What Does It Take to Be a Pharmacist?
Hear UNC Pharmacy students and alumni tell you about their profession and their education in this video. MoreThe PharmD
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The PharmD
For students interested in becoming practicing pharmacists, our professional education program offers the doctor of pharmacy, or PharmD, degree. The PharmD is neither an undergraduate degree (such as a BS or BA) nor a graduate degree (such as an MS, MBA, or PhD). The doctor of pharmacy is a professional degree for pharmacists similar to the doctor of medicine (MD) for physicians or a doctor of dental surgery (DDS) for dentists.
The UNC School of Pharmacy boasts one of the nation’s leading PharmD programs, combining rigorous coursework with applied learning opportunities from drug discovery to patient care. Practice experiences, coordinated through the Professional Experience Program ensures that each student develops the technical skills, communication skills, professional judgment, and clinical competency required of professional pharmacists. A new partnership with Elizabeth City State University is expanding the UNC PharmD program to meet the demand for trained pharmacists.
While the School does not offer a combined PharmD/PhD program, PharmD students interested in pursuing a PhD may choose to expedite their training by choosing elective courses from the graduate curriculum and by using a research clerkship to explore potential topics for dissertation and research.
Click on the links below to learn more about the UNC PharmD program.
- Admissions
- What to Expect (overview of coursework and practice experiences)
- Life at Carolina
- Contact
Career Opportunities
The field of pharmacy is experiencing unprecedented growth, and the role of the pharmacist touches every aspect of health care. The School’s graduates work in a variety of dynamic fields, including community, health system, managed care, and long-term care pharmacy. In addition, there are many opportunities for careers in academia, drug development, drug information, and pharmaceutical sales.
Opportunities for PharmD graduates will continue to grow for years to come. New drugs are being discovered to treat previously untreatable conditions. Breakthroughs in genomics, informatics, pharmacology, and therapeutics are greatly improving the quality of patient care.