The University of Texas at Austin

Program Description (back to top)

Program and Admissions information: http://sites.utexas.edu/pharmacy-admissions/

General Information:

The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy was founded in 1893 and is currently the number three ranked pharmacy program by U.S. News and World Report. Located in the heart of Austin, Texas, the UT-Austin College of Pharmacy has a joint program with The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. The college provides education and training to more than 500 professional students and approximately 130 graduate students, post-graduate residents, and post-graduate fellows.

UT-Austin pharmacy students receive high quality instruction in the basic pharmaceutical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and pharmacy practice. Professional pharmacy students receive interprofessional training alongside the medical, nursing, social work, and other interprofessional student groups throughout the Pharm.D. program. Clinical education sites are available in the Austin/Temple/Waco area, the Rio Grande Valley, the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Student pharmacists are trained to deliver patient-centered care in an interprofessional collaborative practice environment. Graduates enter residency at a rate above the national average, and at the highest rate of all Texas Colleges/Schools of Pharmacy. An Honors Research Program and a Pharm.D./Ph.D. track are available for students who show an interest in academic and/or research careers.

Student pharmacists are active in over 20 student organizations where they participate in community service and professional development activities.

Vision/Mission:
The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy strives to be the leading College of Pharmacy for innovative interdisciplinary education, research, and service, revolutionizing patient care and health outcomes in Texas and the world. The college provides exemplary education, training, research, and professional development for Pharm.D. students, graduate students, and postgraduates in the pharmaceutical sciences; to advance discovery, innovation, and patient care; and to provide service to the university, professional and scientific communities, and society.

Professional students, graduate students, and post-graduate students are trained to be leaders in their profession, conducting exceptional basic, translational, clinical, health policy, and health services research, advancing scientific discovery and the health care of patients through innovations in the practice of pharmacy. Our students partner with pharmacy and other health care communities to provide innovative experiential education and service. Our students are trained to advocate for improvement in public health. Our college strives to build a collaborative, diverse environment that values and rewards innovation, productivity, and critical thinking.

Curriculum:

The Pharm.D. program requires at least two years of undergraduate pre-pharmacy prerequisite coursework and four years of the professional program in the college of pharmacy. The curriculum is designed to provide the state and nation with pharmacists who are scientifically trained and clinically competent to deliver a full spectrum of patient-centered care in all areas of practice and to be leaders in the profession. The curriculum features a discipline-integrated approach to the management of disease states, and a case-based team approach to the design of patient-specific therapeutic care.

Admissions:

Students may begin the professional curriculum only after they have been admitted to The University of Texas at Austin and to the professional program in pharmacy. To be accepted to the professional pharmacy program, applicants must complete at least 65 semester hours of prerequisite coursework. The Admissions Committee conducts a holistic review of application materials, including an assessment of overall academic achievement as indicated by grade point average and PCAT scores. In addition to academic credentials, the committee also consider other factors such as, but not limited to: letters of reference, oral and written communication skills, extracurricular involvement, knowledge of the profession, work experience, community service, leadership, research, teaching/tutoring/mentoring, and special life circumstances.

Other Programs: [a] Health Outcomes and Pharmacy Practice [M.S./Ph.D.]; [b] Pharmacology & Toxicology [Ph.D.]; [c] Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery [Ph.D.]; [d] Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry  [Ph.D]; [e] Pharmacotherapy [M.S./Ph.D.]; [f] Translational Sciences  [Ph.D.].