Pharm.D. Program
We offer a Pharm.D. degree program and two dual-degrees at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
Pharm.D.
The Doctor of Pharmacy is a professional degree similar to the doctor of medicine (M.D.) for physicians or a doctor of dental surgery (DDS) for dentists. This is a four year program that prepares students to become future health care leaders. Our graduates work in a wide range of practice environments including hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, pharmaceutical and biotech industries, government agencies and academia.
Our Pharm.D. program is offered on both our Chapel Hill and Asheville campuses.
Pharm.D./MBA
The joint Doctor of Pharmacy and Masters of Business Administration is a professional degree offered in conjunction with the nationally ranked UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. This is five year program that prepares students to become leaders in management and administrative positions in the healthcare industry. Our graduates work in healthcare management, health care consulting and pharmacy enterprise management.
Interested students must first apply to and be accepted by the Pharm.D. program at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. In the fall semester of the second year in the Pharm.D. program, students can apply to the MBA program at UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. Students must have a four-year degree to be eligible for the MBA program.
Our Pharm.D. program is offered on both our Chapel Hill and Asheville campuses. MBA courses are taken in the third year at the highly ranked UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School on the Chapel Hill Campus.
Pharm.D./MPH
The joint Doctor of Pharmacy and Masters of Public Health is a professional degree offered in conjunction with the nationally ranked UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. This is a five year program that prepares students with the knowledge of drug therapy and public health needed to plan, organize, manage, and perform medication-related activities within a specific public-health focus or setting.
Interested students must first apply to and be accepted by the Pharm.D. program at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. In the fall semester of the second year in the Pharm.D. program, students can apply to the MPH program at UNC Gillings Global School of Public Health. Gillings will accept PCAT scores in place of GREs for dual degree applicants.
Our Pharm.D. program is offered on both our Chapel Hill and Asheville campuses. MBA courses are taken in the third year at the highly ranked UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health on the Chapel Hill Campus
The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy has three program outcomes for our doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum. We will create…
Exemplary pharmacy practitioners who provide high-quality, team-based, patient-centered care;
Leaders and innovators who identify opportunity, lead teams toward improvement and change, and positively impact human health and health care; and
Lifelong learners who continually strive for positive impact both personally and professionally.
The core competencies reflect the skills, areas of knowledge, and abilities that we aspire to foster in our students throughout their time at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. We believe these attributes are critical to achieving our Pharm.D. program outcomes and advancing the practice of pharmacy. Our students are expected to develop the following core competencies through coursework, immersion experiences (practica), and co-curricular experiences:
- In depth knowledge and proficient skills in the pharmaceutical sciences and the practice of pharmacy: demonstrate an in-depth understanding of medicines, human health, and health care, and apply the principles and practice of pharmacy to advance human health and health systems
- Accessing and analyzing information: identify, locate, critically evaluate, and process information to arrive at an informed opinion
- Critical thinking and problem solving: engage in the comprehensive exploration of issues, ideas, and events to identify, prevent, or solve problems
- Communication: effectively develop, express, and listen to ideas that inform, inspire, or create focus
- Collaboration and Influence: work effectively with others to create networks and groups that respect differences and make progress toward a common goal
- Adaptability: demonstrate a willingness and ability to change in order to fit new surroundings, ideas, trends, and technologies
- Initiative: be self-directed; seek out new opportunities, ideas, and strategies; take responsibility for implementing plans and ideas
- Curiosity and Inquisitiveness: demonstrate a desire to learn and understand more than is currently understood
- Professionalism and ethical behavior: uphold the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior and act appropriately, thoughtfully, and with integrity at all times
last updated on Mar. 10, 2023
On time graduation is an important success factor of the PharmD program and is a measure that is closely monitored.
| Graduating Year | Four-Year Graduation Rate (%) | Delayed (%)* | Dismissed (%) | Withdrew (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 97 | <7 | 0 | <2 |
| 2022 | 93 | <8 | 0 | <1 |
| 2021 | 97 | 3 | 0 | <1 |
| 2020 | 94 | <4 | <1 | <1 |
| 2019 | 90 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| 2018 | 96 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | 97 | 3 | <1 | 0 |
| 2016 | 96 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2015 | 93 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 2014 | 92 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| 2013 | 95 | 3 | <1 | <1 |
| 2012 | 92 | 3 | <1 | 4 |
| 2011 | 90 | 5 | 4 | <1 |
| 2010 | 95 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 2009 | 94 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| 2008 | 97 | 2 | <1 | <1 |
2023: 11 students were delayed: 4 to meet the requirements for the PharmD/MBA dual degree program, 3 to meet the requirements for the PharmD/MPH dual degree program, 2 for leave of absence, 1 for medical leave, and 1 other
2022: 11 students were delayed: 5 to meet the requirements for the PharmD/MBA dual degree program, 2 to meet the requirements for the PharmD/MPH dual degree program, 2 for leave of absence, 1 for medical leave, and 1 other
2021: 5 students were delayed: 2 to meet the requirements for the PharmD/MBA dual degree program, 2 for academic reasons, and 1 for medical leave
2020: 6 students were delayed: 4 to meet the requirements for the PharmD/MPH dual degree program, 1 to meet the requirements for the PharmD/MBA dual degree program, 1 for medical reasons
2019: 13 students were delayed: 3 to meet the requirements for the PharrmD/MPH dual degree program, 1 to meet the requirements for the PharrmD/MBA dual degree program, 2 for academic reasons, 3 for medical reasons, 3 for leave of absence, and 1 other
2018: 4 students were delayed: 3 for medical reasons and 1 to meet the requirements of the PharmD/MPH dual degree program
2017: 8 students were delayed: 3 for academic reasons, 1 for medical reasons, 3 to meet the requirements of the PharmD/MPH dual degree program, and 1 to meet the requirements of the PharmD/MBA dual degree program
2016: 4 students were delayed: 1 for academic reasons, 2 for medical reasons, and 1 for other reason
2015: 7 students were delayed: 4 for academic reasons, 1 for medical reasons, and 2 for other reasons
2014: 7 students were delayed: 2 for academic reasons, 4 for medical reasons, and 1 to meet the requirements of the PharmD/MBA dual degree program
2013: 5 students were delayed: 3 for academic reasons, 1 for medical reasons, and 1 to meet the requirements of the PharmD/MBA dual degree program
2012: 5 students were delayed: 1 for academic reasons, 3 for medical reasons, and 1 to meet the requirements of the PharmD/MBA dual degree program
2011: 7 students were delayed: 5 for medical reasons, 2 for other reasons
2010: 4 students were delayed: 1 for academic reasons, 2 for medical reasons, and 1 for other reasons
2009: 4 students were delayed: 3 for academic reasons, 1 for other reason
2008: 2 students were delayed: 1 for academic reasons, 1 for medical reasons
as of Mar. 10, 2023
The NAPLEX and the MPJE exams are critical outcome measures that help School leadership assess relative competency performance against benchmarks.
| Graduating Year | NAPLEX First-Time (%) | National Benchmark (%) | UNC Performance vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 93 | 79 | 14% Higher |
| 2022 | 93 | 78 | 15% Higher |
| 2021* | 96 | 82 | 14% Higher |
| 2020 | 98 | 86 | 12% Higher |
| 2019 | 92 | 87 | 5% Higher |
| 2018 | 95 | 89 | 6% Higher |
| 2017 | 92 | 88 | 4% Higher |
| 2016 | 95 | 86 | 10% Higher |
* Revised NAPLEX blueprint occurred in 2021 – click here for details of the change.
as of Nov. 1, 2023
Students’ acceptance of a position at or around graduation is a critical success factor of the PharmD program that is closely monitored.
| Graduating Class Year | Total Graduates (1) | Position Acceptance Rate (2) | Residency (3) | Fellowship (4) | Employment (5) | Other (6) | Lost to Follow-Up (7) | North Carolina Position (8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 155 | 148 (95%) | 80 (52%) | 23 (15%) | 42 (27%) | 3 (1%) | 7 (5%) | 51 (33%) |
| 2022 | 135 | 124 (92%) | 80 (59%) | 14 (10%) | 29 (21%) | 1 (1%) | 11 (8%) | 46 (34%) |
(1) Total number of students that graduated in May of the same graduating class year.
(2) The Position Acceptance Rate is the total amount of students that have accepted a position by November 1st divided by the total amount of students that graduated in May of the same graduating class year.
(3) Residency is defined as accepting a post graduate residency training position in any of the following specialties. Acute Care, Ambulatory Care, Community, Hospital/Health System Admin, Managed Care or Other.
(4) Fellowship is defined as accepting a post graduate fellowship training position in any of the following specialties. Medical Affairs/Medical Information/Medical Communications, Clinical Research/Drug Development, Regulatory Affairs, Managed Care, Health Economics & Outcomes Research/Market Access, Drug Information, Commercial, Clinical Pharmacology/Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics/Pharmacometrics.
(5) Employment is defined as accepting a position in Community Pharmacy (chain), Community Pharmacy (independent), Nuclear, Life Sciences Consulting, Long Term Care, Consulting or Other.
(6) Other is defined as any position accepted that is not categorized as employment, residency or fellowship. In some cases, this might be enrollment in postgraduate education.
(7) A student is considered lost to follow-up if our Career Service offices has not documented the position choice of the student by November 1st of the graduating year.
(8) A student is reported as in North Carolina if we have data that indicates their physical work location city and state. Note – If the employer is in another state and the student is working remotely in North Carolina, then we consider this a North Carolina placement.
2022 data collected via the Graduating Student Survey that closed on 5/2022. This was supplemented with student follow-up through November. Please click HERE to view the summary results.
2021 data collected via the Graduating Student Survey that closed on 5/2021. This was supplemented with student follow-up that ended in November. Please click HERE to view the summary results.
2020 data collected via the Graduating Student Survey that closed on 5/2020. This was supplemented with student follow-up that ended in November. Please click HERE to view the summary results.
2019 data collected via the Graduating Student Survey that closed on 5/2019. This was supplemented with student follow-up that ended in November. Please click HERE to view the summary results.
Authoritative Data Source – Report Catalog
Pharm.D. Program Accreditation
The doctor of pharmacy program at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy was reaccredited in August 2020 by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.
The accreditation term granted for the doctor of pharmacy program extends until June 30, 2028, which represents the customary eight-year cycle between self-studies. The professional program of the School and its accreditation status is designated on ACPE’s web site, acpe-accredit.org.