesville, FL 32610-0495; 352.273.6400) and program information.

Critical-Tracking Criteria

The universal-tracking program provides accurate academic advising in an appropriate timeframe. The college has designated particular criteria that must be completed each semester to progress satisfactorily toward a degree in pharmacy. Students may elect a three-year program that requires declaration of a science major in a UF college.

Students should use the preprofessional sequence to satisfy general education requirements. All preprofessional courses must be completed before beginning the professional curriculum.

University of Florida Students

Students at the University of Florida who are interested in applying to this college may declare a pre-pharmacy major as freshmen and sophomores and complete the preprofessional courses. Students can complete the preprofessional coursework within two calendar years and will be monitored by the college through the critical-tracking program. Students who wish to take three or more years to complete the preprofessional coursework must declare a major other than pre-pharmacy in the third year.

Students may also complete preprofessional courses within other majors such as biology, chemistry, microbiology and cell science and nutritional sciences.

Students interested in pharmacy should complete general education and writing requirements before beginning the professional curriculum. Transfer students must also receive an Associate of Arts degree prior to beginning the professional program.

• General chemistry, biology and calculus should be completed in the first year because they are on the PCAT.
• Completion of one semester of organic chemistry, or currently taking organic chemistry, is also recommended preparation for the PCAT.
• Organic chemistry, physics, public speaking and anatomy and physiology should be completed in the second year.
• Biochemistry and microbiology should be taken after completion of organic chemistry and biology.
• All applicants must have completed two sequential courses of foreign language in secondary school or 8-10 credits at the post-secondary level, or document an equivalent level of proficiency.
• Transfer students must complete an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree prior to beginning the professional program. Students who are transferring from schools that do not offer an A.A. degree must meet UF's general education requirements.
• Students may take online courses to satisfy preprofessional coursework. The Admissions Committee prefers that students complete science courses with laboratories in actual classes and labs.

Admission Decisions

Students must meet the admission requirements of the University of Florida and the College of Pharmacy. The College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee reviews completed applications and makes decision for admission, denial and alternate list. In addition, the admissions committee designates the campus site for admitted students based on the students’ preferences for campus sites and personal circumstances. Students should rank their preferences for the four campuses (Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando and St. Petersburg). The admissions committee notifies students by email after they have made a decision. Students have two weeks from the date of receipt to notify the Office for Student Affairs if they accept or reject the invitation for admission.

Postbaccalaureate Admission

Students with baccalaureate degrees in majors other than pharmacy may be admitted by the Pharmacy Admissions Committee to the professional degree program when the necessary preprofessional courses and application requirements are complete.

Special Requirements and Information

Students must meet specific requirements prior to enrollment. All pharmacy students must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for both adult and child through the American Heart Association. The CPR certification must be kept current during all pharmacy studies.

Students must also complete a criminal background check the summer before fall semester enrollment in the Pharm.D. curriculum. Conditional admission can be rescinded based on results of the criminal background check as well as failure to comply with any conditions for admission. Another criminal background check and other pre-clinical requirements must be satisfied prior to entry into hospitals for clinical training.

These background checks include and are not limited to the following: social security number verification, employment record check, exclusion list check at state and national levels and HIPAA certification. Drug screens also may be required before access to clinical training sites. Blood titers against measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis and varicella may be required by selected hospitals. Immunizations must be updated as required. A physical examination is required to enter introductory and advanced pharmacy practice experience courses in the curriculum.

Health Policies

All students must document their immunization status before matriculation to the College of Pharmacy. Students must indicate their history of acquired or natural immunity to the following diseases: measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus. Vaccination annually against the influenza virus is required.

All students must show proof of a recent (within the past six months) tuberculosis skin test (PPD or Tine test), a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccination (within the past 10 years) and a measles-mumps-rubella vaccination (if natural immunity is absent).

Admitted students must complete the three vaccinations against the Hepatitis B virus by April 1 of the first professional year. The expense for all immunizations and TB skin tests is the student’s responsibility.

Prior to entering Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE), students must file results of a recent two-step TB skin test with the Office for Student Affairs. A TB skin test also is required at the completion of the APPE. The results of this test must be supplied to the Office for Student Affairs to meet certification requirements for graduation. Students may petition for exemption from immunizations and TB skin tests.

Insurance

Health insurance is required while enrolled in the college. Cost for this insurance is assumed by the student. Students also must obtain malpractice insurance.

Dean's List

The Dean's List recognizes outstanding academic achievement each semester. Grades of U, I* or N* will not be considered, regardless of the computed grade point average. Students must achieve at least 3.5 GPA in the semester with a minimum of 12 credits.

Graduation with Honors

The university offers three levels of honors at graduation: cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude. The honors information provided in the table is brief, and students should check with an advisor for complete details.