Post-B.S. Pharm.D. Programs
Pharmacists who previously earned a bachelor's degree in pharmacy in the United States (U.S.) or abroad may pursue a nontraditional post-baccalaureate (post-B.S./post-Bacc) Pharm.D. degree offered by colleges and schools of pharmacy accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Nontraditional post-B.S. programs are ONLY available to pharmacists who currently hold a pharmacy license in the U.S. and have:
- Completed the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Examination Committee (FPGEC®) certification process and other state licensure requirements, OR
- Graduated from an ACPE-accredited Bachelor of Pharmacy degree program before June 30, 2004.
Foreign-trained pharmacists must complete one of two options before they can practice pharmacy in the U.S.
- Complete the FPGEC certification process: This pathway is only available to foreign-educated pharmacists who have previously completed the equivalent of a 5-year pharmacy degree program and earned an unrestricted license to practice pharmacy in their home country. Once foreign-educated pharmacists have successfully completed the FPGEC certification process, they are eligible to complete other U.S. state licensure requirements. Visit the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) website to learn more about the FPGEC certification process.
- Graduate from an ACPE-accredited entry-level (traditional) Pharm.D. program: Foreign-educated pharmacists who are ineligible for the FPGEC certification process for any reason and wish to practice in the U.S. must complete the entire entry-level (traditional) Pharm.D. program at an ACPE-accredited institution, including all introductory (IPEE) and advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) requirements. Visit the PharmCAS School Directory to view all programs. Each program will determine whether a foreign-trained pharmacist is eligible for advanced standing status. If yes, only a limited number of didactic (classroom-based) courses in the entry-level Pharm.D. program may be waived. Graduates of Pharm.D. programs accredited by ACPE are eligible to take NAPLEX and complete other U.S. state licensure requirements.
Foreign-educated pharmacists who complete either option #1 or #2 may also need to complete additional U.S. immigration requirements before they are eligible work and live in the U.S.
You can compare individual programs by checking boxes in the “Compare” column and then clicking “Apply Filter.”