The University of Vermont and Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences have signed an affiliation agreement to provide eligible students with an opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree from UVM and a doctor of pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.) from ACPHS in a total of seven years. Students seeking both of these degrees typically require eight years to complete the academic requirements of the two programs.

The terms of the agreement are effective beginning with students commencing their undergraduate study at UVM in the current academic year (2017-18), with the earliest anticipated matriculation at ACPHS in the fall of 2020. 

Through this arrangement, UVM students may seek admission to the “3+4” program at the conclusion of their first year of study at the university. If accepted into the program, students will attend UVM for three years and then enroll at the ACPHS Colchester campus for their final four years of study.

Students in the 3+4 program will earn their bachelor’s degree from UVM upon satisfactory completion of their first year at ACPHS. Students will subsequently earn their doctor of pharmacy degree from ACPHS after meeting all of the remaining requirements of the Pharm.D. program. The Pharm.D. is the entry level degree required today to become a pharmacist in the United States.

“Since opening our Colchester Campus in 2009, the University of Vermont and the UVM Medical Center have been great partners of the College,” said Greg Dewey, president of Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.  “We look forward to broadening our relationship through this agreement which will provide qualified UVM students with a clear pathway to a doctor of pharmacy degree, while allowing them to remain in the area and continue enjoying all that northwest Vermont has to offer.”

“This agreement opens a promising new pathway for our undergraduate students to a rewarding professional career,” said Tom Sullivan, University of Vermont president. “The Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has been a great partner in the past; we look forward to expanding our collaboration and to the exciting new opportunities our students will benefit from as a result.” 

Pharmacists have long enjoyed excellent earning potential and job security, and recent developments in both the profession and the health care system indicate that will continue. The past decade, in particular, has seen a significant expansion of the pharmacist’s role in patient care through the delivery of services that include immunizations, health and wellness testing, management of chronic diseases, and medication therapy management. The expanding scope of practice has also resulted in opportunities for pharmacists in non-traditional settings such as physician offices, ambulatory care clinics, and managed care organizations, further underscoring the increased role that pharmacists are expected to play in helping meet the nation’s health care needs.

Founded in 1881, Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is a private, independent institution with a long tradition of academic and research excellence. The College opened its Colchester campus in 2009, and it remains the only pharmacy program in the state of Vermont. For more information, please visit www.acphs.edu.

Since 1791, the University of Vermont has worked to move humankind forward. Today, UVM is a Public Ivy and top 100 research university of a perfect size, large enough to offer a breadth of ideas, resources, and opportunities, yet small enough to enable close faculty-student mentorship across all levels of study, from Bachelor’s to M.D. programs. Here, students’ educational experience and activities are enriched by our location — from the energy and innovation of Burlington to the forests, farms, and independent spirit of Vermont. UVM provides students endless ways to explore the world, challenge ideas, and dig in on the most pressing issues of our time.