FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University and the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy have joined to offer a new bachelor’s and Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program that can be completed in six years. After three years, Sacred Heart students studying biology or chemistry will complete their remaining undergraduate credits during their first year at the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy and will earn their Pharm.D. in and additional three calendar years.
This new 3+3 program will accelerate pre-pharmacy students’ transition to graduate studies, benefitting those wanting to save time and tuition dollars in a high-salary field that provides the opportunity to make a difference. Pharmacists earn a median annual income of $122,000, according to the United States Department of Labor.
Those with their Pharm.D. can work in retail, the pharmaceutical industry or clinical settings, among other options, including consulting or owning their own pharmacy. In whatever role they take on, pharmacists contribute to society’s growing need for quality health care.
“Pharmacy is a desirable field for students, with excellent salary, job stability, flexible hours, a variety of practice settings and the ability to be a valued member of the health-care team. As the baby boomer generation ages, and as chronic conditions become more medically and pharmacologically manageable, we are living longer, and the demands for high-quality health care increase. Pharmacists continue to play an important role in the patient health care team,” said Nicole M. Roy, associate professor of Biology and director of the Pre-health Advisement Program at Sacred Heart.
The 3+3 bachelor’s and Pharm.D. program complements other SHU programs that facilitate and hasten transitions into graduate health professions programs, such as its 3+3 Doctor of Physical Therapy and 3+2 Occupational Therapy programs.
Doctor of Pharmacy programs generally last four years, but the University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy offers an efficient yet intensive three-calendar-year Pharm.D program, which is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
“Students in this new program will enhance their professional opportunities more quickly and benefit from the University’s history and reputation in the health science arena, as well as its long-standing collaborative relationship with hospitals and health-care facilities through the six required clinical placements,” said Joseph Ofosu, dean of the School of Pharmacy at the University of Saint Joseph. “After successfully completing the three calendar years of coursework, they will have a doctoral degree in hand and will qualify for a highly competitive salary while filling a societal need.”
For more information on the 3+3 bachelor’s and Pharm.D. program, visit Sacred Heart University 3 + 3 Bachelor's & Pharm.D. Program with University of Saint Joseph School of Pharmacy.