Degree Requirements
In order to complete the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program, a student must register for and pass each course set forth in the program’s curriculum outline. In addition, a student must be in good academic standing after completing the prescribed program. Normal program progression is sequential enrollment in all program classes each semester and successfully passing each course with a grade of “C” or better.
To remain in good academic standing in the Doctor of Pharmacy program, a student must accomplish the following:
- A cumulative and per semester GPA in all professional course work of at least 2.25.
- A minimum grade of “C” in all professional course work.
- A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25 is required for graduation.
- Satisfactory evidence of good interpersonal relations and professional conduct.
Students must satisfactorily complete each professional year’s curriculum in order to progress to the subsequent professional year. All failed courses must be successfully repeated by first or second professional year students prior to matriculating into subsequent pharmacy courses. No required course in the curriculum may be repeated more than once. If a student receives two or more failing grades in any didactic coursework outlined in the first, second, or third professional year, he or she will be dismissed due to academic deficiency. If a student receives two or more failing grades in any introductory pharmacy practice experience course work, he or she will be dismissed due to academic deficiency. If a student receives two failing grades in any advanced pharmacy practice experience course work, he or she will be dismissed due to academic deficiency. Students successfully completing the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum with a passing grade in each course and a 2.25 minimum cumulative GPA will be recommended by the faculty of the College of Pharmacy for graduation. Graduation with honors will be awarded based on the following definitions: summa cum laude for those with GPAs of 3.9 or higher; magna cum laude for those with GPAs of 3.75 to 3.89; cum laude for those with GPAs of 3.5 to 3.74.
Note(s):
Some Harding University undergraduate courses have been pre-approved to satisfy elective requirements of the pharmacy curriculum. A list of these courses is available in the College of Pharmacy Student Handbook. In order to register for courses outside the College of Pharmacy, a student must have a grade point average of 2.5 or better, meet all course pre-requisites, and must have consent of the instructor. The course must also fit into the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum schedule. Courses not already listed must be approved by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Students who wish to take PHA 742 Special Projects or PHA 743 Health Sciences Research must have a grade point average of 2.75 and must contact the appropriate department chair (Pharmaceutical Sciences or Pharmacy Practice) before registration opens. The department chair will assist the student in completing the necessary documentation to authorize registration for a research elective.
Tuition, fees, and expenses for summer elective courses at Harding University, summer elective courses at other institutions, or concurrent enrollment in elective courses at other institutions are not included in the fall or spring semester tuition and must be paid for separately by the student. Furthermore, all elective requirements listed above still apply. In order to receive elective credit from the College of Pharmacy, students who plan on taking an elective outside of Harding University must obtain permission from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs before registering for the outside course and complete the appropriate documentation.
Pharmacy students may receive elective professional credit for graduate level courses taken within the University. The following criteria apply to these decisions: (1) Course pre-requisites must be met; (2) Students must meet the requirements of the appropriate graduate program; (3) Enrollment in the course must have the approval of the graduate program director; (4) Enrollment in the course must have the approval of the Director of Student Affairs. Pharmacy students who desire to pursue a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree through the Harding University College of Business Administration concurrently with their Pharm.D. degree may choose to take MBA courses to fulfill the elective requirements in the Pharmacy program, provided the preceding criteria are met. Pharmacy students will be allowed by the MBA program to substitute three Pharmacy courses in place of two MBA courses: PHA 503 Biostatistics/Literature Evaluation for BUS 652 Quantitative Business Analysis/Research and PHA 506 Spiritual and Professional Values and PHA 750 Christian Bioethics for BUS 601 Ethics, Legal and Social Issues in Business . Pharmacy students will take the remainder of the MBA courses outside of the doctor of pharmacy curriculum and may in no semester take more than a total of 21 credit hours at Harding (pharmacy full load varies from 16 to 19 hours per semester in the first three professional years and from 4 to 16 hours per semester in the fourth professional year). A pharmacy student who chooses to pursue these options could concurrently earn up to 15 credit hours of the 36-hour MBA requirement by the time he or she graduates with a Pharm.D. degree. The Pharm.D. degree is conferred by the College of Pharmacy and the MBA is conferred by the College of Business.
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