Doctor of Pharmacy, PharmD

Beyond the required courses, which can be seen in the University Catalog, you'll take 30 credit hours of electives to build upon the foundation of pharmacy coursework with at least 18 credit hours in your selected concentration.

View PharmD Curriculum and Course Descriptions in the Belmont University Catalog.

New Integrated Curriculum

Curricular Vision and Philosophy

The Belmont University PharmD curriculum is designed to prepare graduates to provide exceptional patient care, be leaders in the profession of pharmacy, work collaboratively with other health professions, and serve humanity. Additionally, the curriculum will prepare the graduate to help those most in need with an intentional focus on strategies to improve health equity. 

Purposeful planning occurred to align the curriculum with Belmont’s Christ-centered, student-focused mission by ensuring student success in the classroom and after graduation. The curriculum is delivered in an integrated modular format using a blend of traditional didactic instruction and innovative active learning to engage all learners.

• A robust integrated pharmacotherapy sequence is designed to empower the student with knowledge and critical thinking skills to provide exceptional patient care.
• The student will develop leadership skills and learn strategies to advance pharmacy practice in order to lead the profession.
• P1s will start rotation experiences in their first semester.
• Frequent interprofessional experiences and integration of health care technology give the student the ability to work collaboratively with other health professions.
• Opportunities for mission work and exposure to research prepare the student for service to humanity.
• Our longitudinal pharmacy skills lab allows students to apply concepts learned in the classroom. 

Why an Integrated Curriculum?

Evidence shows that students who learn therapeutic knowledge along with the science behind the intervention may be more able to apply their scientific knowledge in the clinical setting.¹ It allows the graduate to connect science with clinical decision-making. This synthesis of information allows the student to apply that knowledge to scenarios that they may not have encountered in the classroom. Additionally, data show that this approach may increase both clinical and scientific knowledge.² Finally, we were encouraged by feedback from our students and graduates that this approach may help increase retention of knowledge while reducing duplication of material resulting in a right-sized didactic experience.

This has resulted in the creation of a unique series of introductory courses, Integrated Pharmaceutical Sciences, where the foundational science of biochemistry, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pharmaceutics, and pharmacogenomics will be taught together. This approach is designed to reduce duplication of topics, allow for application, and at the same time enhance student learning.

Finally, the choice was made to build a longitudinal skills lab where concepts taught in the classroom will be used to practice skills necessary for pharmacy practice. This lab will follow classroom learning and integrate various skills to help develop graduates with a comprehensive toolbox of abilities. In the lab, students will learn basic pharmacy skills alongside dosage form preparation (compounding), physical assessment with patient interview techniques, drug information combined with pharmacy informatics to help guide clinical decision making. The curriculum is designed for the modern pharmacy graduate that needs to integrate multiple skills with foundational and clinical knowledge to provide exceptional patient care.

Concentrations

 We are in the process of developing the concentrations that will be available for students under the new Integrated Curriculum. We will update this section when the process and concentrations have been approved through the university curriculum process. 

Learn and serve outside the classroom

As a Belmont PharmD student, your opportunities are endless.

You can work in Belmont's on-campus pharmacy, research in the lab, pursue internships and volunteer in the Nashville community. Because of Belmont's unique mission-minded, Christ-centered community, students are empowered to make the world around them a better place.

Dozens of students in the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences live this out each year through mission trips across the country and throughout the world.

Student Organizations

At Belmont, learning doesn't stop in the classroom. Student organizations create more opportunities to engage and build meaningful experiences. There are many existing organizations Pharmacy students can join, or if you don't see what you're looking for, the process to start a new one is simple and streamlined.

The College of Pharmacy annually admits an ideal class of 70 to 75 students to the professional entry-level Doctorate (PharmD), to begin the program each Fall.

The College of Pharmacy receives applications for admission and most applicant credentials exclusively through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS), provided by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP).

Learn more about Admissions Requirements and Process

Start your PharmCAS Application

View Belmont's PharmCAS directory information

On average, 96% of admitted candidates receive a 4-year scholarship between $6,000 and $100,000. 

View available scholarship opportunities

Embark on a transformative journey with our pharmacy program as we present unique medical mission opportunities in countries across the globe, including Honduras, Guatemala, and many more to come. Alongside students, faculty, and providers across the interprofessional healthcare spectrum, mission trip participants make a meaningful impact on underserved populations by applying the skills and expertise acquired throughout our pharmacy curriculum.  By participating in these missions, students not only contribute to the well-being of those in need but also emerge as compassionate and equipped individuals, ready to make the world a better place. This is an unparalleled chance to integrate knowledge into action, bridging the gap between education and service while embodying the principles that define our institution.