Pharm.D. students looking for educational stimulation and challenge beyond the traditional curriculum are invited to participate in the college’s Honors Program. This selective program challenges participants by introducing them to new ideas and placing them in contact with others of similar aptitude. Honors Program students participate in research projects with faculty mentors and present their results at college seminars. Many of these students also present their results at national meetings and in peer-reviewed journal articles.
"The Honors Program has been invaluable experience for me. It has given me the opportunity to work very closely with an amazing professor, and it has allowed me the freedom to acquire the research experience that has the potential to make a real difference both in the world as well as my career path while allowing me to balance classes, studying, and extracurricular activities."
– JP Sanchez, Class of 2018
Admission Criteria
Candidates for the Pharm.D. Honors Program can be admitted to the program at any time and no later than the Fall semester of the P3 year.
- Admission to the professional pharmacy sequence
- A grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale in all required pharmacy coursework completed at the time of application to the program
- Approval by the Honors Program Committee
Seminar Series
Each honors student is also given an opportunity to present their research project to a varied audience whose members might consist of fellow honors students, interested pharmacy students, pharmacy faculty members, and other invited guests from the academic as well as non-academic communities.
Honors students will be encouraged both to publish their projects in a refereed journal and present their work at meetings of national organizations such as the American Pharmaceutical Association, the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, and the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists.
Program Details
About the Program
The Pharmacy Honors Program provides student pharmacists an opportunity to explore and conduct research under a College of Pharmacy mentor's guidance.
The College of Pharmacy offers a wide variety of research opportunities within its six divisions: Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Health Outcomes, Molecular Pharmaceutics, Drug Delivery, Pharmacology, and Toxicology, Pharmacotherapy, and Pharmacy Practice.
Student pharmacists can explore the different research opportunities available before selecting the mentor, type, and research area that most interests them. The student pharmacist will then conduct hypothesis-driven research projects of their choosing.
General Considerations
- Student pharmacists performing experiments in the laboratory must complete specific laboratory safety courses. Information on these courses and how to complete them online can be found on the university’s Lab Training Requirements page.
- Summer research: If a student pharmacist wishes to conduct research in a laboratory in the summer semesters, they must either be registered for courses or have a zero-hour appointment (arrangements can be made through the mentoring faculty).
Handbook, Prerequisites and Application
Please consult the Pharmacy Honors Program Handbook for detailed information about prerequisites, application, courses, and completion requirements.
Application Deadlines
Application Deadlines for Student Pharmacists
- Recommended deadline: December 1 during the P2 year
- Final deadline: August 1 after P2 year
Pharmacy Honors Courses
The Honors Program allows a student pharmacist to learn about the research method and conduct a research project under one or more faculty members' supervision over a series of four sequential courses. Each course contains a different written component. These are a research proposal (PHM 290H), a research report (PHM 291H), a review of a research article (PHM 292H), and an Honors Thesis (PHM 293H). Each course is expected to be at least seven hours/week of direct contact/lab experience or the equivalent per semester.
Please consult the Pharmacy Honors Program Handbook for additional information.
Notification of Successful Program Completion
Student pharmacists will be notified of their successful completion of the Pharmacy Honors Program by e-mail by the end of the summer semester following their P3 year. Students who complete all the Honors Program requirements and who have a required PharmD GPA of 3.0 or higher will graduate with Research Honors in Pharmacy.
For More Information
For additional information regarding the details of the Pharmacy Honors Program, please download the Pharmacy Honors Program Handbook.
Please contact the Program Director, Dr. Maria Croyle, for further clarification or questions.
Program Director
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Maria A. Croyle, Ph.D.
Professor of Molecular Pharmaceutics and Drug DeliveryGlaxo Wellcome Professor
Program Advisor
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Patricia Gutierrez
Academic Advising Coordinator