Colleges for D Pharma / BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences?

Applying to College
1

I’m currently a high school senior (India, CBSE curriculum) and I’m interested in pursuing Diploma in Pharmacy (D Pharma) or a Bachelor’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences. I know that in the U.S., there’s no direct “D Pharma” course like in India, but I’ve seen majors such as Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacology, or even Biochemistry that can lead to pharmacy school.

My stats:

  • GPA: ~3.9 unweighted (converted)
  • SAT: 1500+
  • Strong science background (Chemistry, Biology, Physics)
  • Extracurriculars: Volunteering at a hospital, science club, some research project in biology

Questions:

  1. Which U.S. colleges are strong for Pharmaceutical Sciences or related majors that could prepare me for pharmacy school later?
  2. Do schools like UCSD, Purdue, Rutgers, or Northeastern offer undergrad tracks that align well with this?
  3. Would it be smarter to major in Chemistry or Biology first, and then apply to PharmD programs instead of looking for “D Pharma” equivalents?

Any advice from students who’ve taken this path would be really helpful!

2

Look at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Science. I believe they have a direct entry program.

3

Purdue has a pharm science major and for very strong candidates, an accelerated two year program. Purdue’s program is very well regarded but you will need to be prepared for the costs as Purdue doesn’t provide need based aid to international students.

4

A couple of questions…

  1. Do you have an annual budget for college costs?
  2. Where do you plan to work as a pharmacist after you get a degree here? Your student visa will be for studying here. Once you complete your studies, you will be expected to go back to India.
3 Likes
5

I think any schools can lead to a Pharm D degree if you take a school’s pre pharmacy coursework that the Pharm D school will require.

There seem to be few lists that show the schools at the undergrad level. I found one such list that’s four years old and says it’s comprehensive but doesn’t have Purdue on it, which @momofboiler1 noted has a respected program and I did find the major on their website. So as with any third party list, you need to further investigate. These schools will come with a range of prices - and varying acceptance rates (this article was 2021).

I can’t link the article - this website doesn’t like the source so I wrote them out for you. Unless you can pay a large amount to study (over $50K a year in many places), you will have to shrink this list to those that you can afford. I don’t think any of these schools meet a student’s financial need.

Good luck.

Belmont U (religious)
Campbell U (religious)
Drake U
Duquesne U (religious)
E Tennessee State
Illinois Institute of Technology
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
North Dakota State
Northeastern U
Ohio State
Samford (religious)
South Dakota State
St. Joseph (religious)
U of Arizona
UC Davis
UC Irvine
U of Cincinnati
U of Connecticut
U of Georgia
U of Kansas
U Louisiana Monroe
U Michigan
U Mississippi
U PIttsburgh
U South Carolina
U Toledo
U Utah
U Wisconsin
Washington State U
Western New England U

6

And this is an international student so that further complicates the financial aid picture.

1 Like
7

yep, if they have need…perhaps they can afford any? We’ll have to hear from them.

I’d imagine there are colleges in their home country that can lead to Pharm school (including grad school here) although I don’t know.