Professional Curriculum
Curriculum subject to revision
*Students must complete the curriculum that is current for their class.
Curriculum Description
The PharmD program represents a collaborative effort of the four academic departments of the College of Pharmacy, i.e., the departments of Medicinal Chemistry, Molecular Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology and Toxicology, and Pharmacotherapy.
The curriculum begins with a strong foundation in the basic, pharmaceutical, and clinical sciences with introductory practice experiences, culminating with a wide variety of advanced experiential opportunities and seminar presentations. This strong basic science background emphasizing the clinical sciences fully prepares our graduates to understand new scientific and biomedical knowledge and develops their pharmacy mastery to optimize pharmaceutical care to the benefit of the patient and healthcare practice and outcomes.
A number of courses in the curriculum emphasize written and oral communication skills. Medication and patient safety, cultural competence, health literacy, health care disparities, ethical and social responsibilities, and other competencies needed to work as a member of an interprofessional team are woven throughout the curriculum in didactic and experiential course work.
The curriculum also provides the background and experiences that help develop abilities for lifelong learning. Our graduates are more apt to update their skills and implement changes in practice to benefit their charges, in addition to succeeding as accomplished, caring, and innovative practitioners.
Read more about our program's Ability-Based Outcome Expectations
Curricular Goals
- Prepare pharmacists in a research-intensive, academic health center to be exemplary professionals who enable progress in healthcare by incorporating biomedical research advances into practice, serve as medication experts, and who advocate for and defend the public health.
- To educate and train clinical-scientists and clinician-educators to be effective leaders in academic pharmacy.
National Accreditation and Standards of the Curriculum
The College of Pharmacy is fully accredited by the American Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) under the guidelines effective July 1, 2016. The Professional Pharmacy curriculum meets the educational requirements of the University of Utah Graduate School (UU General Catalog - Grad School Regulations & Information) and meets the educational requirements for licensure nationally as well as in the State of Utah (Guideline 9.1 and Utah DOPL Utah 2007 Rx Practice Act 58-17b & Rules R156-17b).
Curriculum Details
Students must complete the curriculum that is current for their class. The curriculum is subject to change pending updates from the Curriculum Committee.
P1 – First Professional Year
Fall Semester
- PHARM 5110 – Foundations of Biochemistry (4 cr)
- PHARM 5120 – Foundations of PHCEU (4 cr)
- PHARM 5140 – Patient-Centered Care (6 cr)
- PHARM 5144 – Foundations of Drug Information (1 cr)
- PHARM 5145 – Skills Lab I (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 5841 – Professional Development Seminar P1 Fall (0.5 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 16
Spring Semester
- PHARM 5111 – Foundations Biotech (3 cr)
- PHARM 5141 – Community Practice (3 cr)
- PHARM 5151 – CSI – P1 (2 cr)
- PHARM 5146 – Skills Lab II (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 5842 – Professional Development Seminar P1 Spring (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 6611 – Foundations of IPE (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 5147 – Pharmacy Calculations (1 cr)
- PHARM 5152 – Integrated Pharma 1 (4 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 14.5
P2 – Second Professional Year
Fall Semester
- PHARM 5130 – Foundations of Immunology and Pathology (2 cr)
- PHARM 6240 – Drug Literature Evaluation I (3 cr)
- PHARM 6242 – Pharm Compounding (2 cr)
- PHARM 6247 – Skills Lab III (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 6250 – CSI – P2 Fall (2 cr)
- PHARM 6252 – Integrated Pharma 2 (6 cr)
- PHARM 6841 – Professional Development Seminar P2 Fall (0.5 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 16
Spring Semester
- PHARM 6220 – PK & PD (3 cr)
- PHARM 6241 – Drug Literature Evaluation II (3 cr)
- PHARM 6248 – Skills Lab IV (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 6251 – CSI – P2 (2 cr)
- PHARM 6253 – Integrated Pharma 3 (6 cr)
- PHARM 6623 – IPE Medical Error (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 6842 – Professional Development Seminar P2 Spring (0.5 cr)
- Electives (1 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 15.5
P3 – Third Professional Year
Summer Semester
- PHARM 7640 – Core Community Clerkship (4 cr)
- PHARM 7641 – Core Institutional Clerkship (4 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 8
Fall Semester
- PHARM 7340 – Leader Management for Pharmacists (2 cr)
- PHARM 7349 – Skills Lab V (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 7350 – CSI – P3 Fall (2 cr)
- PHARM 7841 – Professional Development Seminar P3 Fall (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 6700 – Student-led Clinic – Fall (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 7355 – Integrated Pharma 4 (6 cr)
- Electives (5 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 16.5
Spring Semester
- PHARM 5142 – Foundations of Pharmacy Advanced Law and Ethics (4 cr)
- PHARM 7341 – Advanced Therapeutics (6 cr)
- PHARM 7342 – US Health Care Policy (2 cr)
- PHARM 7842 – PDS P3 Spring (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 7343 – Skills Lab 6 (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 6701 – Student-led Clinic – Spring (0.5 cr)
- Electives (4 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 18.5
P4 – Fourth Professional Year
Summer Semester
- APPE Block 1
- APPE Block 2
Total Credit Hours: 6–12
Fall Semester
- PHARM 7843 – Professional Development Seminar P4 Fall (1 cr)
- APPE Block 3
- APPE Block 4
- APPE Block 5
Total Credit Hours: 13–19
Spring Semester
- PHARM 7844 – Professional Development Seminar P4 Spring (1 cr)
- APPE Block 6
- APPE Block 7
- APPE Block 8
Total Credit Hours: 13–19
Students must complete the curriculum that is current for their class. The curriculum is subject to change pending updates from the Curriculum Committee.
P1 – First Professional Year
Fall Semester
- PHARM 5110 – Foundations of Biochemistry (4 cr)
- PHARM 5120 – Foundations of Pharmaceutics (4 cr)
- PHARM 5130 – Foundations of Immunology / Pathology (1.5 cr)
- PHARM 5140 – Foundations of Patient-Centered Care (4 cr)
- PHARM 5144 – Foundations of Drug Information (1 cr)
- PHARM 5145 – Pharmacy Practice Skills Lab I (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 5150 – CSI I (1 cr)
- PHARM 5841 – Professional Development Seminar (0.5 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 16.5
Spring Semester
- PHARM 5111 – Foundations of Biotechnology & Molecular Biology (3 cr)
- PHARM 5141 – Community Practice (3 cr)
- PHARM 5142 – Foundations of Pharmacy Law / Ethics / Risk (4 cr)
- PHARM 5143 – Foundations of Professional Practice: Community Agency Practicum (2 cr)
- PHARM 5146 – Pharmacy Practice Skills Lab II (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 5151 – CSI II (1 cr)
- PHARM 6611 – Foundations of Interprofessional Education (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 5842 – Professional Development Seminar (0.5 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 14.5
P2 – Second Professional Year
Fall Semester
- PHARM 6240 – Drug Literature Evaluation I (3 cr)
- PHARM 6242 – Pharmaceutical Compounding & Drug Delivery Systems (and lab) (2 cr)
- PHARM 6247 – Pharmacy Practice Skills Lab III (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 6250 – CSI (2 cr)
- PHARM 6252 – Integrated Pharmacotherapeutics I (8 cr)
- PHARM 6841 – Professional Development Seminar (0.5 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 16
Spring Semester
- PHARM 6220 – Pharmacokinetics & Pharmacodynamics (3 cr)
- PHARM 6241 – Drug Literature Evaluation II (3 cr)
- PHARM 6623 – IPE Medical Error Disclosure (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 6248 – Pharmacy Practice Skills Lab IV (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 6251 – CSI (2 cr)
- PHARM 6253 – Integrated Pharmacotherapeutics II (8 cr)
- PHARM 6842 – Professional Development Seminar (0.5 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 17.5
P3 – Third Professional Year
Summer Semester
- PHARM 7640 – Core Community Rotation (4 cr)
- PHARM 7641 – Core Institutional Rotation (4 cr)
- Electives (0–4 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 8–12
Fall Semester
- PHARM 6870 – Student-led Clinic IPE (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 7340 – Leadership and Management for Pharmacists (2 cr)
- PHARM 7349 – Pharmacy Practice Skills Lab V (0.5 cr)
- PHARM 7350 – CSI (2 cr)
- PHARM 7355 – Integrated Pharmacotherapeutics III (4 cr)
- PHARM 7841 – Professional Development Seminar P3 (0.5 cr)
- Elective(s) (7 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 14.5–16.5
Spring Semester
- PHARM 7341 – Advanced Therapeutics (6 cr)
- PHARM 7342 – US Health Care Policy (2 cr)
- PHARM 7842 – Professional Development Seminar P3 (0.5 cr)
- Elective(s) (7 cr)
- PHARM 6870 – Student-led Clinic IPE (0.5 cr) (starting Spring 2027)
- PHARM 7343 – Pharmacy Practice Skills Lab VI (0.5 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 16–18
P4 – Fourth Professional Year
Summer Semester*
- APPE Block 1
- APPE Block 2
Total Credit Hours: 6–12
Fall Semester*
- APPE Block 3
- APPE Block 4
- APPE Block 5
- PHARM 7843 – Professional Development Seminar P4 (1 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 13–19
Spring Semester*
- APPE Block 6
- APPE Block 7
- APPE Block 8
- PHARM 7844 – Professional Development Seminar P4 (1 cr)
Total Credit Hours: 13–19
Outcomes of the Professional Curriculum
Graduates of the University of Utah Doctor of Pharmacy Program will be able to optimize patient-centered and population-based care in a variety of practice settings. Graduates shall be able to:
- Apply fundamental scientific, analytic and problem-solving skills to all areas of pharmacy practice
- Communicate effectively in both verbal and written formats
- Work collaboratively on healthcare teams
- Base patient care/practice decisions on sound science and best evidence
- Apply medication safety and quality-improvement principles to pharmacy practice
- Manage medication-use systems
- Promote public health and wellness
- Practice in an ethical, culturally aware and professional manner
- Demonstrate a commitment to continuous professional development and leadership