The online graduate certificate program allows US-based working professionals to enhance their professional careers in the non-dispensing areas of pharmacy, all with minimal disruption to their schedules.
Program Details
Time
The program offers working professionals to take advantage of a 5-course track that can be completed within one year.
Admissions
A Bachelor’s or higher and minimum of a 2.5 GPA is required
Credential
Students receive an official certificate document upon satisfactory completion of the program, and the conferment of the certificate is the student’s academic transcript.
Program Curriculum
Choose five of the following courses (15 credits):
| Course | Credit Hours | Fall A|B|C | Spring A|B|C | Summer A|B|C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PHA 6186 POP Foundations 1 * | 3 credits | A | ||
| PHA 6274: Federal Regulation of Drugs & Pharmacy | 3 credits | B | ||
| PHA 6187 POP Foundations 2 * | 3 credits | A | ||
| PHA 6280: Medicare & Medicaid | 3 credits | A | ||
| PHA 6269: Pharmaceutical Products & Public Policy | 3 credits | B | ||
| PHA 6273: Structure, Process, & Outcomes of Regulation | 3 credits | A | ||
| PHA 6275: Federal Regulation of Controlled Substances | 3 credits | B |
*Either of the two Foundations courses can be counted toward the certificate curriculum, but not both. Students without experience in pharmacy/health care are strongly encouraged to take one of the Foundations courses as their first course in the certificate
See the full course schedule here.
Note: Courses are offered in half-semester and full-semester formats. Half-semester courses are indicated as either A (for the first half of the semester) or B (for the second half of the semester). Full-semester courses are indicated as C courses. Students typically take one course at a time, but may take both a half-semester course and a full-semester course concurrently. Please see the academic calendar for dates
Alternate and/or additional course requirements may apply when earning more than one certificate in the Online POP program. Students interested in earning multiple certificates should contact the program’s academic advisor for course planning.
Transition from Online Graduate Certificate to M.S.
Students who enroll initially in an online graduate certificate program may decide later to pursue a Master’s degree. These students are required to apply and be accepted to the M.S. program. Application information is available here.
Students are advised that the minimum admission requirement for the M.S. has a higher GPA than the graduate certificate program. Thus, some students in the graduate certificate program may not be eligible for admission into the M.S. program. Completing certificate coursework does, however, strengthen a student’s graduate application.
University policy only allows up to 15 credit hours earned in the graduate certificate program to be counted towards the M.S. degree. Further, only credits with a B or higher (not B-) are eligible to be transferred to the M.S. degree. As such, students are advised to apply for admission to the M.S. program before exceeding 15 credit hours if they wish to pursue a M.S.
All work toward the Master’s degree must be completed within 7 years before the degree is awarded (see VII.E Timeline for Degree Completion). Therefore, students transitioning from the graduate certificate to M.S. program must complete the M.S. coursework within 7 years of taking their first certificate course.