School of Pharmacy

In our bachelor of science in pharmaceutical sciences program, you will acquire the basic and applied knowledge, skills and attitudes essential for the development of new drug products and therapies.

You will receive hands-on training in teaching laboratories that will prepare you to tackle real-world problems during your on- and off-campus experiential learning opportunities. Those opportunities include an externship and a yearlong capstone project where you and your team, under the supervision of a faculty expert, will work to address an open-ended problem in pharmaceutical sciences where you will be able to put all your newfound skills to practice.

Want to develop a new vaccine formulation or design new methods of treating cancer? Start here, and learn from faculty experts in our School of Pharmacy, who are involved in all aspects of drug product development.

You also have a lot of freedom with 12 credits of open electives. Here, you can focus on different areas of interest in pharmaceutical sciences or use those approved electives to pursue your many other interests.

Program Structure

Our program is divided in two main sections:

General Education Curriculum

The general education curriculum is required for all VCU students and "provides a diverse student body with a broad base of knowledge and intellectual skills to participate actively in a changing world."

Pharmaceutical Sciences Curriculum

The pharmaceutical sciences curriculum focuses on developing students' breadth and depth of knowledge and the skills, techniques, procedures and attitudes that will support the development of pharmaceutical scientists capable of addressing complex problems in drug product development as they make connections between the various studied disciplines.

The pharmaceutical sciences curriculum is also divided in three main sections:

1. Foundational sciences: You will receive a strong foundation in basic sciences, including chemistry, biology, physics, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology, math and statistics
2. Core curriculum: You will gain fundamental knowledge, skills and techniques, and have the ability to apply an evidence-based approach to address emerging problems in pharmaceutical sciences
3. Open electives: You can either take a sequence of elective courses to specialize in a certain area, including Drug Dosage Form Manufacturing, Research & Development, Healthcare Professions, and Drug Discovery, or simply choose among the many other approved electives to explore areas that are exciting to you

Modality and Time to Degree Completion

This is an in-person degree program that welcomes full-time and part-time students. Full-time students can graduate in four years.

Degree Details

VCU Bulletin is the official source for academic course and program information.