Academic Policies and Procedures

Majors

The college presently offers a major in pharmacy that leads to professional licensure and the Doctor of Pharmacy degree.

Admission to Professional Pharmacy Programs

The professional programs in pharmacy are divided into two phases: pre-pharmacy curriculum and professional curriculum. While the requirements of the pre-pharmacy phase can be completed at any accredited four-year institution or community college prior to entering the College of Pharmacy, students choosing to matriculate at a college other than the University of Florida for pharmacy studies should make certain they can fulfill all requirements for admission.

Admission to this college is selective. While specific requirements are listed below, the college is unable to guarantee admission to every candidate who meets the minimum requirements. Through the admissions committee, the college selects eligible applicants annually to begin studies in August.

All applicants to the professional program are required to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT). Requests for information and an application for the PCAT should be directed to Pharmacy College Admission Test, The Psychological Corporation, 555 Academic Court, San Antonio, Texas 78204.

Examinations are held three times a year, usually in October, January and March. For applicants residing in Florida, the test may be taken in Gainesville, Miami, Tallahassee, Pensacola or Tampa. Students taking the PCAT should request that the scores be sent to the College of Pharmacy, PO Box 100495, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610-0495.

Although the PCAT is given three times a year, students should take the October test if application for admission is being made for the following fall semester. The test may be taken more than once.

Critical Tracking Criteria

The universal tracking program provides accurate academic advising in an appropriate time frame. The college has designated particular criteria that must be completed each semester to progress satisfactorily toward a degree in pharmacy. Failure to meet these criteria will result in a low probability of admission to the professional curriculum within two academic years.

Students should plan to take all science courses in the fall and spring semesters, especially organic chemistry. Students also should use the pre-pharmacy sequence to satisfy general education requirements. All pre-pharmacy courses must be completed before beginning the professional curriculum.

University of Florida Students

Students at the University of Florida who are interested in applying to this college must declare a pharmacy major and complete pre-professional courses. Students can complete the pre-professional course work within two calendar years and will be monitored by the college through the universal tracking program.

Students interested in pharmacy should complete CLAST, general education and the Writing and Math Requirement before beginning the professional curriculum.

Transfer Students

Students at community colleges or other four-year schools should follow a program similar to that of native UF freshmen and sophomores.

• General chemistry and biology should be completed in the first year since both are on the PCAT.
• Organic chemistry, physics, public speaking, and anatomy and physiology should be completed in the second year.
• All applicants must have completed two sequential courses of foreign language in secondary school or 8-10 semester hours at the post-secondary level, or document an equivalent level of proficiency.
• Transfer students must meet requirements for an Associate of Arts degree.

Postbaccalaureate Admission

Students with baccalaureate degrees in majors other than pharmacy may be admitted by the Pharmacy Admissions Committee to the professional degree program when the necessary pre-pharmacy course requirements and application requirements are complete.

Special Requirements and Information

All pharmacy students must be certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)-adult and child-by the first day of the fall semester of the first professional year. A copy of the CPR certification will be placed in the student's file in the Office for Student Affairs. The CPR certification must be kept current during all pharmacy studies.

Health Policies

All students must document their immunization status prior to matriculation in the College of Pharmacy. Students must indicate their history of acquired or natural immunity to the following diseases: measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, diphtheria and tetanus.

All students must show proof of a recent (within the past 6 months) tuberculosis skin test (PPD or Tine test), a diphtheria-tetanus vaccination (within the past 10 years) and a measles-mumps-rubella vaccination (if natural immunity is absent).

Admitted students must complete the three vaccinations against the hepatitis B virus by April 1 of the first professional year. The expense for all immunizations and TB skin tests is the student's responsibility.

Prior to entering clerkship, students must file results of a recent TB skin test with the Office for Student Affairs. A TB skin test also is required at the completion of the clerkship. The results of this test must be supplied to the Office for Student Affairs to meet certification requirements for graduation. Students may petition for exemption from immunizations and TB skin tests.

Insurance

Health insurance should be obtained while enrolled in the college. Cost for this insurance is assumed by the student. Students also should consider obtaining malpractice insurance.

Financial Aid

The College of Pharmacy offers financial aid to admitted pharmacy students through a variety of sponsors, including a Jack Eckerd Endowment and a Charlotte Liberty Family endowment. Other sponsors of financial aid include pharmaceutical companies, pharmacy organizations and the pharmacy alumni association.

Pharmacy students may qualify for numerous awards as they progress through the curriculum. An emergency loan program and funds for short-term and long-term loans are available. A listing of all awards, scholarships and loans is available in the college's Office for Student Affairs.

The Financial Aid and Awards Committee in the college coordinates the selection of recipients.

Computer Requirement

Pharmacy students must have a laptop computer. The college's minimum standard for a computer includes:

• Laptop, notebook or portable
• Hardware
• 166 MHz Pentium MMX
• 32 MB SDRAM Upgradable to 64 MB
• 256k L2 Cache
• 2 GB Hard Drive
• SVGA Video Adapter With 2 MB Video RAM
• 12 Inch Active Matrix Display
• 1.44 MB Floppy Drive
• 10X CD-ROM
• Sound Blaster Compatible Sound Card
• Pointing Device
• PCMCIA Slots
• V.90 Modem
• Color Ink Jet Printer Recommended
• Color Scanner Recommended
• Software
• Windows 9x
• MS Word 97
• MS Excel 97
• MS Powerpoint 97
• Internet Access
• Email Address
• Netscape 4
• Acrobat Reader 3
• Real Player G2

Refer to the university's home page at or to the CIRCA home page at for general computer information as well as a link to the college's web page.

Dean's List

The Dean's List recognizes outstanding academic achievement each semester. To be included on the list, a student must have a 3.5 grade point average on 12 semester hours during the fall or spring semester. Grades of U, I* or N* during the semester will not be considered, regardless of the computed grade point average.