Richmond-based Virginia Commonwealth University is launching an accelerated program during the fall that allows students to earn both a Bachelor of Science in pharmaceutical sciences and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in seven years instead of eight.
The program aims to help students enter the workforce sooner amid a projected national shortage of pharmacists, according to a March 19 news release from the university.
The program, which will be an expansion of VCU’s pharmaceutical sciences curriculum, allows students to complete undergraduate coursework in three years before beginning the four-year PharmD program.
It will be available to first-year and incoming students majoring in pharmaceutical sciences. However, unlike VCU’s six-year guaranteed admission PharmD program, which is limited to honors students, this option is available for more applicants.
