Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Available on the Jackson Campus

Union University’s Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the national organization that accredits Doctor of Pharmacy programs offered by Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy in the United States and selected non-U.S. sites. Questions about the status of the University’s accreditation may be posed to the Dean of the College of Pharmacy’s office (731.661.5958) or to ACPE (312.664.4652).

College of Pharmacy Vision

To transform students, patients, pharmacists, and community, through innovative pharmacy education and research in a Christ-centered environment.

College of Pharmacy Mission

To develop comprehensively trained, patient-centered practitioners of strong personal and professional character, equipped to meet the demands of an ever-changing health care environment.

College of Pharmacy Goals

The College of Pharmacy (COP) strives to achieve its vision and mission by:

Promoting an excellence-driven academic culture that instills knowledge and advances understanding of the biomedical, pharmaceutical, social/behavioral/ administrative, and clinical sciences,
Providing a Christ-centered environment that focuses on the intellectual, spiritual, and moral development of students in committing themselves to the service and needs of society,
Developing pharmacy students as practitioners who are people-focused, equipped to provide optimal care, in an interprofessional environment, based on evidence and best-practice standards, and
Supporting an academic environment that fosters the future-directed growth of students and faculty as it relates to education, practice, research, and scholarship initiatives.

Educational Outcomes

Seek, analyze, integrate, and apply foundational knowledge of medications and pharmacy practice (biomedical; pharmaceutical; social, behavioral, administrative; and clinical sciences;
drug classes; and digital health) (1. Learner)
Use problem solving and critical thinking skills, along with an innovative mindset, to address challenges and promote positive change (2. Problem Solver)
Actively engage, listen, and communicate verbally, nonverbally, and in writing when interacting with or educating an individual, group, or organization (3. Communicator)
Mitigate health disparities by considering, recognizing, and navigating cultural and structural factors (e.g. social determinants of health, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility) to improve access and health outcomes (4. Ally)
Provide whole person care to individuals as the medication specialist using the Pharmacists' Patient Care Process (5. Provider)
Promote the best interests of patients and/or the pharmacy profession within healthcare settings and at the community, state, or national level (6. Advocate)
Optimize patient healthcare outcomes using human, financial, technological, and physical resources to improve the safety, efficacy, and environmental impact of medication use systems (7. Steward)
Actively engage and contribute as a healthcare team member by demonstrating core interprofessional competencies (8. Collaborator)
Assess factors that influence the health and wellness of a population and develop strategies to address those factors (9. Promoter)
Demonstrate the ability to influence and support the achievement of shared goals on a team, regardless of one's role (10. Leader)
Examine, reflect on, and address personal and professional attributes (e.g. knowledge, metacognition, skills, abilities, beliefs, biases, motivation, help-seeking strategies, and emotional intelligence that could enhance or limit growth, development, & professional identity formation (11. Self-aware)
Exhibit attitudes, behaviors, and values that are consistent with tenets of the pharmacy profession (12. Professional)

Admissions Criteria

Students seeking admission to the College of Pharmacy should visit the College website at www.uu.edu/programs/pharmacy/admissions/.

Financial Assistance

Financial aid information for graduate students is available on our website at www.uu.edu/financialaid. Generally, graduate students may be eligible for Federal Direct student loans or private alternative student loans, depending on the program of study and the eligibility of the borrower. Union University is also approved by the Department for Veterans Affairs to offer educational benefits to veterans, reservists, and dependents of veterans who qualify for Veterans Benefits. Any person who qualifies for VA Benefits should check with the Office of Student Financial Planning as soon as possible after acceptance into a graduate program.

Interprofessional Practice and Education (IPE)

Interprofessional practice and education is incorporated in various courses throughout the curriculum. Pharmacy students are provided multiple opportunities to learn about, from and with other healthcare professionals to gain an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of all healthcare providers and how interprofessional teamwork can improve patient outcomes. IPE enables future pharmacists to become collaborative practice ready providers.

Center for Population Health and Rural Medicine (PHaRM)

The purpose of the Center for Population Health and Rural Medicine (PHaRM) is to advance Union University’s ability to care for the underserved population of West Tennessee while broadening the interprofessional educational experiences of our students and other healthcare providers. Our mission includes affording students opportunities to provide more collaborative and patient-centered care in a structured, real-world setting. The Center achieves its mission through interprofessional learning experiences, community service learning experiences, clinical experiences, research, continuing education programs and simulation education.

Co-curriculum

The purpose of the co-curriculum is to provide students with co-curricular activities and learning experiences to complement and advance learning that occurs within the formal didactic and experiential curriculum of COP. There are five co-curricular educational outcomes, referred to as CEPHS. Each outcome is defined below.

C: Career Planning: Set goals in order to be residency or practice-ready upon graduation
E: Education: Gain knowledge and skills necessary for life-long learning and the provision of evidence-based patient care
P: Personal and Professional Growth: Develop self-awareness to foster personal maturation and professional growth
H: Healthcare Advocacy: Engage in patient and professional advocacy
S: Service: Demonstrate selfless concern for meeting the needs of patients, the profession, and the community

Students must complete required activities in the indicated year (e.g., P1, P2, or P3) in order to progress to the next cohort year. Failure to complete required expectations will delay graduation.

Dual Degree Option

Union University’s College of Pharmacy and the McAfee School of Business offer a dual degree option. Interested students enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy program may dually enroll in the MBA Program. Students will follow the curriculum as outlined but will also include completing a leveling course and an additional 24 hours of MBA core coursework. The remaining 12 hours of MBA coursework will be from the Pharm.D. program as approved by the College of Pharmacy.

Please see the Master of Business Administration section of the Graduate Catalogue for MBA core coursework and prerequisite coursework. Please contact the McAfee School of Business Graduate Program Director (gradbusiness@uu.edu,731-661-5367) for any questions you may have. Applicants to dual degrees must apply to and be accepted to each program separately, per current admission requirements of each program.

Graduation Requirements

Completion of the coursework for the Doctor of Pharmacy with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.33.
Successful completion of co-curriculum.
All didactic, experiential, and co-curricular course requirements must be successfully completed.
File an application for graduation with the UUCOP Office of Student Services and the Academic Center.
Pay in full the student’s account balance with the UUCOP Business Office.
Discharge all other obligations (fines, credentials, fees, etc.) at the University.

Doctor of Pharmacy—150 hours