Online Doctor Of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Program

We encourage you to apply to our online pharmacy program even if you've not completed all prerequisite courses. However, all courses must be successfully completed by the time the program begins in August, and we define “successfully completed” as earning a “C” grade or better. Your acceptance to the program would be contingent upon completing those courses.

The program begins each year in August; you may not apply for entry to a specific semester. The class functions as a cohort and continues year-round for four years.

Once the application opens during the summer, you can submit your application throughout the academic year. Early application does not equate to early decision. Our rolling admissions cycle for the online Pharm.D. application begins August 1 and ends in late July.

We also encourage international applicants who have earned their baccalaureate degree outside the United States to apply. They must also meet all prerequisite requirements.

• To be considered a competitive applicant, you must have a minimum GPA of 2.5. However, a GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is preferred.
• Earn at least a "C" or above in prerequisite courses. If you’ve earned lower than a "C," you must retake the course and achieve a higher grade.
• Participate in an interview process with the School of Pharmacy faculty.

You must complete all prerequisites before entering the professional phase of Duquesne’s Pharm.D. program. We accept prerequisite courses from accredited two-year or four-year U.S. colleges and universities or their equivalent, including accredited community colleges. Prerequisites are not waived, and credit is not given for life experience or College Level Examinations (CLEP).

Bachelor degree applicants must complete 37 prerequisite credits. Non-bachelor degree applicants must complete 64* prerequisite credits. These courses must be taken at an accredited four-year college/university or two-year community college, and you must earn a grade of “C” or better.

*Non-bachelor degree applicants must also complete:

If you’ve started your academic journey to becoming a pharmacist at another institution, you can transfer previously earned credits  and continue toward your online Pharm.D. program at Duquesne.

Duquesne accepts prerequisite course credits from accredited two-year or four-year U.S. colleges and universities or their equivalent, including accredited community colleges.

Online courses/programs offered through regionally accredited colleges and universities are acceptable under the same grade guidelines as on-campus courses. Please email Pharmacy Admissions to see if a particular college is appropriately accredited for such classes.

Please note that some online colleges and other technical schools do not have regional accreditation, so their credits do not transfer to Duquesne University.

Before applying, you can meet with the Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management and Retention, Jason Stack, who can help evaluate your transcripts.

The first year of the Pharm.D.’s professional phase lays the groundwork for your graduate program and supports the growth of your foundational knowledge. You gain an enriched understanding of how to promote human health and well-being with a sequence of math and science-dense courses, such as pharmaceutical calculations, biochemistry, physiology, and drug delivery systems. Additionally, you learn about public health and study health care systems, laws, and ethics to deepen your knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry and its intricacies. 

Beyond theory-based learning, our program integrates professional development into your more science-focused coursework to ensure you continuously improve your patient-care skills and gain the practical competencies required to begin clinical rotations.

In your second professional year, you examine biomedical sciences and other critical areas, such as cardiology, infectious diseases, psychiatry, neurology, pain management, and endocrine disorders. You also complete specialized certificate programs in tobacco treatment and immunization, along with drug literature evaluation and pharmacokinetics classes, helping you understand how the body interacts and metabolizes a substance.

While most of your coursework is online, there are on-campus experiential learning opportunities. These allow you to immerse yourself in your studies, gain hands-on clinical experience, and connect with classmates and faculty.

Your final year in Duquesne’s online Pharm.D. program culminates in intensive clinical rotations, which allow you to transform your theoretical knowledge into first-hand experience. You can take up to 40 credits of hands-on patient care clinical practicums to build your confidence in working with patients and fulfilling your duties as a pharmacist in a variety of clinical settings. In addition to clinical rotations, you can choose specialized certification training in diabetes care, medication therapy management, substance use disorders, or health care leadership.

Our curriculum also integrates Continuous Professional Development courses into your experiential education program to ensure you have the opportunity to refine critical communication, career planning, and interpersonal skills to fuel your success.

• Acute Care
• Ambulatory Care
• Community Practice
• Entrepreneurial Pharmacy
• Geriatric Pharmacotherapy
• Health Services and Outcomes Research