The Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy operates educational and research campuses in Kingsville, TX and College Station, TX. It offers a four-year professional pharmacy degree program.
The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) professional degree program aims to increase representation in the pharmacy profession by the traditionally underrepresented demographic groups of South Texas, provide the population of South Texas access to a high quality PharmD program, support advanced research in pharmaceutical care issues pertinent to South Texas, enhance health outcomes, and expand the scope and depth of regional health care service activities.
The first, second, and third professional years are offered on both campuses simultaneously, while the fourth professional year consists of advanced clinical rotations throughout Texas.
Educational Objectives
The Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy prepares entry-level pharmacy practitioners with the essential abilities necessary to be competent professionals, as evidenced by the ability to pass the North American Pharmacy Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE) on the first attempt.
The required core competencies to be attained by PharmD students are grouped into the following categories:
- Communicating with patients and health professionals
- Applying basic science to practice
- Problem-solving and decision-making
- Dispensing pharmaceuticals
- Providing pharmaceutical care
- Performing professionally and ethically
- Managing and supervising within pharmacy practice
Each of the above categories has specific learning objectives that each student is expected to satisfy over his or her course of study.
Courses that comprise the core curriculum of the Irma Lerma Rangel School of Pharmacy curriculum leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree are described below. The core includes both required and elective coursework. The courses below are listed by year and consist of didactic, laboratory, practice experience (introductory and advanced) and post-experiential offerings. Each course is shown with designations of pre-and/or corequisites where applicable.
Plan of Study Grid First Year |
Fall |
PHAR 626 | Human Physiology | 4 |
PHAR 627 | Biochemistry | 3 |
PHAR 641 | Pharmaceutical Calculations | 2 |
PHAR 610 | Principles Drug Action I | 2 |
PHAR 656 | Health Care Systems | 2 |
PHAR 672 | Introduction to Patient Care | 2 |
PHAR 671 | Clinical Communications | 2 |
PHAR 605 | IPPE I: Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences | 1 |
PHAR 601 | Forum / Student Portfolios / Professional Development I | 0 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Spring |
PHAR 673 | Self Care and Non-Prescription Medications | 3 |
PHAR 611 | Principles Drug Action II | 2 |
PHAR 628 | Research Methods/Biostatics | 2 |
PHAR 658 | Public Heath and Pharmacoepidemiology | 2 |
PHAR 642 | Pharmaceutics I | 4 |
PHAR 657 | Pharmacy Law and Ethics | 3 |
PHAR 606 | IPPE II: Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences | 1 |
PHAR 601 | Forum / Student Portfolios / Professional Development I | 1 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Second Year |
Fall |
PHAR 742 | Basic Pharmacokinetics | 3 |
PHAR 741 | Pharmaceutics II | 3 |
PHAR 710 | IPT I: Electrolytes, Acid-Base, and Kidney Diseases | 2 |
PHAR 711 | IPT II: Cardiovascular Diseases | 4 |
PHAR 721 | Nutrition, Vitamins, Complementary and Alternative Medicine | 2 |
PHAR 777 | Sterile Products/IV Admixtures (Lab) | 1 |
PHAR 705 | IPPE: Community Pharmacy Practice | 1 |
PHAR 714 | IPT Recitation/Rounds I | 1 |
PHAR 701 | Forum/Student Portfolios/Professional Development II | 0 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 17 |
Spring |
PHAR 726 | Microbiology/Immunology | 3 |
PHAR 757 | Pharmacy Management and Pharmacoeconomics | 3 |
PHAR 712 | IPT III:Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases | 3 |
PHAR 713 | IPT IV: Neurology and Pain Management | 3 |
PHAR 778 | Drug Literature Evaluation and Patient Drug Education | 3 |
PHAR 706 | IPPE: Institutional Pharmacy Practice | 1 |
PHAR 715 | IPT Recitation/Rounds II | 1 |
PHAR 701 | Forum/Student Portfolios/Professional Development II | 1 |
| 0 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 18 |
Third Year |
Fall |
PHAR 841 | Toxicology and Poison Management | 2 |
PHAR 872 | Social-Behavioral Aspects of Patient Care | 2 |
PHAR 810 | IPT V: Mental and Behavioral Health Disorders | 3 |
PHAR 811 | IPT VI: Critical Care, GI, Pulmonary, Rheumatic, Ophthalmology and Dermatology | 5 |
PHAR 814 | IPT Recitation/Rounds III | 1 |
PHAR 801 | Forum/Student Portfolios/Professional Development III | 0 |
PHAR 842 | Patient Assessment | 3 |
| 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 19 |
Spring |
PHAR 873 | Pharmacy Professionalism | 1 |
PHAR 875 | Clinical Pharmacokinetics | 3 |
PHAR 871 | Pharmaceutical Care Lab and Medication Therapy Management | 2 |
PHAR 812 | IPT VII: Infectious Diseases | 5 |
PHAR 813 | IPT VIII: Oncology, Transplant and Genomics | 3 |
PHAR 801 | Forum/Student Portfolios/Professional Development III | 1 |
PHAR 815 | IPT Recitation/Rounds IV | 1 |
| 3 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 19 |
Fourth Year |
Fall |
| 6 |
| 6 |
| 6 |
| 6 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 24 |
Spring |
| 6 |
| 6 |
PHAR 805 | Capstone | 1 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 13 |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 146 |
Course Credits
The learning format of the class governs the number of Semester Credit Hours (SCH) a particular course is given. The following guidelines were used to make these determinations:
- Didactic Courses: 1 x 50 minutes = 1 Semester Credit Hour
- Seminar Courses: 2 x 50 minutes = 1 Semester Credit Hour
- Laboratory Courses: 3-4 x 50 minutes = 1 Semester Credit Hour
- Recitation Courses: 3-4 x 50 minutes = 1 Semester Credit Hour (e.g., case studies)
- Experiential Courses: 81 x 50 minutes = 1 Semester Credit Hour
Requirements for Graduation
A candidate for the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) degree must meet all of the following requirements to be eligible to graduate:
- Satisfactorily meeting all requirements for admission
- Satisfactorily complete all curriculum requirements including:
- the total number of semester credit hours
- all specified didactic and experiential coursework
- passing all applicable comprehensive benchmark assessment activities
- completion of all final administrative or other requirements (e.g., final debts to the college or Texas A&M University)
- Satisfactorily complete all Student Portfolio assignments
- Have a cumulative grade point average of 2.3 or higher for the total degree program requirements
- Complete all immunization certification requirements
- Complete an exit interview with the Texas A&M University Scholarships & Financial Aid and the college’s Office of Student Affairs
- Submit a graduation application by the due date to the Texas A&M University Office of the Registrar
- Pay any required graduation fees or outstanding debts to the Texas A&M University Student Business Services
A student failing to meet any of these requirements may not graduate until ALL requirements are met.