California Northstate University College of Pharmacy (CNUCOP) is a traditional four-year Doctor of Pharmacy program dedicated to educating, developing, and training future pharmacists to provide competent, evidence-based care focused on improving patient outcomes and advancing the profession of pharmacy. CNUCOP provides unique learning experiences to our students through the use of active learning, specifically team-based learning, to deliver our curriculum. Through teamwork, students are exposed to a diverse population of classmates from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences. Students assume a more proactive role in the program as they learn to effectively interact with team members to enhance learning and practical application of the material taught in class. Team-based learning prepares our students to play a key role in a multidisciplinary team setting, enabling our students to serve as drug information experts, as they work collaboratively to improve patient care and enhance patient outcomes.  

 

The didactic component of the curriculum, which spans the first three years of the program, is comprised of an initial sequence of biomedical, clinical, pharmaceutical, and social and administrative science courses, followed by a series of organ system-based modules that integrate pathophysiology, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and pharmacotherapeutics concepts into the management of acute and chronic conditions. 

 

The Experential Education Program (EEP) enables students to apply skills learned in the classroom to real-life settings as they complete a variety of rotations in different areas of pharmacy. Students complete 300 hours of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience during the first three years of the program, alongside the didactic curriculum, and 1440 hours of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience during the fourth year of the program.  More information about the College of Pharmacy is available by visiting: pharmacy.cnsu.edu.

 

California Northstate University College of Pharmacy offers a unique dual degree program for PharmD students who would also like to obtain an Executive Masters of Business Administration (EMBA) while in the pharmacy program. The EMBA is a program created for experienced professionals who aim to achieve leadership positions within a variety of settings. In partnership with Sacramento State’s College of Business Administration, our students have the opportunity to earn a degree from an AACSB accredited university with a dynamic history and flourishing alumni. The EMBA Program can be completed in 15 months with very flexible scheduling. Students begin the program during the second semester of the P2 year and complete the EMBA program prior to the fourth year of the pharmacy program. Students may also have the opportunity to travel abroad for one week as part of the EMBA program. 

 

California Northstate University's College of Health Sciences offers graduating high school students two pre-pharmacy program options leading to a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree.  The two options include the 2+4 and 3+4 Pre-Pharm to PharmD Combined Program, with an option for students to obtain a Bachelor's degree while working towards their PharmD.  Students accepted to the Pre-Pharm to PharmD Combined Program begin their program of study in the undergraduate program at the College of Health Sciences.  Pre-Pharm to PharmD Combined Program students who meet all of the admission criteria after the second or third year of study are guaranteed an onsite interview at the College of Pharmacy. High school applicants must apply for the accelerated program through the College of Health Science at http://healthsciences.cnsu.edu.

              Please review our pre-requisite courses below.

• Course Prerequisites Table:

  Course Title	Semester Hours	Quarter Hours
  Total	66	99 (est.)
  General Chemistry I and II with lab components	8	12
  Organic Chemistry I and II with lab components	8	12
  Biochemistry or Cell & Molecular Biology	3	4
  General Biology I and II with one lab or lab equivalent	8	12
  Microbiology	3	4
  Physiology (if taking a combined Anatomy and Physiology course, both Anatomy and Physiology I and II must be taken to fulfill the individual Anatomy and Physiology course requirements)	3	4
  Anatomy (if taking a combined Anatomy and Physiology course, both Anatomy and Physiology I and II must be taken to fulfill the individual Anatomy and Physiology course requirements)	3	4
  Physics (AP exam scores of 4+ may fulfill this requirement)	3	4
  Calculus (AP exam score of 4+ may fulfill this requirement)	3	4
  Statistics (AP exam score of 4+ may fulfill this requirement)	3	4
  Public Speaking	3	4
  English Composition I and II (AP exam scores of 4+ may fulfill these requirements)	6	8
  General Education Requirements: Psychology, Economics, and two additional courses in the Humanities or Social and Behavioral Sciences (AP exam scores of 4+ for each course may fulfill these requirements)	12	18

• California Northstate University College of Pharmacy does not require a Bachelor's degree or PCAT; however, a Bachelor's degree is preferred. Applicants must have earned a high school diploma, GED, or its equivalent. Applicants seeking admission to California Northstate University College of Pharmacy must have a cumulative GPA of 2.6 or greater; a 2.6 science GPA is recommended.  A minimum of 54 semester units (81 quarter units) of prerequisite credit must be completed prior to matriculation into the program.  Additionally, a minimum of 12 semester units (18 quarter units) of general education courses are required prior to matriculation.  Science and math prerequisite coursework must be designed for science majors. Public speaking and science courses requiring a lab component (biology, general chemistry, and organic chemistry) cannot be taken online or through distance education. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to carry full course loads (15 units per semester) during their undergraduate studies.

  
  In addition to completion of the PharmCAS application, CNUCOP requires a Supplemental Application, available on our webpage, which must be completed prior to the start of New Student Orientation, in mid-August. Two letters of recommendation are also required as part of the application; one letter must be from a healthcare professional or supervisor and the other letter from a science faculty member at your institution. Letters of recommendation from relatives and/or friends are not permitted.

  
  Prior to applying to our program, all applicants are required to review the Professional and Technical Standards of the Doctor of Pharmacy program to ensure they meet the stated professional and technical criteria. The Professional and Technical Standards are located on the College of Pharmacy website.

  
  In addition to the requirements described above, all prerequisite coursework must meet the following requirements:

  
  1. Must be completed at a regionally accredited US institution or its equivalent abroad.

  
  2. Science and math courses, along with any AP exams, must have been completed no greater than nine years from the planned date of matriculation.

  
  3. In addition to the 54 semester units (81 quarter units) of prerequisite coursework, applicants who will not have a Bachelor's degree prior to matriculation must complete 12 semester units (18 quarter units) of general education courses, which includes:

  • Psychology
  • Economics (Microeconomics or Macroeconomics)
  • 2 additional general education courses in the Humanities and/or Social & Behavioral Sciences (2 courses in one category is permitted)

   

  4. AP credits may be accepted if AP exam scores of 4 or higher are achieved for the following courses:

  • Calculus
  • Economics
  • English Composition I
  • English Composition II
  • Physics
  • Psychology
  • Statistics
  • Humanities
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences

   

  AP credit must be reported by subject and credit and must be mailed directly from your institution or testing services to the College of Pharmacy by using college code: 7306.

  
  5. Must be completed with a grade of C or higher.

  
  6. May not be taken on a pass/no pass or credit/no credit basis.

  
  7. All prerequisite coursework taken from non-US institutions (including Canada) must be submitted to an approved foreign transcript evaluation service. CNUCOP accepts foreign transcript evaluations from: World Education Services, Inc., Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc., International Education Research Foundation, Inc., and Educational Perspectives.

  
  8. International applicants who have not completed at least two years and at least 48 semester units (72 quarter units) at a US college or university are required to take the TOEFL or IELTS exam. The minimum total TOEFL IBT score is 88 with minimum section score requirements of 20+ for reading, 20+ for listening, 25+ for speaking, and 23+ for writing. The minimum total IELTS score is 7.5. Exam scores are only valid for a two year period from the date of the exam.

  
  9. General Education requirements are waived for applicants who have or will be receiving a Bachelor's degree or US equivalent prior to matriculation in the pharmacy program.

  
  For additional information about CNUCOP and the application process, please visit our website:pharmacy.cnsu.edu. For questions, please contact COPadmissions@cnsu.edu.