Curriculum 3.5

3.5 Year Curriculum 

At Harding University College of Pharmacy (HUCOP) you will earn a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree in a 3.5 year program of study. An emphasis on service and professionalism will equip you with the knowledge and skills to make a difference in your community and around the world. Applications are now open for Summer 2024! Learn more in the academic catalog.

A Unique Experience

The first program of its kind in the country, Harding’s College of Pharmacy 3.5 year curriculum utilizes blended teaching and practice models to prepare students for graduation at least one semester earlier. The result allows pharmacy graduates to enter the workforce sooner, for a net financial benefit as compared to traditional four-year pharmacy programs. The extra salary earned gives you a quicker return on your investment in pharmacy education.

Designed Around You

Designed around the student, the Harding program offers hybrid modes of learning with the flexibility of online coursework in the summer and on-ground classes during the traditional fall and spring semesters. Students learn experientially in real world settings, all with Harding’s commitment to teaching from a foundation of Christian ethics and values.

Curriculum

Our 3.5 year program begins with 2.5 years of classroom instruction and introductory pharmacy practice experiences followed by a final year comprised of advanced pharmacy practice experiences. Harding is a community of mission, and that starts with a student-centered focus. Faculty mentors and dedicated staff are committed to encouraging you to seek more and expect more of yourself. Your student cohort is a community of its own as you navigate classes, labs and experiences together. As a group, you have many opportunities to make a difference in the Harding, Searcy and central Arkansas communities through campus organizations, volunteer opportunities and other co-curricular activities that track alongside the formal curriculum. Harding also provides national and international opportunities through medical mission trips and experiential opportunities.

Required Pharmacy Practice Experiences:

• Inpatient Acute Care General Medicine
• Ambulatory Care
• Advanced Community I & II
• Advanced Hospital/Institutional
• Health and Wellness — You are challenged to take your professional passion and care for the community around you. This required experience allows you to choose a health education initiative addressing a documented health concern in communities of need.

Elective Pharmacy Practice Experiences:

• Cardiology
• Compounding
• Corporate Management
• Infectious Disease
• Military/Federal
• Nuclear Medicine
• Psychiatry/Substance Abuse
• Regulatory/Government
• Veterinary Medicine
  and more!

Specialized Trainings and Certifications:

• American Heart Association Basic Life Support (Healthcare Provider CPR)
• American Pharmacists Association Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery
• APhA Delivering Medication Therapy Management Services
• APhA The Pharmacist and Patient-Centered Diabetes Care
• Point-of-care testing (blood glucose, lipid panels, BMI, pulmonary function, etc.)
• Disease State Management Credentialing

Dual Degree Programs

• PharmD/MBA
  Focuses on entrepreneurship, healthcare management, and principled leadership
  Learn more
  
  
• PharmD/MSIS
  Focuses on data integration, information assurance and security, and project management
  Learn more

Attention High School Seniors!

Guaranteed Seat Program (GSP)
Are you an incoming freshman and interested in a Pharmacy career? The Guaranteed Seat Program (GSP) is intended to guarantee highly qualified students a position in the College of Pharmacy Pharm.D. program after the successful completion of prerequisite courses and maintenance of certain academic criteria at Harding University. Learn more about GSP or apply for the GSP by emailing pharmacy@harding.edu. 

We value relationships

Faculty mentors support your success not only in the pharmacy profession but in your personal and spiritual life as well. Unite around a common purpose with students from Harding’s other health sciences programs (nursing, physical therapy, physician assistant, speech-language pathology) as you learn together through patient-centered interprofessional collaboration.

We value community

Coming together through authentic professional connections, you will provide transformational care to our community neighbors locally, nationally and internationally. From classroom learning to pharmacy practice experiences, you will be equipped to help those in need. Our students put all of their hearts and energy into accomplishing our purpose and mission through:

• Health fairs and wellness screenings
• Community immunization programs
• Medication take back programs
• Tobacco prevention and cessation education
• Appropriate medication use counseling 

Dive into independent, innovative research projects with highly qualified, research-active faculty or join fellow student pharmacists throughout the nation as you take your pharmacy education to the next level with professional student organizations.

We value our commitment to purpose-driven education

Our program focuses on the development of Christian scholarship, the promotion of fair and just decisions, and the courage and confidence to make a global impact. We train pharmacists to be patient advocates who take responsibility for patient outcomes.

Learn more:

• Admissions
• Dual Degrees
• Experiential Education
• FAQs
• Organizations
• Scholarships