College of Pharmacy

*The deadline to apply for Fall 2008 is February 1, 2008.

Our Admissions Staff

College of Pharmacy Admission Information 

Admissions requirements and standards are designed to ensure scholastic success in the professional Pharm.D. program. Selecting a candidate for the future practice of pharmacy involves many important factors, including academic background, PCAT scores, letters of reference and pharmacy experience. A qualified applicant will be invited to visit the College of Pharmacy for a required personal interview. Because admission information is updated regularly, applicants should verify current requirements on the College of Pharmacy Web site. The most current admission information will always be posted at this site.

Admission to the four-year Doctor of Pharmacy degree program requires completion of a minimum of 90 semester hours of preprofessional education at an accredited college or university. This typically takes three years of preprofessional study. Application can be made after the completion of 60 semester hours of college coursework.

The minimum specific pre-pharmacy course requirements are as follows:

*The Harding courses that fulfill each requirement are listed so that you may read the course description and match it to your university course catalog; to view the science department course descriptions go to: www.harding.edu/catalog

• Applicants must possess a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale on all previous college work; grades for all undergraduate coursework attempted are included in the calculation of the overall undergraduate GPA which is the primary GPA used in the admissions process
• Grades below C cannot be accepted for any math or science course
• No more than 6 hours of CLEP or credit by examination will be accepted to meet the pre-pharmacy requirements; such credit must be listed on the official transcript
• Advanced Placement (AP) credit may be used to satisfy prerequisite coursework provided that the AP credit is accepted by the applicant's institution and is posted on the applicant's official academic transcript
• All science courses must be majors courses; non-majors courses will not fulfill the requirements
• The speech requirement should be fulfilled with a public speaking course
• The economics requirement must be fulfilled with either a microeconomics or macroeconomics course
• Humanities electives may be chosen from one or more of these areas: art, foreign language, history, literature, music, philosophy, religion or theatre
• Social/behavioral science electives may be chosen from one or more of these areas: accounting, anthropology, business, computer science, economics, geography, health, history, management, psychology, political science or sociology
  
• No credit toward the 90 semester hour requirement will be accepted for military science or physical education courses
• Calculus-A business calculus course is NOT acceptable
  
• Official transcripts from all colleges previously attended should be sent to the College of Pharmacy
• All prepharmacy course requirements must be satisfied prior to matriculation

Applicants are required to take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) and must have their scores sent to PharmCAS (code 104). In addition to PCAT scores, applicants must submit three letters of reference that focus on the applicant's academic and professional abilities. Having at least one reference from a pharmacist is highly recommended. Official transcripts from all colleges previously attended should also be sent to PharmCAS. The competitive grade point average and PCAT score in order to qualify for a required personal interview will be determined by the overall strength of the applicant pool.

Prospective pharmacy students are strongly encouraged to obtain work experience in a pharmacy setting. An example of appropriate experience is as a pharmacy technician in either a hospital or community pharmacy.

Personal interviews for the next entering class will begin in September. Throughout the duration of the interview process, applicants are accepted to the Doctor of Pharmacy program on a continual basis until the class has been filled; an alternate list will then be established. Based on the overall strength of the applicant pool, acceptance is selective.

Requirements following Admission

Proficiency in basic computer skills (word-processing, databases, Internet searches, e-mail) is expected of all entering students, as the curriculum will incorporate the use of computer technology. Additionally, all students in the program will be expected to have access to the Internet. Students are required to have their own laptop computer upon entry into the program.All students will be expected to purchase or have the required medical equipment needed to meet program requirements. This will include acquiring an approved lab coat with a school issued patch.

Each student must carry professional liability insurance coverage, which will be included in student fees.

Portions of the curriculum will require travel to various locations; all students are required to have access to a motor vehicle, a valid driver's license, and auto liability insurance. Clinical experiences entail travel to clinical sites. Doctor of Pharmacy students are responsible for all costs associated with travel and off campus clinical experiences. Transportation and food are the most common out-of pocket expenses. Some sites will require additional living arrangements to be made, which will be the student's responsibility.

A student may be required to authorize and submit to a criminal background check with fingerprinting, including background checks for sex offenses and crimes against minors. Some students may also be expected to submit to random drug testing required by clinical practice sites. These additional costs would be the students' responsibility. Non-compliance with the criminal background checks and/or drug testing policies may be cause for dismissal from the program. Criminal background checks and drug screens are common pre-employment procedures.  Successful completion of the Doctor of Pharmacy program does not guarantee the ability to secure licensure as a pharmacist in any given state.  It is the candidate's responsibility to satisfy all requirements of licensure including criminal background checks and drug screening.

Health Policies

Students are required to maintain health insurance.

Applicants selected for admission to the program must provide evidence of good health, no communicable diseases and required immunizations and screenings prior to matriculation. Forms will be available to those accepted into the program. Immunizations and screening tests required are as follows:

• Two MMRs or positive rubella titer
• Current tetanus/diphtheria (within past 10 years, tetanus toxoid accepted)
• History of chicken pox or positive varicella titer (if negative then series of two immunizations)
• A Mantoux 5TU PPD tuberculin skin test performed within six months prior to matriculation
• Hepatitis B series and titer (this can take up to six months to complete)

Program Costs

Tuition and fees are subject to change based on the recommendation and approval of the Board of Trustees. Any new tuition and fee schedule is effective at the beginning of the fall term.

Other anticipated costs include the following:

• Tuition:  $26,000 per year
  
• Supplemental application fee: $50, non-refundable
• Tuition deposits: $250 upon notification of acceptance; additional $250 on June 1; both deposits are non-refundable but are applied toward tuition upon matriculation
• Books: $600 - $1000 per semester
• Travel to practice experience sites: approximately $275 per semester P1 - P3 years; approximately $500 per practice experience during P4 year
• Harding University technology/academic enrichment fee: $210/semester
• Graduation fee: $125
• Criminal background checks: approximately $65 per occurrence
• Other student costs may include: laptop computer, room and board, health insurance, professional liability insurance, costs associated with clinical rotations such as food, lodging (if required) and any other requirements of the clinical site; all of these are approximate costs and are subject to change.

For specific financial aid information, contact the Student Financial Services Office at 501-279-4257.

Admissions Staff

Carol Kell, Director

Pam Celsor, Administrative Secretary

Please let us know if we can assist you in any way!

501-279-5528