School of Pharmacy
Small School - Meaningful Experience - Significant Impact
"We are proud of our graduates because they make a difference in the world around them."
-Dr. Kristy Lucas, UCSOP Dean
If your goal is to become a compassionate and competent pharmacist who makes an impact in their community, you have found your school.
UC School of Pharmacy students come from all over the country and the world to become pharmacists who can practice at the top level of their training. They are prepared to be part of or lead interprofessional patient care teams. And they bring a commitment to make a positive impact in the communities in which they serve.
The University of Charleston is no longer accepting students into its Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. To ensure current students can progress toward degree completion, a number of plans are in place. These plans and other issues pertaining to this decision can be found in the following Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
What sets UC apart?
- We are nationally recognized for our service, community outreach, and strong voice for rural and underserved populations. Our location in the state capital provides opportunities for advocacy.
- You will learn from pharmacists who are actively practicing in their field – so that you get a ‘real world’ glimpse into pharmacy and are also kept up to date on the latest developments in the profession.
- You’ll experience nearly 2,000 hands-on experiential hours, gaining experience in a wide array of pharmacy settings.
- You will develop the skills and experience to practice at large, advanced medical centers, as well as smaller, rural, underserved communities, where a pharmacist can often be the only healthcare provider in the area.
- Our experiential opportunities are as close as West Virginia and as diverse as Alaska and Puerto Rico; in prestigious institutions including the Cleveland Clinic, FDA, CDC, and Indian Health Services.
Add an MBA or MSSL to your PharmD - No Additional Cost
Adding a second business-related degree to your PharmD can enhance your career and lead to many opportunities for professional growth.
Life Changing Experiences
We offer our students many opportunities to make a difference in their own lives – and in the lives of others.
UC Pharmacy students are regularly selected for prestigious internships and experiences. They work with faculty on groundbreaking research and co-author papers in national publications. They earn national awards and have professional opportunities to develop leadership skills.
Our students earn national certifications in immunization, medication therapy management, point of care testing, and oncology (a value of over $1,500 if you earned them outside of our curriculum). They also develop a professional electronic portfolio demonstrating their achievement of competency in 6 core areas: public health, leadership, advocacy, scholarship, cultural awareness, and interprofessional education. All of this career-boosting certification is included in your tuition.
Our students also regularly participate in community health outreach opportunities, drug take back days, advocacy for the profession at the WV Capitol, and more. In the past few years, our students have become involved with COVID-19 vaccination/education programs as well as supporting programs related to opioid addiction.
Learn more about our students’ life-changing educational opportunities:
Pharmacy is more than you might think
There are many diverse options with a pharmacy career. We can help you discover them.
You could be on the team that creates a life-saving drug – or make sure that a new drug is safe for the general public. You could work as a veterinary pharmacist. Teach. Develop better ways to get life- saving medicines to more people efficiently. You can become a writer for technical and medical journals. Create drug prevention programs. And more.
Some highlights of our program include:
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- Small, safe, private campus
- Individual connections to faculty and other students through smaller classes
- All incoming students receive a renewable scholarship
- Focused curriculum offers active learning with a variety of elective courses
- Unique clinical rotations throughout the US
- More than 90% of UC School of Pharmacy students in each of our classes are employed within the first year of graduation
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- Diverse, welcoming student body
- Holistic admissions process – we look at you as a whole person, not just test scores
- Opportunities to take on leadership roles, participate in research, advocate for the profession
- Interprofessional activities with UC nursing and physician assistant programs
- Emphasis on community outreach, rural healthcare, and underserved population support
Program Quality Indicators
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UCSOP ranked #1 in the state for competitive post-graduate residency placements. 92% of UCSOP graduates seeking PGY1 residency in 2024 matched. 2024 marked a record year for PGY1 Residency and Fellowship placements. Many of our graduates go on to complete competitive specialty PGY2 residencies. We have many alumni practicing within pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies such as the FDA, in addition to hospital and healthcare systems and pharmacies across the nation and beyond.
The average NAPLEX first-time pass rate for graduating classes 2010-2024 is 81%. 61% of Class of 2024 members passed the NAPLEX on the first attempt. NAPLEX pass rates are published on the NABP website: https://nabp.pharmacy/wp-content/uploads/NAPLEX-Pass-Rates.pdf
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The average graduation rate for all students in our program is 91% and 81% of our students graduate on time. 62% of the Class of 2024 graduated the program in 4 years, while 81% of the students admitted to this class are expected to graduate from the program.
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72% of the Class of 2024 had at least one job offer prior to graduation, with over 1/3 of the class having more than one offer before graduating.
Our Mission
The mission of the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy is to prepare pharmacy leaders committed to a life of positive impact on the community through advocacy, education, scholarship, and innovation, providing the highest level of culturally sensitive interprofessional patient care, with an emphasis on underserved populations.
University of Charleston School of Pharmacy Values:
- We engage in interprofessional patient care and collaborative community outreach.
- We foster innovative leadership and are committed to the pursuit of excellence.
- We are committed to promoting professionalism and student success.
- We celebrate the accomplishments of our students, faculty and staff.
- We nurture a culture of diversity.
- We live our mission.
The vision for the University of Charleston School of Pharmacy is to:
- Prepare leaders, educators, and scientists to serve the profession across a diverse spectrum of pharmacy practice.
- Advance the Pharmacy profession through innovation, leadership, education and advocacy.
- Be a trusted leader and respected resource in collaborative education and health care.
- Become nationally recognized for service, community outreach, and a strong voice for rural and underserved populations.
Accreditation
The University of Charleston School of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 3000, Chicago, IL 60603, 312/664-3575; FAX 866/228-2631, website www.acpe-accredit.org.
