School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
A career in pharmacy is innovative and exciting, with new roles and opportunities emerging as healthcare evolves to meet the changing needs of patients. In addition to critical roles in community hospitals and pharmacies, Pharm.D. graduates secure careers in all areas of public and private healthcare and medical research. First-year students in UConn’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences are accepted into our pharmacy studies major and may choose to live in Pharmacy’s unique Learning Community (optional). Exploration of the wide variety of pharmacy pathways enables students to determine the direction best suited to their interests.
Students apply to the School of Pharmacy’s Pharm.D. degree program during the second semester of their sophomore year. Biology, Chemistry, Engineering and other related majors may also apply to the School of Pharmacy provided that all pre-requisite criteria are met.
Once accepted to the Pharm.D. degree program, students continue in the professional program for another four years, first earning a B.S. in Pharmacy Studies after the equivalent of senior year, and then a Pharm.D. upon completion of the program. The Pharm.D. is the required degree for admittance to the pharmacist’s licensing exam.
Opportunities to specialize within the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences include:
- Honors & Scholars providing an opportunity for individualized research with a dedicated faculty advisor
- Co-curricular specialization such as within the Leaders, Pediatric, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Urban Service tracks
- Joint degree programs such as Pharm.D/MBA, Pharm.D./Ph.D., and Pharm.D./MPh
- Education abroad
No matter what your selected path, UConn School of Pharmacy’s professional program provides real-world experience in clinical settings alongside class and lab education. Experiential education that runs concurrent to class learning takes you inside community pharmacies, hospitals, and health care facilities and on specialty rotations with regional pharmaceutical corporations, national associations, government agencies, or in academia.
Careers in Pharmacy
There are countless career pathways pharmacists can pursue, including:
- Community Practice (independent and community chain)
- Pharmaceutical Research and Drug Development
- Hospital Specialties (ambulatory care, infectious disease, emergency, oncology, and geriatric pharmacy)
- Academic Pharmacy
- Long-term, Hospice and Home Health Consulting
- Government Agencies
- Managed Care and Pharmacy Benefit Management
- Publishing (medical, scientific and trade journals)
- Veterinary Pharmacy