About
Begin a prosperous career in medicine with a liberal arts education that includes a solid foundation in the natural sciences.
Saint Michael’s College has partnered with the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to provide a pathway to get two degrees in six years: a Bachelor of Science in Pre-Pharmacy and a Doctor of Pharmacy. Spend the first three years at Saint Michael’s taking advantage of all the great opportunities on campus. Then, if you qualify for admission, you can begin graduate coursework at the ACPHS campus in your fourth year.
News View all news
You must begin the pre-pharmacy program when you enroll at St. Mike’s and register for required courses in biology, chemistry, and mathematics starting in your first semester. To be accepted at ACPHS you must meet all entrance requirements, so you will need to achieve high grades in your courses at Saint Michael’s. For successful admission to ACPHS you must complete at least 60 credits at Saint Michael’s with an overall minimum GPA of 3.0 (only grades of C or above will count towards the 60 credits). You must also successfully complete an interview and writing assessment at ACPHS, and successfully complete the PCAT exam.
Sample 4 Year Plan
Fall
BI 151 Introduction to Ecology and Evolution
CH 110 General Chemistry I
First Year Seminar
CORE Curriculum Course
Spring
BI 153 Introductory Cell Biology and Genetics
CH 117 Organic Chemistry I
ST 120 Elementary Statistics
CORE Curriculum Course
Fall
BI 205 Communications in the Biological Sciences
CH 207 Organic Chemistry II
CORE Curriculum Course
CORE Curriculum Course
Spring
CH 208 General Chemistry II
MA 150 Calculus
Biology elective
CORE Curriculum Course
Fall
BI 230 or 315 Microbiology
PY 210 College Physics I
Junior Seminar
Elective
Spring
CORE Curriculum Course
CORE Curriculum Course
Elective
Elective
Pharmaceutics I
Physiology/Pathophysiology I
Biochemistry
Drug Information/Biostatistics
Integrated Problem Solving Workshop
Pharmacy Skills Lab
Fall
Pharmaceutics II
Molecular Foundations of Drug Action
Immunology
Molecular Biology
Self Care / OTC
Foundations of Pharmacy
Pharmacogenomics
Gastrointestinal / Nutrition
Integrated Problem Solving Workshop
Pharmacy Skills Lab
Spring
Pharmacokinetics
Physiology/Pathophysiology II
US/Global Health Care Systems
Infectious Disease
Integrated Problem Solving Workshop
Pharmacy Skills Lab
Faculty
In Depth
As a pre-pharmacy major at Saint Michael’s you will take courses in biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, and statistics. A strong background in these disciplines is essential to success in the doctoral program in pharmacy.
As a pharmacy student at ACPHS you will build on this foundation with graduate courses in medicinal chemistry, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and therapeutics.
Special Opportunities
You do not have to major in pre-pharmacy to apply to the ACPHS Doctor of Pharmacy program, but if you do you can shorten the time required to complete your undergraduate and graduate work by one whole year. The usual length of time for the two degrees is seven years of study, but this joint program makes it possible to complete both in six years.
While you are at St. Mike’s you will have opportunities to engage in collaborative research projects with faculty in biology, chemistry, psychology, or other departments.
After you complete your first year at ACPHS you will receive a Saint Michael’s degree with major in Pre-Pharmacy so you can graduate with your SMC class.
If you decide not to continue to the ACPHS program after your third year, you can complete a biology major in your senior year by taking six additional upper-level biology courses. The courses would need to meet the biology distribution and lab experience requirements. Other majors would require additional coursework.
Careers
A Doctor of Pharmacy degree provides a multitude of career opportunities in biomedical fields. Some of these career paths may involve patient treatment and long-term care, and others may involve basic and/or clinical research. Opportunities in administration, education and business development are also possible.
Saint Michael’s has an excellent history of placing students into graduate programs in the health sciences, and the science curriculum is especially well-suited to providing students with the best possible intellectual foundation for their careers.
In Depth
As a pre-pharmacy major at Saint Michael’s you will take courses in biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, and statistics. A strong background in these disciplines is essential to success in the doctoral program in pharmacy.
As a pharmacy student at ACPHS you will build on this foundation with graduate courses in medicinal chemistry, pathophysiology, pharmacology, and therapeutics.
Special Opportunities
You do not have to major in pre-pharmacy to apply to the ACPHS Doctor of Pharmacy program, but if you do you can shorten the time required to complete your undergraduate and graduate work by one whole year. The usual length of time for the two degrees is seven years of study, but this joint program makes it possible to complete both in six years.
While you are at St. Mike’s you will have opportunities to engage in collaborative research projects with faculty in biology, chemistry, psychology, or other departments.
After you complete your first year at ACPHS you will receive a Saint Michael’s degree with major in Pre-Pharmacy so you can graduate with your SMC class.
If you decide not to continue to the ACPHS program after your third year, you can complete a biology major in your senior year by taking six additional upper-level biology courses. The courses would need to meet the biology distribution and lab experience requirements. Other majors would require additional coursework.
Careers
A Doctor of Pharmacy degree provides a multitude of career opportunities in biomedical fields. Some of these career paths may involve patient treatment and long-term care, and others may involve basic and/or clinical research. Opportunities in administration, education and business development are also possible.
Saint Michael’s has an excellent history of placing students into graduate programs in the health sciences, and the science curriculum is especially well-suited to providing students with the best possible intellectual foundation for their careers.
