Departments of Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Science
Pharmacy Doctorate (Pharm.D.) Program
The Pharmacy program encompasses both the basic and clinical sciences and is designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential to the practice of pharmacy. Pharmacists work in concert with the patient and other health care providers to promote health and prevent diseases. This is achieved by assessing, monitoring, initiating and modifying patients' medication therapy to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes.
The pharmacy curriculum consists of a four year professional program leading to the Pharm.D. degree. Students entering the program in pre-pharmacy must meet general admission standards of the university and satisfy all required pre-pharmacy coursework prior to beginning the professional program. Students are admitted to the final four years on a competitive basis, and must meet specific admission requirements of the college. The program leads to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.). For admission requirements to the professional program, contact the dean’s office of the college. Students attending other institutions must maintain frequent contact with the college to determine appropriate course work. The pre-pharmacy course work may be completed at other institutions if course work has been submitted for formal NDSU review and determined to be equivalent to NDSU requirements.
The current entry-level Pharm.D. curriculum is designed to produce graduates with the professional competencies necessary to enter pharmacy practice in any setting to ensure optimal medication therapy outcomes and patient safety, and to satisfy the educational requirements for licensure as a pharmacist. The Pharm.D. degree prepares the student to accept positions in community, hospital, managed care, clinical, and industrial pharmacy. Other potential opportunities include administrative positions in pharmaceutical companies and associations. Teaching and research positions in universities and the pharmaceutical industry are excellent opportunities for those with advanced training in pharmacy.
The college is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE).
Vaccinology Minor
The Vaccinology Minor represents a unique opportunity for students in a range of science and health related majors to expand their experiences and enhance their marketability.
Vaccines are substances used to stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies and develop memory cells to provide immunity against diseases and infections. Vaccines can be proteins, small molecules, and even DNA. While traditional vaccines were killed or weakened versions of microbes that caused disease, the development and production of vaccines today applies a wide variety of molecular, biochemical, and cellular techniques to create both prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines. This new generation of vaccines has the potential to dramatically improve human health throughout the world. Current vaccines can be used to treat existing and prevent future infections, prevent cancer, and hold the potential to fight disease.
The Program
The Vaccinology Minor at North Dakota State University provides students a program to prepare for a career in the development and production of vaccines. Participation in the minor will help students prepare for biopharmaceutical industry careers, biomedical graduate school, and a broad range of health profession careers. The curriculum is designed to provide students with a broad range of experience in biochemistry, cell biology, and immunology while introducing students to the discipline of vaccinology through introductory and senior seminar courses as well as introducing students to aspects of working in a regulated industry environment and vaccinology research and development.
The Tri-College University coordinated the effort to establish a Vaccinology Minor on all three Tri-College campuses. The effort at NDSU was coordinated by the College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences; The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; and the Center for Biopharmaceutical Research and Production.
Career Opportunities
The career opportunities open to individuals with training in the areas of biochemistry, cell biology, and immunology have never been greater. Employment in the bioscience industry in the United States grew 15.8% from 2001 to 2008 and is expected to continue to grow at this rapid pace over the next decade. Additionally, the average salary for an employee working in the bioscience industry in the United States is currently over $77,000 per year. This is $32,000 per year more than the combined average salary in all private industries.
Contacts
- Dr. Mark Wallert, mark.wallert@ndsu.edu, 218-329-1406
- Dr. Joseph Provost, joseph.provost@ndsu.edu, 701-306-1586
