Pharmacy

Overview

What sets us apart?

As the only pharmacy school in southern Illinois, we offer a fully accredited, four-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) 2+4 program. Students complete the pre-pharmacy curriculum and then, if admitted, complete the four-year PharmD program.

We maintain a small cohort of students, lending to the development of professional networks that support one another throughout the program and beyond the years of graduation.

Our students learn from world-class faculty who are nationally recognized for their experience, innovations and leadership. The faculty is dedicated to preparing students to be pharmacy professionals, scholars and leaders who will improve the health and well-being of the region and beyond.

In our state-of-the-art learning environment and facilities, faculty and students conduct clinical research designed to directly improve patient care, and they are also involved in a variety of research projects to improve:

Drug design and development
Drug delivery
Disease therapy

We offer several concurrent degrees that allow students to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy with a specialized master's degree.

Students can also earn a bachelor's in chemistry with a pharmaceutical chemistry specialization. Students may consider pursuing additional training with the SIU Physician Assistant Program through the PharmD to PA Priority Admission Pathway.

What can I do with a degree in pharmacy?

Since the practice of pharmacy is a vital part of a complete healthcare system, and the number of people requiring healthcare services has steadily increased, the demand for pharmacists is expected to continue. Due to many of society’s changing social and health issues, pharmacists will face new challenges, expanded responsibilities and an ever-increasing growth in opportunities.

Hands-on Learning

Hands-on learning is a major component of the PharmD curriculum (approximately 30%), which allows students to bridge the classroom and the pharmacy practice environments beginning in their first semester. We have established relationships with practicing pharmacists at numerous rotation sites in the surrounding area, throughout Illinois and nationally.

We also use co-curricular events as a strategy to integrate meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich the learning experience, teach civic responsibility and strengthen communities.

Global Opportunities

Through global education experiences, students gain:

Cultural awareness
Exposure to health disparities
World perspective
Understanding of diverse healthcare systems
Alternative medicine knowledge
Maturity
Tolerance
Compassion

A few ways to create new partnerships and open the door for more global experiences include:

Independent Studies
ImPaCT
APhA-ASP International Pharmaceutical Students’ Federation (IPSF)

The School of Pharmacy has engaged in sending and receiving students from several countries including Australia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, India, Israel, Jamaica, Poland, Portugal and Venezuela and is continually searching for new global partners and opportunities.