Program Objectives
The UTHSC College of Pharmacy awards a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) degree to students enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program after successful completion of the first three semesters or 58 credit hours. The BSPS is not a terminal degree.
Curriculum Description
A Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) degree is awarded to students in the PharmD program after a coherent plan of study that includes 62 credit hours of pre-requisite coursework, including general education, and 58 credit hours of pharmaceutical science courses completed in the first three (3) semesters of the PharmD program.
Admission and Selection
Admission requirements
Students meeting pre-requisite requirements for and admitted into the Doctor of Pharmacy program will be eligible for the BSPS degree.
The Doctor of Pharmacy admission requirements include completion of the following Doctor of Pharmacy prerequisite coursework with a grade of “C-” or better in each course:
| Prerequisite Course |
Credit Hours |
| English Composition* |
6 |
| Communications/Speech* |
3 |
| Humanities (example: Arts, Literature, History, Language, Philosophy)* |
6 |
| Social/Behavioral Sciences (example: Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Political Science, Economics)* |
6 |
| General Biology/Zoology |
8 |
| General Chemistry |
8 |
| Statistics* |
3 |
| Calculus* |
3 |
| Organic Chemistry |
8 |
| Anatomy-Physiology |
8 |
| Microbiology* |
3 |
| American History^ |
6** |
*General Education requirement
^ The American History requirement may be met upon admission into the PharmD program or while in the PharmD program. The requirement must be met in order to receive the BSPS degree.
**Proof of one year of American History at the high school level or six (6) credit hours of college level American History or three (3) credit hours of American History and three (3) credit hours of Tennessee History
For more information regarding admission, see the Doctor of Pharmacy Admissions Requirements .
Admission by transfer
- Admission to the BSPS program requires admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program.
- Students accepted for transfer into the Doctor of Pharmacy program, may also be eligible to receive the BSPS degree if all of the requirements for graduation are met. A minimum of thirty (30) of the required credit hours must be successfully completed at UTHSC.
General Education Competencies
General education competencies for all UTHSC baccalaureate degrees are:
- Critical Thinking: Students will demonstrate their ability to solve problems, construct and present cogent arguments in support of their views, and understand and evaluate arguments presented by others.
- Communication: Students will demonstrate appropriate skills in planning, preparing and presenting effective oral and written presentations.
- Interprofessionalism: Students will be able to explain interprofessional practice to patients, clients, families and other professionals, describe the areas of practice of other health professions, and express professional opinions competently, confidently, and respectfully while avoiding discipline-specific language.
General education competencies will be measured through tools and strategies such as student performance on examinations, written activities and reflections, experiential rotations, and clinical simulations and on objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs).
Program Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program, students will:
-
Demonstrate the ability to apply their knowledge and skills of basic and pharmaceutical sciences in the pharmaceutics laboratory through the preparation of sterile and non-sterile products.
-
Demonstrate the ability to apply their knowledge in pharmaceutical and clinical sciences through application to patient scenarios in examinations, simulated patient encounters, interprofessional learning, and experiential learning.
-
Demonstrate how to solve pharmacokinetic problems and the application of pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenomic knowledge of drugs and drug dosages to patient scenarios to assure effective and safe use of medications.
-
Communicate effectively and appropriately to patients, health care professionals, and professional audiences orally and in writing.
-
Exhibit knowledge and understanding of the health care system and professional attributes of a health care professional.
Program learning outcomes will be measured through tools and strategies such as student performance on examinations and in courses, written activities and reflections, laboratory sessions and simulations, clinical simulation and objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs), and experiential rotations.
Tuition, Fees, and Expenses
The cost of the BSPS is included in the PharmD tuition . There are no additional tuition or fees.
BSPS Policies
See Information About the College in the UTHSC Academic Bulletin for the College of Pharmacy.
Progress, Promotion, and Graduation
Academic Probation
- Academic probation will be imposed when the student’s academic performance meets any of the following conditions:
- The cumulative grade point average at the conclusion of any term is less than 2.00;
- The grade point average earned for any one term is less than 2.00;
- The student earns less than a C- or a “no pass” in any course.
- A period of academic probation will be in effect during the term immediately following the conclusion of the term in which the student’s academic performance meets the conditions for imposition of probation. If at the conclusion of the term during which a period of probation is in effect the student’s academic performance continues to meet any conditions for probation, the student will be subject to dismissal for the College of Pharmacy. If at the conclusion of the term during which a period of probation is in effect the student’s academic performance no longer meets the above conditions for probation, the student will return to good academic standing.
- During any term of probation, a student may not be elected to any office or accept any appointed positions in any College or Campus recognized organization. It is required that any student who is placed on academic probation resign any office(s) currently held. A student on probation is not permitted to represent the College or Campus in any official capacity and is not eligible to travel on College funds.
Academic Deficiency
A student may not progress in the curriculum with an “F” or “no pass” earned in any course. Students with outstanding deficiencies (e.g., grade of “F” or “no pass”) in the professional curriculum may not register for courses in the next professional term without affirmative action by the Academic Standing and Promotion Review (ASPR) Committee of the College and approval of the Dean. Students are not eligible to begin the next academic year until the course in which the “F” or “no pass” was earned has been repeated and the grade earned is a “C-” or better or “pass.” When any course is repeated, both the original grade made in the course and the newly earned grade will appear on the student’s transcript and will be used for the determination of the student’s overall cumulative grade point average.
Requirements for Graduation
In order to be awarded a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences degree, a student must have completed all degree requirements and complied with the following conditions:
- Student must have completed the last two academic terms of the program in the UTHSC College of Pharmacy;
- Student must have completed a minimum of 58 hours of the required didactic and experiential courses in the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum and any courses in which an “F” or “no pass” was received must have been successfully retaken;
- Student must have attained a final cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or above (on a 4.0 scale) and achieve a passing grade in required courses.
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