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Top Ten Pharmacy Schools in the United States

Higher Education Articles February 12, 2013

Pharmacy colleges and universities prepare students to work as researchers or pharmacists in public health agencies, research organizations, clinics, and hospitals. In this article, we will take a look at some of the best pharmacy schools in the nation.

Ohio State University – Columbus, Ohio

This is the largest post-secondary institution in the state of Ohio that attracts over 64,000 student enrollments every year. In 2011, the Princeton Review listed Ohio State University as the top Midwestern College. More than 400 degree programs and nearly 1,200 courses are offered at the university; these include a couple of pharmacy degree programs. In 2008, the U.S. News and World Report ranked the college as the country’s fifth best. Many Doctor of Philosophy programs are offered at the school alongside a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.), Master of Science (M.S.) in Health-System Pharmacy Administration, and Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS). Students admitted to the Ph.D. program have different concentration areas to choose from; those include pharmaceutics and pharmacy administration, pharmacology, translational science, and medicinal chemistry. Ohio State University also offers combined degree programs for students who want to pursue coursework in public health or business administration. A year of clinical pharmacy experience is added to advanced research-based coursework to make up the university’s Pharm.D. program that takes four years to complete. Additional learning opportunities are provided by the university in association with Ohio State University Medical Center.

Purdue University – West Lafayette, Indiana

This research intense university that began operating in 1869 has five campuses in different regions of Indiana, including Hammond, Westville, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. More than 270 degrees are offered at this public university’s main campus to the 40,000 students enrolled in both graduate and undergraduate programs. In 2008, U.S. News and World Report rated the Purdue College of Pharmacy as the country’s ninth best pharmacy school in the country. The Department of Pharmacy Practice, the Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology and the Department of Industrial and Physical Pharmacy are three distinct academic departments in which the university has been separated. The departments offer two professional degrees, a Pharm.D. and a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences, apart from Ph.D. and M.S. programs, and continuing education programs.

University of California – San Francisco, California (UCSF)

The University of California – San Francisco is a four year public university dedicated to research and the study of health science. In 2008, the university’s School of Pharmacy (oldest in the western U.S.) ranked as the top pharmacy school by U.S. News and World Report. The school is divided into three departments, which include the Department of Clinical Pharmacy, the Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, and the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. The School of Pharmacy at University of California – San Francisco offers a Ph.D., Pharm.D., and several combined degree programs. The concentration areas in a Pharm.D. program includes management, pharmacy sciences and health policy, and pharmaceutical care. Students enrolled in a Ph.D. program can study medical informatics, chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, and biophysics. The combined degree programs include a Pharm.D./Ph.D., Pharm.D./M.S. in Clinical Research, and Pharm.D./Master of Public Health (MPH).

List of Ten Leading Pharmacy Schools

School Name Distinction Location
Ohio State University Professional experience program in Pharmacy Columbus, Ohio
Purdue University Graduate Certificate Program in Regulatory and Quality Compliance West Lafayette, Indiana
University of Arizona Features the History of Pharmacy Museum Tucson, Arizona
University of California – San Francisco UCSF received the most amount of National Institutes of Health Research funding compared to other pharmacy schools in the United States San Francisco, California
University of Illinois – Chicago The College of Pharmacy’s extensive international research collaborations Chicago, Illinois
University of Iowa The Professional Outreach and Development Societies (PODS) for pharmacy student education and networking opportunities Iowa City, Iowa
University of Kentucky Has the most students who pass the National Pharmacy Licensing Exam on the first try Lexington, Kentucky
University of Michigan The Vahlteich Medicinal Chemistry Core facility Ann Arbor, Michigan
University of North Carolina The dual Pharm.D./Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program offered Chapel Hill, North Carolina
University of Southern California The pharmacy school offers the dual Pharm.D. and gerontology master program Los Angeles, California

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