The College of Pharmacy constantly updates, revises, and improves the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program curriculum to best prepare students for the future of healthcare and the future of the pharmacy profession. Faculty, students, and employers all help shape improvements to the curriculum.

First Professional Year (P1)

The first professional year includes coursework in the science of how medicine works. It also includes introductory pharmacy practice coursework covering such topics as working with patients, dispensing medications, teamwork with other pharmacists, and teamwork with other health care providers. First-year and second-year students take classes at Oregon State University's main campus in Corvallis.

Second Professional Year (P2)

The second professional year includes more advanced science coursework, emphasizing pharmaceutics and medicinal chemistry. Pharmacy practice coursework covers monitoring and adjusting medication use to ensure optimal patient health. Other coursework covers communication in different pharmacy practice settings, managing pharmacy staff and finances, and ethical decision-making.

Third Professional Year (P3)

The third professional year coursework emphasizes advanced strategies for treating specific diseases. Other coursework covers drug policy decisions and strategies for improving overall population health. Third-year students take classes at the Oregon Health & Science University campus in Portland, giving them access to OHSU's world-renowned practice settings and care providers.

Fourth Professional Year (P4)

The fourth professional year consists entirely of hands-on, supervised practice in a range of pharmacy practice settings. Depending on student goals and interests, these settings could be all over Oregon and beyond. While hands-on experience is a part of the curriculum in all four years, the fourth year is entirely devoted to it.

Detailed Curriculum Information

Download this file to view a detailed list of Pharm.D. courses by year. The curriculum changes from year to year to provide the best possible education for our students, and this list reflects the curriculum for the 2023-2024 academic year. For best results, please view the PDF file in Adobe Reader.