To earn the Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD), students must complete four years of professional courses preceded by two years of pre-professional studies at Northeastern University. The PharmD fully integrates campus-based learning with experiential learning, including the university’s signature cooperative education (co-op) program, to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to succeed in the pharmacy profession. Our students promote and ensure the safe and effective use of drugs and provide medication therapy management services. In addition to preparing and dispensing prescribed medications, our students provide information to patients about medications and their uses; advise physicians, other prescribers, and other healthcare practitioners on medication selection, dosages, interactions, and adverse effects; and monitor patient responses to drug therapy.
Our students are well equipped to provide patient care services in a variety of settings. Most of our graduates work in community pharmacies or in healthcare facilities such as hospitals and ambulatory clinics. Additional practice opportunities exist in health maintenance organizations, private practice groups, long-term-care facilities, home healthcare, the Public Health Service, the armed services, and law enforcement and regulatory agencies such as the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) or Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Graduates may also find employment in drug development, marketing and research within the pharmaceutical industry, colleges of pharmacy, and professional association management. In addition, many of our graduates go on to pharmacy practice residencies, fellowships, and leading graduate programs.
Doctor of Pharmacy students are admitted with the expectation that by working with faculty, staff, and each other, they will develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for academic and professional success. Students follow academic progression plans for their respective years of graduation. Any deviation from the prescribed curriculum will require faculty/staff permission and an approved plan of study from the School of Pharmacy Academic Standing Committee.
The curriculum includes both Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs, fulfilled by cooperative education) and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs). These pharmacy practice experiences are provided primarily under the direct supervision of qualified pharmacist preceptors and occasionally with other qualified healthcare professionals. The school is affiliated with many world-class practice sites throughout the United States, providing students with access to experienced clinicians and scholars. Although every effort is made to accommodate individual circumstances and requests, students should be prepared to travel outside the Boston area to complete some of their pharmacy practice experiences. Availability of a car may be required, as some sites are not accessible by public transportation. All expenses associated with pharmacy practice experiences, including travel and housing, are the responsibility of the student.
IPPEs are competitive placements that are based on job availability in a geographic region. The placements are facilitated by School of Pharmacy cooperative education coordinators. Students are required to earn satisfactory (S) grades on one IPPE in a community setting and on one IPPE in an institutional/hospital practice setting.
APPE placements are provided based on site/preceptor availability and the final approval of the School of Pharmacy Office of Experiential Education (OEE). Students may be able to petition the OEE for special arrangement APPEs; however, availability for such requests is limited.
To be eligible for a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, a student must successfully complete all courses in the curriculum including the IPPEs (co-op) and APPEs; meet the academic progression standards of the program; meet the technical standards of the program; and satisfy all other requirements as stated. The pharmacy program is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and adheres to the standards established by ACPE.
Pharmacy graduates must meet specific requirements to qualify for professional licensure in the state where they plan to practice as a registered pharmacist. These requirements include graduating from an accredited school of pharmacy, passing national and state board examinations, and completing internship hours. The internship is a period of practical experience conducted under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. Massachusetts requires 1,500 internship hours, all of which are satisfied through completion of IPPEs (co-op) and APPEs.
Professional and/or legal exigencies arise from time to time, which may necessitate changes in a pharmacy course, progression, and/or graduation requirements. Students should review their status with academic advisors on a timely basis and refer to current publications for updated information.
Program Progression
To progress into the first professional year of the PharmD program (P1), students must demonstrate good verbal and written communication skills, understanding of the pharmacy profession, and commitment to patient care through an interview process based on criteria set by the School of Pharmacy.
All students entering P1 in fall 2022 and beyond are required to complete the PharmCAS application. The PharmCAS application process is considered a formality in the progression process and will not jeopardize the student's preferred or guaranteed enrollment status.
Requirements for the PharmD Pharmacy Practice Experiences (PPEs)
Requirements for the successful completion of the PharmD PPEs include:
- Evidence of health clearance from University Health and Counseling Services before placements at any PPE site.
- Satisfactory completion of any additional site-specific requirements including, but not limited to, criminal record information (CORI), urine drug screens, and verification of immunization status. All fees associated with these requirements are the responsibility of the student. Please see below for management of positive urine drug screens.
- Adherence to the school's code of professional conduct and university’s code of conduct policies while off-campus.
- Maintenance of an active pharmacy intern license in every state where the student completes an experience.
- Compliance with site-specific requirements (via site descriptions) and completion of site requests within specified deadlines. Students who fail to complete these requirements as directed will likely incur grade penalties and may experience a delay of graduation or dismissal from the pharmacy program.
Management of Positive Urine Drug Screens
If the student learns the urine drug screen (test #1) is positive, the student will notify the OEE (pharmacyoee@northeastern.edu) and immediately complete a second urine screen (test #2). A professional concern form will be completed based on test #1 results.
- If urine screen test #2 is negative (-), the student will be allowed to continue the PPEs. However, the student will be asked to complete a random urine screen (test #3) at a time determined by the OEE. If this urine screen (test #3) is positive (+), the student will be administratively removed from the active PPEs and graduation may be delayed. A second professional concern form will be completed, based on test #3 results. The return to PPEs will occur once a repeat urine test is negative. That repeat negative test will be followed up by a random urine screen at a time determined by the OEE.
- If the urine screen (test #2) is positive (+), the student will be administratively removed from the PPEs and graduation may be delayed. The return to PPEs will occur once a repeat urine screen is negative. That negative screen will be followed up by a random urine screen at a time determined by the OEE. A second professional concern form will be completed based on a positive test #3 result.
Program Policies
Students are expected to adhere to the policies and standards of their program major, as stated, to progress through their curriculum as planned. Students seeking any exceptions to the program policies and standards specified for their program major must present a petition before the School of Pharmacy Academic Standing Committee.
Given programmatic requirements, coupled with concerns over the loss of therapeutic knowledge, requests for a General Leave of Absence, other than Medical or Emergency Leave of Absence:
- Must comply with all stated Northeastern University general policies, regardless of the academic year.
- May be made at any time period during the P1 or P2 years.
- During the P3 academic year, any request for a general leave must be made no later than February 1 of the given academic year. Requests after this date will not be permitted.
- During the P4 academic year, requests for a general leave cannot be made at any time.
SOP Professional Code of Conduct
Pre-professional and professional year students are expected to adhere to the SOP - Professional Code of Conduct.
Technical Standards for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program
The PharmD program at Northeastern University is a rigorous and challenging academic program that requires students to possess specific characteristics and abilities within the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains, referred to here as technical standards. To successfully progress in and ultimately complete the didactic, laboratory, and experiential components of the PharmD program, students must meet the standards described below.
Intellectual Abilities
Students must have well-developed problem-solving and critical-thinking skills. Cognitive function must be appropriate to integrate, evaluate, and apply information gained through measurement, analysis, calculation, and reasoning. Students must have the capacity to learn efficiently in classroom, laboratory, small group and experiential settings, and through independent study. Students are required to demonstrate the ability to integrate course content knowledge with clinical practice applications to optimize medication therapy management.
Communication Skills
Students must be able to communicate effectively with colleagues, professors, patients, families, and healthcare providers. This includes efficiently comprehending, speaking, reading, and writing in English. Students must be able to process and use appropriate nonverbal cues and be proficient in the use of electronic communication media.
Behavioral and Social Attributes
Students must demonstrate professionalism, maturity, integrity, honesty, compassion, and respect when relating to others. Students must have sufficient mental and emotional health to complete work and responsibilities using good judgment. Students must be able to tolerate and adapt to stressful workloads and situations and modify behavior based on constructive criticism. Students must be able to function in accordance with the legal, ethical, and professional standards of practice.
Observation and Motor Skills
Students must have functional use of visual, auditory, and tactile senses. Students must be able to observe and perform experiments, physical assessments, patient interviews, and medication order processing. Students must be able to distinguish physical characteristics of medications by inspection. Students must have coordination of gross and fine muscular movements sufficient to perform pharmacy-related tasks including compounding and dispensing medications, administering medications, and using computers and other technology necessary for learning and professional practice
Academic Dismissal from Major
PharmD students in the Bouvé College of Health Sciences will be dismissed from their major effective the following academic semester for any of the reasons noted below:
- Failure to earn a grade of C or better in three professional courses, regardless of remediation. Within the PharmD program, each specific professional course (with separate registration number) will be counted as a separate failure even if content is related.
- Failure to earn the minimum required grade in the same course twice.
- Failure to maintain a GPA of 3.000 after two semesters of probation.
- The expected graduation date may not change more than twice.
The PharmD program monitors and promotes the development of professional behaviors in its students to ensure appropriate professionalism in the classroom, local and global communities, and clinical settings. Breach of adherence to these standards may result in dismissal from the program.
Academic Appeals
Students who believe that they were erroneously, capriciously, or otherwise unfairly treated in an academic or cooperative education decision may petition to appeal the decision. Refer to the Bouvé College of Health Sciences Academic Affairs Appeals Process and the Northeastern University Appeals Policies and Procedures.
Progression to the 4th Professional Year (P4) of the PharmD Program
Students enrolled in the PharmD program will be awarded a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy Studies after successful completion of all didactic and laboratory courses in semesters 1 through 13 of the pharmacy curriculum. To earn the PharmD degree, students must complete an additional 36 semester hours of APPEs with an overall GPA of 3.000 or higher. The PharmD degree is required to pursue licensure or registration as a pharmacist; graduates with the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy Studies degree only are not eligible for pharmacist licensure.
Program Student Learning Outcomes
Please visit Bouvé College Learning Outcomes for the specific student learning outcomes for this program.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
University-Wide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the University-Wide Requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Some NUpath requirements are not explicitly satisfied by required courses. Students are responsible for satisfying these requirements with an elective. Students who incur an incomplete grade in a prerequisite course may not progress into the subsequent courses(s). Any exceptions will be determined by protocols established by the program, after consultation with the student's academic advisor.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SEMESTER 1 | ||
| PHMD 1000 | College: An Introduction | 1 |
| SEMESTER 2 | ||
| PHMD 1001 | Introduction to the Profession of Pharmacy | 1 |
| SEMESTER 3 | ||
| PHSC 2301 and PHSC 2302 | Human Physiology 1 and Human Anatomy Lab | 4 |
| SEMESTER 4 | ||
| PHMD 1201 and PHMD 1202 | Introduction to Pharmacy Practice and Lab for PHMD 1201 | 3 |
| PHSC 2303 and PHSC 2304 | Human Physiology 2 and Human Physiology Lab | 4 |
| SEMESTER 5 | ||
| COOP 3945 | Co-op Work Experience 1 | 0 |
| SEMESTER 6 | ||
| PHMD 2350 | Healthcare Systems | 3 |
| PHSC 2320 | Biochemistry | 4 |
| PHSC 4501 | Pharmacology/Medicinal Chemistry 1 | 5 |
| PHSC 3411 | Pharmaceutics 1 | 4 |
| SEMESTER 7 | ||
| COOP 3945 | Co-op Work Experience 1 | 0 |
| SEMESTER 8 | ||
| PHMD 2310 and PHMD 2311 | Professional Communication in Pharmacy Practice and Lab for PHMD 2310 | 2.5 |
| PHMD 5250 | Pharmacy Care Management | 4 |
| PHSC 4502 | Pharmacology/Medicinal Chemistry 2 | 5 |
| PHSC 3412 | Pharmaceutics 2 | 4 |
| PHSC 3419 | Pharmaceutics Laboratory | 1 |
| SEMESTER 9 | ||
| COOP 3945 | Co-op Work Experience 1 | 0 |
| SEMESTER 10 | ||
| PHSC 3430 | Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics | 3 |
| PHSC 2330 | Immunology | 3 |
| PHMD 4611 | Comprehensive Disease Management 1 | 6 |
| PHMD 4612 | Comprehensive Disease Management 1 Seminar | 1 |
| PHMD 3450 | Research Methodology and Biostatistics | 3 |
| SEMESTER 11, 12, or 13 | ||
| PHMD 5600 | Pharmacy Capstone | 4 |
| SEMESTER 11 | ||
| PHMD 5330 | Jurisprudence | 3 |
| PHSC 5360 | Anti-Infectives | 4 |
| PHMD 4621 | Comprehensive Disease Management 2 | 6 |
| PHMD 4622 | Comprehensive Disease Management 2 Seminar | 1 |
| PHMD 4623 | Comprehensive Disease Management 2 Skills Lab | 0.5 |
| SEMESTER 12 | ||
| PHMD 5560 | Applied Drug Information | 2 |
| PHMD 4631 | Comprehensive Disease Management 3 | 6 |
| PHMD 4632 | Comprehensive Disease Management 3 Seminar | 1 |
| PHMD 4633 | Comprehensive Disease Management 3 Skills Lab | 0.5 |
| SEMESTER 13 | ||
| PHMD 4641 | Comprehensive Disease Management 4 | 6 |
| PHMD 4642 | Comprehensive Disease Management 4 Seminar | 1 |
| PHMD 4643 | Comprehensive Disease Management 4 Skills Lab | 0.5 |
| PHMD 5270 | Economic Evaluation of Pharmaceuticals and Pharmacy Practice | 2 |
| PHMD 5450 | Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Preparatory Seminar | 1 |
| Students are eligible to begin Advance Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) following successful completion of didactic coursework. Completing didactic coursework during P4 year is prohibited. 2 | ||
| 1 | For pharmacy students, an unsatisfactory grade (U) in a co-op will be counted as a professional course deficiency. |
| 2 | After completion of Semester 13, students who meet program requirements will earn the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy Studies degree and progress into the final professional year of the program. This consists of one year of graduate study and 36 hours of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience coursework. See the PharmD program in the Northeastern University Graduate Catalog for details. |
Elective Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Open Electives | ||
| A minimum of 16 semester hours of open electives is required. Additional electives may be required to fulfill the total semester hours required for your program. | 16 | |
| Students must use open electives to fulfill the NUpath Interpreting Culture and Exploring Creative Expression and Innovation attributes (if not already fulfilled through prior coursework). | ||
| Professional Electives | ||
| Complete at least 2 semester hours during the professional phase of the program (after semester 5) from the following: | 2 | |
| Counseling Theories and Practice | ||
| Motivational Interviewing in a Healthcare Setting | ||
| Understanding Culture and Diversity | ||
| Introduction to Health Informatics and Health Information Systems | ||
| Business Application of Decision Support in Healthcare | ||
| Creation and Application of Medical Knowledge | ||
| Patient Engagement Informatics and Analytics | ||
| Introduction to Healthcare Ethics | ||
| Interprofessional Ethics for Individual and Population Health | ||
| Alternative Medicine | ||
| Mindfulness: Theory and Practice | ||
| Developing an Interdisciplinary Approach to Health Management for Older Adults | ||
| The (in)Visibility of (dis)Ability in Society | ||
| Global Perspectives in Disability and Health | ||
| Human Nutrition | ||
| Advanced Nutrition in Health and Disease | ||
| Public Health Nutrition in the Community | ||
| Clinical Nutrition Applications in Health and Disease | ||
| Wellness | ||
| Leadership and Advocacy in Health Professions | ||
| Exploring Academic Careers | ||
| Cancer Chemotherapy | ||
| Research Methods in Health Systems | ||
| Principles in General Medicine | ||
| Contemporary Issues in Geriatric Pharmacy | ||
| Research | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Evidence-Based Medicine | ||
| Pharmaceutical Industry | ||
| Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Practice in Urban Health | ||
| Self-Care and Nonprescription Medications: A Team-Based Approach | ||
| Research | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Concepts in Pharmaceutical Science | ||
| Principles of Drug Design | ||
| Repurposing Drugs for Cancer Immunotherapies | ||
| Pharmaceutical Toxicology | ||
| Biomedical Chemical Analysis | ||
| The Chemistry and Biology of Drugs of Abuse | ||
| Behavioral Pharmacology and Drug Discovery | ||
| Biophysical Methods in Drug Discovery | ||
| Introduction to Global Health | ||
| Health Advocacy | ||
| Strategic Management and Leadership in Healthcare | ||
| Global Health | ||
| Evaluating Healthcare Quality | ||
| Economic Perspectives on Health Policy | ||
| Project Management in Public Health | ||
| Budget Principles in Public Health | ||
| Grant Writing in Public Health | ||
| Qualitative Methods in Health and Illness | ||
| Advanced Physical Pharmacy | ||
| Advanced Drug Delivery Systems | ||
| Introduction to Communication Disorders | ||
| Communication Disorders in Movies | ||
Supporting Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| SEMESTER 1 | ||
| BIOL 1111 and BIOL 1112 | General Biology 1 and Lab for BIOL 1111 | 5 |
| PSYC 1101 | Foundations of Psychology | 4 |
| ENGW 1111 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| The university requires a minimum grade of C for First-Year Writing (ENGW 1111). The university’s minimum passing grade for the course will be accepted for all other courses. | ||
| Elective | 2-4 | |
| SEMESTER 2 | ||
| BIOL 1113 and BIOL 1114 | General Biology 2 and Lab for BIOL 1113 | 5 |
| CHEM 1161 | General Chemistry for Science Majors | 4 |
| CHEM 1162 | Lab for CHEM 1161 | 1 |
| CHEM 1163 | Recitation for CHEM 1161 | 0 |
| MATH 1245 | Calculus with Applications | 4 |
| NUpath Elective | 4 | |
| SEMESTER 3 | ||
| PHYS 1149 and PHYS 1150 | Physics for Pharmacy and Lab for PHYS 1149 | 5 |
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 and CHEM 2319 | Organic Chemistry 1 and Lab for CHEM 2311 and Recitation for CHEM 2311 | 5 |
| NUpath Elective | 4 | |
| SEMESTER 4 | ||
| CHEM 2313 and CHEM 2314 and CHEM 2320 | Organic Chemistry 2 and Lab for CHEM 2313 and Recitation for CHEM 2313 | 5 |
| ENGW 3306 | Advanced Writing in the Health Professions | 4 |
| The university requires a minimum grade of C for Advanced Writing in the Health Professions (ENGW 3306). The university’s minimum passing grade for the course will be accepted for all other courses. | ||
Program Requirement
To progress into the subsequent semester of professional courses, students must receive a grade of C or better in all PHMD and PHSC courses, as well as in any course completed to fulfill the professional elective requirement.
Pharmacy (PharmD-U) students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.000 or higher during the professional years (P1–P4) of the Doctor of Pharmacy program.
Pharmacy students with a cumulative GPA of 3.200 or less and/or science prerequisite GPA of 3.000 or less following the fall semester of the sophomore year may experience a delayed start as a registered pharmacy intern for the first co-op (IPPE), as the School of Pharmacy will not submit intern licensure documentation to the Massachusetts Board of registration in Pharmacy until satisfactory spring grades are verified.
204 total semester hours required
Sample Plan of Study
| Year 1 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer Full Semester | Hours |
| BIOL 1111 | 4 | CHEM 1161 | 4 | Vacation | |
| BIOL 1112 | 1 | CHEM 1162 | 1 | ||
| PSYC 1101 | 4 | CHEM 1163 | 0 | ||
| PHMD 1000 | 1 | BIOL 1113 | 4 | ||
| ENGW 1111 | 4 | BIOL 1114 | 1 | ||
| Elective | 2-4 | MATH 1245 | 4 | ||
| PHMD 1001 | 1 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||
| 16-18 | 19 | 0 | |||
| Year 2 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer Full Semester | Hours |
| CHEM 2311 | 4 | CHEM 2313 | 4 | COOP 3945 | 0 |
| CHEM 2312 | 1 | CHEM 2314 | 1 | ||
| CHEM 2319 | 0 | CHEM 2320 | 0 | ||
| PHSC 2301 | 3 | ENGW 3306 | 4 | ||
| PHSC 2302 | 1 | PHSC 2303 | 3 | ||
| PHYS 1149 | 4 | PHSC 2304 | 1 | ||
| PHYS 1150 | 1 | PHMD 1201 | 2.5 | ||
| Elective | 4 | PHMD 1202 | 0.5 | ||
| 18 | 16 | 0 | |||
| Year 3 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer Full Semester | Hours |
| PHSC 2320 | 4 | COOP 3945 | 0 | PHMD 2310 | 2 |
| PHSC 4501 | 5 | PHMD 2311 | 0.5 | ||
| PHMD 2350 | 3 | PHMD 5250 | 4 | ||
| PHSC 3411 | 4 | PHSC 3412 | 4 | ||
| PHSC 3419 | 1 | ||||
| PHSC 4502 | 5 | ||||
| 16 | 0 | 16.5 | |||
| Year 4 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer Full Semester | Hours |
| COOP 3945 | 0 | PHSC 3430 | 3 | PHSC 5360 | 4 |
| PHSC 2330 | 3 | PHMD 5330 | 3 | ||
| PHMD 3450 | 3 | PHMD 4621 | 6 | ||
| PHMD 4611 | 6 | PHMD 4622 | 1 | ||
| PHMD 4612 | 1 | PHMD 4623 | 0.5 | ||
| Elective/capstone | 4 | ||||
| 0 | 16 | 18.5 | |||
| Year 5 | |||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||
| PHMD 4631 | 6 | PHMD 4641 | 6 | ||
| PHMD 4632 | 1 | PHMD 4642 | 1 | ||
| PHMD 4633 | 0.5 | PHMD 4643 | 0.5 | ||
| PHMD 5560 | 2 | PHMD 5270 | 2 | ||
| Elective/capstone | 2-4 | PHMD 5450 | 1 | ||
| Elective/capstone | 4 | Elective/capstone | 2-4 | ||
| Elective/capstone | 4 | ||||
| 15.5-17.5 | 16.5-18.5 | ||||
| Total Hours: 168-174 | |||||