Offered in: Schaumburg

Roosevelt University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program is grounded in a patient-centered educational philosophy designed to develop competent, compassionate, and committed pharmacy professionals. With both a 3‑year accelerated pathway and a 5‑year extended pathway*, students can pursue the route that best aligns with their personal and professional goals. Graduates are fully prepared to meet the evolving vision of pharmacy practice, serving as healthcare professionals responsible for comprehensive medication management and optimal therapeutic outcomes. In alignment with the University’s mission to cultivate socially conscious citizens, the PharmD program is dedicated to delivering exceptional pharmacy education and fostering leaders who advance the profession, promote public health, and make meaningful contributions to the communities they serve through our core values.

DOCTOR OF PHARMACY PROGRAM ACCREDITATION

Roosevelt University 3-Year Accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 135 South LaSalle Street, Suite 4100, Chicago, IL, 60503, 312/664-3575; FAX 312/664-4652.

On June 20, 2011, the Higher Learning Commission, a Commission of the North Central Association, voted to extend Roosevelt University's accreditation to include the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the Schaumburg campus.

*The Extended 5-Year PharmD Pathway is currently in the process of applying for accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of 60 undergraduate semester hours in math, science and general education with a grade of C- or higher.  Explore course work by school.
• Minimum cumulative and math/science GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
• Two letters of recommendation.
• Learn more about the application process. When you’re ready, you’ll submit your application through PharmCAS.
• Did you earn your degree outside of the United States? Learn how to submit your prerequisites. 

Transfer Student Policy

Transfer applications are accepted for students who have completed the first year of didactic study at another accredited school of pharmacy and will be considered on a case-by-case basis. More details are available on the website.

The pharmacy curriculum is divided into program blocks. Students matriculate into a cohort and take these blocks of courses together. The courses in each block are designed to offer a comprehensive pharmacy education that prepares the student for the subsequent block of courses. The only courses that students will not take as a group are the electives.  During their final two academic semesters, PharmD candidates complete six Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs), for a total of 33 credit hours. Course registration and course withdrawal policies can be found in  the  Student Handbook. Click here to view the entire PharmD Curriculum.

Elective Courses

Students must successfully complete a minimum of 6 semester credit hours of electives, 3 credit hours must be Pharmacy (PHAR) electives of which 1 credit hour must be designated “clinical.”

There are two types of electives offered in the PharmD Program:

1. Didactic – an elective on a clinical or non-clinical topic taught by pharmacy faculty or adjunct faculty member. This can also include an Out of College elective -such as a course taken in the Heller College of Business for dual credit as part of the PharmD/MBA program.
2. Research - Independent Study/Research –students work with a faculty mentor on a research or independent study topic, subject to approval by faculty.

The Curriculum is divided into three academic blocks defined as follows:

• Academic Block 1 is defined as Semesters 1-3 and includes didactic coursework, IPE and IPPE I
• Academic Block 2 is defined as Semesters 5-7 and includes didactic coursework and IPPE II-III
• APPE Block is defined as Semesters 8-9 and consists of APPE A - F.

The Academic Standards and Progression Policies can be found in the Pharmacy Student Handbook.

Promotion is defined as progression from one Academic Block to the next Academic or APPE Block. In general, to be promoted, students must have all of the following:

1. No outstanding grades of F, Withdrawal or Incomplete
2. No more than one grade below C- in Academic Block I or II
3. No grade below C- in any select didactic courses (see Student Handbook.)
4. Cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0.
5. Students will not be permitted to enroll in the advanced pharmacy practice experience courses (APPE) until they pass all didactic coursework, introductory pharmacy practice experience courses (IPPE) and inter-professional experience courses (IPE) requirements of the Doctor of Pharmacy program.

To be in “good academic standing” in the Pharmacy Program, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Maintain a cumulative Pharmacy Doctoral GPA of >2.5 and earn a grade of C- or above in every course;
2. Satisfactorily fulfill all Didactic course completion requirements; and
3. Satisfactorily fulfill all Professional Practice Experience course completion requirements.

Experiential Education Requirements

Approximately one-third of the PharmD curriculum is experiential education, which provides practical experience in a variety of off-site, pharmacy settings. The Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) occur during the first two didactic years in both community and institutional settings.  A total of over 300 hours is completed.  The entire third year of the pharmacy curriculum is comprised of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs). Students complete six rotations totaling a minimum of 1440 APPE hours. There are four required experiences: Community Pharmacy, Hospital Pharmacy, Ambulatory Care and Acute Care Medicine along with two elective rotations, that take place in a wide variety of pharmacy sites. These sites can be local, regional or national. The Office of Experiential Education places students at various sites, based on site and preceptor availability. 

Graduation Requirements

Students must complete the pharmacy curriculum in accordance with progression guidelines to be eligible for graduation. Students are eligible to graduate upon the recommendation of the Promotion and Graduation Committee when all of the following criteria have been met:

1. Students in the 3-year accelerated pathway must complete the Doctor of Pharmacy program within 5 years from matriculation. Students in the 5-year extended pathway must complete the Doctor of Pharmacy program within 6.5 years from matriculation.
2. Students must successfully complete the courses constituting the PharmD curriculum, as approved by the Pharmacy program faculty.
3. Students must successfully complete a minimum of 6 semester credit hours of electives, 3 credit hours must be Pharmacy (PHAR) electives of which 1 credit hour must be designated “clinical.”
4. Students must successfully complete over 300 hours of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences and 1440 hours of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences, including four required rotations and 2 elective rotations.
5. Students must be in academic good standing.
6. Students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or above.
7. Students cannot have any "F" grades in courses applied toward the PharmD degree.
8. Students cannot have any “no credit” grades in courses applied toward the PharmD degree.

Your degree map is a general guide of courses to complete each term on the academic pathway to your degree. It is based on the most current scheduling information from your academic program. Your program’s degree map is reviewed annually and updated as schedules change.   

¹

Total Hours toward Degree:  Core Courses Semester Hours 127 + Professional Electives Semester Hours 6 = 133 Semester Hours

²

 Pharmacy program Curriculum is subject to change

Your degree map is a general guide of courses to complete each term on the academic pathway to your degree. It is based on the most current scheduling information from your academic program. Your program’s degree map is reviewed annually and updated as schedules change.   

 Pharmacy program Curriculum is subject to change.