Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)

The College of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree is a full-time program requiring four academic years. This includes both introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPEs) and advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs) that must be completed during the summer semesters and the fourth year of the program. Additionally, a combination of pre-pharmacy and MUSC professional program courses are required to complete the Pharm.D. degree.

Admissions

Learn more about the admission steps and requirements for the program.

Curriculum

Year 1, Fall

COP 601 Foundations Patho & Pharm I 2
COP 609 PharmChem & Pharmgenomics I 2
COP 607 Dosage Forms & Drug Deliv Sys 4
COP 615 Pharmaceutical Biochemistry 3
COP 605 Intro to Pharmacy Practice 2
COP 625 Pharmacy Calculations 1
COP 627 Medical Terminology 1
COP 620 Intro to Drug Information 1
COP 630 Compounding & App Pharm Lab 1
Semester Total 17

Year 1, Spring

COP 603 Foundations Patho & Pharm II 4
COP 611 PharmChem & Pharmgenomics II 3
COP 616 Pharmaceutical Biotechnology 2
COP 618 Self Care & Comp Medicine 4
COP 640 Clinical Applications I 1
COP 632 Intro to Community Pharm Lab 2
IP 711 IP Foundations & Teamstepps 1
IP ### IP Concentration Course of Choice 1
Semester Total 18

Year 1, Summer

COP 650,
COP 651
Intro Pharm Pract Exper Comm, or
Advanced IPPE I - Community
4
Semester Total 4

Year 2, Fall

COP 713 Disease Proc & Ther I  3
COP 715 Disease Proc & Ther II 4
COP 717 Clinical Microbiology 2
COP 722 Biopharm & Pharmacokinetics 2
COP 732 Intravaneous Admixtures Lab 0.5
COP 735 Applied Pham Calculations Lab 0.5
COP 742 Clinical Applications II 1
ELEC Elective* 2-3
Semester Total 15-16

Year 2, Spring

COP 716 Disease Proc & Ther III 3
COP 718 Disease Proc & Ther IV 4
COP 720 Clinical Pharmacokinetics 3
COP 725 Outcomes Design & Assessment 3
COP 733 Applied Health Systems Lab 1
COP 744 Clinical Applications III 1
ELEC Elective* 2-3
Semester Total 17-18

Year 2, Summer

COP 750,
COP 753
Intro Pharm Prac Exp Hospital, or
Advanced Hospital IPPE
4
Semester Total 4

Year 3, Fall

COP 822 Disease Proc & Ther V 3
COP 823 Disease Proc & Ther VI 4
COP 804 Health Care Syst & Management 3
COP 821 Advanced Drug Information 2
COP 846 Clinical Applications IV 1
COP 834 Applied Community Pharmacy Lab 2
ELEC Elective* 2-3
Semester Total 17-18

Year 3, Spring

COP 825 Disease Proc & Ther VII 4
COP 826 Disease Proc & Ther VIII 3
COP 805 Pharmacy Law and Ethics 3
COP 836 Clinical Assessment 3
COP 848 Clinical Applications V 1
ELEC Elective* 2-3
Semester Total 16-17

Year 3, Summer

COP 990
Board Prep I
1
  Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) x 1  4
Semester Total 5

Year 4, Fall

COP 991
Board Prep II
 1
  APPE x 4-5   16-20
Semester Total 17-21

Year 4, Spring

COP 950 Grand Rounds 4
COP 992
Board Prep III  1

APPE x 4-5 17-21
Semester Total 20-24
Curriculum Total 151-163
Pre-Pharmacy Credit Hour Total 63
Required Credit Hour Total 214-226

* By the end of the third year, students must complete eight hours of electives, which typically ranges from one to three credit hours.

  • Minimum 300 hours of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (as required by ACPE) will be satisfied by two four-credit (four-week) externships in the summers of the P1 and P2 years.
  • Minimum 1440 hours of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (as required by ACPE) will be satisfied by nine four-credit (one-month) externships in the P4 year. Courses include: two acute medicine, one ambulatory care, one community, one health-system, and four electives.
  • Longitudinal IPPE Community I & II - P2 Fall & Spring (COP 652 & COP 653) if COP 650 or 651 are not completed in Summer 1
  • Longitudinal IPPE Hospital I & II - P3 Fall & Spring (COP 751 & COP 752) if COP 750 or 753 are not completed in Summer 2