Twelve (12) credits of professional electives are required for graduation from the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. Professional electives are courses that expand upon subject matter included in the professional curriculum, addressing subject matter not included in the professional curriculum that is relevant to the pharmaceutical profession, or prepare a student for graduate school. Professional electives are subject to the following rules:
- Courses eligible for professional elective credit are those School of Pharmacy courses so designated and those non-School of Pharmacy courses given specific approval.
- A professional elective must be taken for a letter grade, unless the course is, by definition, a credit/no credit course.
- A maximum total of four (4) credits of approved non-School of Pharmacy professional electives may count toward the professional electives requirement. *
- A maximum of four (4) credits of independent study (699) course work may count toward the professional electives requirement.
- All professional electives must be completed while students are enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy program.
Exceptions to the above rules must be made by the Student & Academic Affairs Office. Examples of situations that require approval of the advising staff are those involving (1) a student who wishes to count a course not on the approved list as a professional elective, (2) a student who wishes to complete a special group of professional electives as required for pathways of distinction, named options, certificate programs, dual-or consecutive degree programs, or as preparation for graduate school or other advanced training consistent with an approved area of emphasis, or (3) a student who wishes to complete a professional elective at another institution.
A list of approved professional elective courses is posted online. To request approval to enroll in a course that is not in this list, a student must complete a Request for Professional Elective Credit for a Non-School of Pharmacy Course Form. If a student completes a course without prior approval, it will not count towards the professional elective requirement.
Approved 12/11/2018
Updated 1/28/2022