Doctor of Pharmacy (Online)

All applicants to the Doctor of Pharmacy must successful complete the nine math and science prerequisite courses listed below:

Math and Science Prerequisite Courses

Unlike many other graduate programs, Butler University does not require applicants to submit GRE, GMAT, or any other entrance exams as part of the admissions process. Instead, the university focuses on a holistic evaluation of candidates, considering their academic records, professional achievements, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This policy ensures that individuals with various career trajectories and educational backgrounds have an equal opportunity to pursue a graduate degree at Butler, promoting a more inclusive and diverse cohort of students.

Your personal essay should address why you selected pharmacy as a career and how the Doctor of Pharmacy degree relates to your immediate and long-term professional goals. Describe how your personal, educational, and professional background will help you achieve your goals. The personal essay is an important part of your application for admission and provides you with an opportunity to clearly and effectively express your ideas.

Do not personalize your essay for a particular pharmacy degree institution. You cannot make any edits to your personal essay after you have e-submitted your completed application to PharmCAS.

Butler recommends you use the PharmCAS required personal statement as a way to give the Admission Committee a chance to get to know you better as an individual, which could include challenges you have faced as well as accomplishments outside of your academic record.

Butler’s PharmD supplementary questions:

• How did you learn about Butler’s PharmD degree?
• What concentrations, second majors, or minors did you complete or seriously pursue during your undergraduate academic career? When listing these, please indicate if it was or will be completed prior to the start of the PharmD program.
• Is there anything about you that the Admission Committee should know that is not covered in any other section of your application?

To complete their application for the Doctor of Pharmacy, prospective candidates are required to provide official transcripts from all prior educational institutions and submit a current resume. These documents are essential components of the admissions process, as they offer valuable insights into an applicant’s academic background and professional experiences.

Fall (Term 1)

• RX312 – Clinical Biochemistry (4)
• RX316 – Pathophysiology (3)
• BI323 – Immunology (2)
• RX361 – Approval to Administration: How Drugs Get to Patients (3)

Spring (Term 2)

• RX314 – Genetics, Genomics, and Biotechnology (3)
• RX324 – Pharmacist Assessment and Immunization (2)
• RX351 – Basic Pharmaceutics (4)*
• RX301 – IPE and Professional Development (1)
• RX415 – Self Care & Health Promotion 1 (3) – blood pressure assessments in spring P1 on-campus immersion

*RX351 requires a five-day, on-campus lab immersion after final exams and includes the blood pressure assessment for Self-Care & Health Promotion 1.

Summer (Term 3)

• RX318 – Introduction to Principles of Drug Action (PDA) (4)
• RX319 – Introduction to Healthcare Analytics (2)
• RX321 – Social Justice & Diversity (SJD) – Diversity and Inclusivity in Healthcare (3)
• IPPE 1 – Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (Community) | [160 hrs] (Experiential) (credit hours tied to IPE RX400s course)

All RX courses numbered 300 or higher require official acceptance into the pharmacy program and P1 standing (or higher).

Must earn a passing grade in RX312 to be eligible to take RX314, RX318, and RX324.

Must earn a passing grade in RX314 to be eligible to take RX411, RX412, and RX511.

Must earn a passing grade in RX316 to be eligible to take RX318 and RX324.

Must earn a passing grade in RX318 to be eligible to take RX411, RX412, and RX511.

Must earn a passing grade in RX324 to be eligible to take RX403 and RX413.

Must earn a passing grade in RX351 to be eligible to take RX421.

Fall (Term 4)

• RX427 – Pharmacy Applications of Biostatistics and Research Design (2)
• RX416 – Self Care & Health Promotion 2 (3) – labs online
• RX400s – IPE and Professional Development 2 (1)
• RX411 – PDA 1 (4)
• RX413 – Therapeutics 1 (4)

Spring (Term 5)

• RX401 – IPE and Professional Development 3 (1)
• RX412 – PDA 2 (4)
• RX414 – Therapeutics 2 (4)
• RX421 – Introduction to Dosage Forms (4)*

*RX421 requires a five-day, on-campus lab immersion after final exams.

*Course grade will not be assigned until successful completion of the on-campus lab portion.

Summer (Term 6)

• RX432 – Entrepreneurship, Leadership, and Management (2)
• RX422 – Advanced Dosage Forms (4)*
• Professional Electives – 600 level (4-5)
• IPPE 2 – Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (Institutional) | [160 hrs] (Experiential) (1 credit hour tied to IPE RX501 course)

*RX422 requires a five-day, on-campus lab immersion after final exams.

*Course grade will not be assigned until successful completion of the on-campus lab portion.

RX416 will fulfill the core requirement for Speaking Across the Curriculum.

RX 403 and RX411 are co-requisites for RX413.

RX404 and RX412 are co-requisites for RX414.

Must earn a C or better in RX413 to be eligible to take RX414.

Must earn a C or better in RX414 to be eligible to take RX513 and RX522.

Must earn a passing grade in RX415 to advance to RX416.

Must earn a passing grade in RX421 to advance to RX422.

Fall (Term 7)

• RX501 – IPE and Professional Development 4 (1)
• RX513 – Therapeutics 3 (4)
• RX511 – PDA 3 (4)
• PX531 – Evidence Based Medicine (2)
• RX526 – Pharmacy, Policy, and the Law (3)

Spring (Term 8)

• RX502 – Introduction to Rotations (1)
• RX517 – Therapeutics & Case Studies 4 (4)
• RX523 – Clinical Pharmacokinetics (4)
• RX527 – Health Outcomes and Pharmacoeconomics (2)
• Professional Electives (2-3) [Must have a minimum of 7 hours of professional electives by the end of the P3 year]

Official P3 standing and anticipated P4 standing in May are required for RX500.

Official P3 standing is required for RX526.

RX511 is a co-requisite for RX513.

RX517 is a co-requisite for RX523.

Must earn passing grades in RX511 and RX513 to be eligible to take RX523.

Must earn a passing grade in 513 to be eligible to take RX517.

RX517 will fulfill the university core requirement for a writing-intensive course.

During the fourth year of the professional phase, you will participate in 10 one-month clinical rotations, each consisting of 40 hours per week (160 hours) for four weeks. Clinical rotations can take place at a variety of sites, including community pharmacies, hospitals, and ambulatory clinic practices as well as other nontraditional pharmacy settings, such as clinical work and basic research in the laboratory. A placement coordinator will work directly with you to help you find a placement close to your residence. If a rotation site(s) cannot be secured near your residence, we will place you in one of our existing rotation sites in the Indianapolis area. Travel and housing costs will be the student’s responsibility.

Summer I (Term 9)

• RX 6_Rotation Blocks 1 & 2* (8)

Summer II (Term 9)

• RX 6_Rotation Blocks 3 & 4* (8)

Fall (Term 10)

• RX 6_Rotation Blocks 5–8* (16)

Spring (Term 11)

• RX 6_Rotation Blocks 9 & 10* (8)

*Specific rotations are scheduled through the Experiential Education Office. You must complete 10 rotations during the 10 rotation blocks for a total of 40 credit hours of rotations by the end of the spring semester.

Minimum number of credit hours required for graduation = 139

Experiential rotations allow you to demonstrate acquired knowledge, skills, and attitudes in a professional setting. You will complete 12 one-month experiential rotations of 160 hours each. You will complete two Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPEs) before commencing a series of 10 Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) in the following areas:

• 1 Community (IPPE)
• 1 Institutional (IPPE)
• 1 General Medicine
• 1 Acute Care (In-Patient)
• 1 Hospital/Health System
• 1 Ambulatory Care
• 2 Community Practice
• 2 Patient Care Electives (In-Patient or Out-Patient)
• 2 Elective Rotations (Patient Care or Non-Patient Care)

There are numerous options for rotation sites throughout Indiana, across the nation, and abroad. A placement coordinator will work with you to find placements in your area. If a rotation site(s) cannot be secured near your residence, we will place you in one of our existing rotation sites in the Indianapolis area. Travel and housing costs will be the student’s responsibility.

The NAPLEX, or North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination, measures a candidate’s knowledge of the practice of pharmacy. It is just one component of the licensure process and is used by the boards of pharmacy as part of their assessment of a candidate’s competence to practice as a pharmacist. The first-time pass rate below reflects results for those candidates who graduated and took the exam in the same year reported.

Class of 2023 Pass Rates

2020-2022 Class Pass Rates

Source: National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, 2022

*Pass rates are specific to the Butler PharmD on-ground pathway.

**Values rounded to the nearest whole number.

The Doctor of Pharmacy leads to a professional license to practice. Butler University provides state-specific information for programs leading to professional licensure. See our Licensure Disclosures page for details about the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program’s compliance by state.