The Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences Program (BSPS) is a department under the school of pharmacy at the American University of Health Sciences provides a rigorous and interdisciplinary degree program. The program will ultimately prepare graduates for career paths in both the pharmaceutical industry and the health care sector.
The AUHS Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science is a three- year interdisciplinary program that focuses from the outset on the foundation of coursework in mathematics and the basic sciences (Chemistry, Biology, and Physics). The program then progresses to advanced coursework in the pharmaceutical sciences, including aspects of drug design and synthesis, mechanisms of drug action, pharmacology and toxicology, dosage formulation, manufacturing, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance. The curriculum also includes elective credits for individual preparation and educational focus. Students will not only be able to specialize in one of the three areas of “Chemical Biology and Biomedical Pharmacology”; “Biotechnology, Drug Discovery and Translational Research”; and “Industrial and Physical Pharmacy”.
The anticipated outcome of the BSPS program will be centered on the expected ability for the graduates to secure positions in pharmacy schools/colleges, other professional schools, and graduate schools. This BSPS program presents various career path opportunities that include entry-level technical positions in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry; graduate education in pharmaceutical, medical, and basic sciences; and post- baccalaureate professional education in pharmacy, medicine, law, and business. A value-added objective of the AUHS BSPS program is the offer of practical experience through internship programs in industry (available in the United States and globally as part of the AUHS strategic goals regarding globalization of pharmaceutical education and research), government agencies, and on-campus research laboratories.
Admissions
Follow the university’s general admissions requirements for baccalaureate degree.
Transferring into BSPS
College Student or previous college students who have completed at least one year of college may be admitted if:
- Completed at least 2 semesters (semester system) or 3 quarters (quarter system) of a college program from an accredited college. Must have attained an overall GPA of at least a 2.5.
- Students who have achieved a bachelor’s degree with a 2.5 or greater meet the admission requirement in this category.
Objectives
The Objectives of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science program are: To provide a well-rounded undergraduate education with an emphasis on the pharmaceutical sciences:
- To provide a well-rounded undergraduate education with an emphasis on the pharmaceutical sciences.
- To integrate knowledge with hands-on experience to enhance career path development in pharmaceutical sciences.
- To provide educational solutions to health issues centered around professional pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.
- To attract and prepare students, especially minority students, to enter and successfully graduate from the school of pharmacy.
- To attract and prepare students, especially minority students, for a career in the pharmaceutical industry.
- To prepare underrepresented students as future lifelong learners and future leaders in the healthcare and researcher, as well as serve as future policy advocates in regulatory affairs.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
The purpose of the health sciences program is to provide graduates with the relevant knowledge base, skills, attitudes, ethics, and values to succeed in basic and applied health-related careers.
Graduates will have a strong foundation in the physical, biological, and clinical, and behavioral sciences coupled with an understanding of how business and management models apply to health sciences- related fields. Graduates will develop the skills and habits to acquire and apply new knowledge:
- Demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with others and to be understood in both the spoken and written word.
- Use critical thinking skills to identify, analyze, and solve pharmaceutical science problems.
- Use logic to solve problems and draw valid conclusions by interpreting mathematical formulas, tables, and graphs.
- Recognize and assess the interdependence of social and cultural systems and evaluate their impact on achieving unity and harmony in everyday life.
- Demonstrate Christian values in serving others.
- Retrieve, assess, and use information effectively to improve outcomes of academic and personal endeavors.
- Apply the chemical and biological principles that govern the function of the human body to assess health related problems.
- Integrate principles of chemistry, biochemistry, biology, and mathematics in drug development and in the design of drug delivery systems.
Graduation Requirements
In addition to the requirements for the BSPS major, all students in the university follow the “pattern of degree requirements” in the AUHS Catalog. The minimum requirement for graduation is 189 quarter credit units of prescribed Bachelor’s degree courses.
- Completion of course requirements within 4 ½ years of entrance to the program.
- Students must complete all coursework, examinations, and clinical experiences with a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or a letter grade of C or higher.
- Present at Poster Session for a selected drug, medical device or research question on health careand present a final paper for that poster session.
- Complete at least 100 clock hours of community service in University sponsored community driven initiatives.
- Each BSPS student is required to maintain a portfolio showcasing his/her work, education, and learning experiences while attending the AUHS BSPS Program. Refer to Portfolio Content Guidelines. Successful completion of the Student Portfolio is contingent upon the maintenance of the Portfolio throughout the BSPS program and will be used as a basis for evaluation and to provide evidence of growth. A satisfactorily completed portfolio is a requirement for graduation from the program.
- Students are eligible for graduation upon completion of all the University and BSPS program requirements.
- All financial obligations to the university are paid in full.
Required General Education Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Quarter Credit Units |
|---|---|---|
| Art 200 | Medical Illustration I | 3 |
| Art 300 | Medical Illustration II | 3 |
| Biology 101 w/Lab | General Biology I with Laboratory | 4 |
| Biology 102 w/Lab | General Biology II with Laboratory | 4 |
| Biology 200A & 200AL | Human Anatomy with Laboratory | 4 |
| Biology 200B & 200BL | Human Physiology with Laboratory | 4 |
| Chemistry 151 A&B Chemistry 151 A&B L |
General, Organic and Bio-Chemistry with Laboratory | 6 |
| Communications 150 | Oral Communications & Public Speech | 4 |
| English 101 | English College Composition I | 4 |
| English 207 | Creative Writing | 4 |
| History 101 | American History & Constitution | 4 |
| Mathematics 110 | Quantitative Reasoning | 4 |
| Microbiology 201 & 201L | Microbiology with Laboratory | 4 |
| Philosophy 160 | Critical Thinking | 4 |
| Political Science 101 | American Political Institutions | 4 |
| Psychology 100 | Psychology | 4 |
| Sociology 100 | Sociology | 4 |
| TOTAL | 68 | |
Other Required Courses
| Course Number | Course Name | Quarter Credit Units |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemistry 201 | Biochemistry | 6 |
| Biology 202 & 202L | Cell Biology I with Laboratory | 4 |
| Biology 204 & 204L | Cell Biology II with Laboratory | 4 |
| Biology 230 | Pathophysiology | 4 |
| Biology 301 & 301L | Molecular Biology with Laboratory | 4 |
| Calculus 102 | Calculus I | 4 |
| Calculus 201 | Calculus II | 2 |
| Chemistry 160 & 160L | General Chemistry II with Laboratory | 4 |
| Chemistry 203 & 203L | General Chemistry III with Laboratory | 4 |
| Chemistry 303 & 303L | Organic Chemistry I with Laboratory | 4 |
| Chemistry 304 & 304L | Organic Chemistry II with Laboratory | 4 |
| Chemistry 401 & 401L | Organic Chemistry III with Laboratory | 5 |
| Economics 202 | Micro-Economics | 4 |
| Nutrition 240 | Nutrition | 3 |
| Philosophy 304 | Ethics | 4 |
| Physics 305 & 305L | College Physics I with Laboratory | 5 |
| Physics 403 & 403L | College Physics II with Laboratory | 5 |
| Spanish 201 | Healthcare Spanish | 4 |
| Statistics 415 | Statistics | 4 |
| Technical Writing 301 | Technical Writing | 3 |
| TOTAL | 81 | |
BSPS CORE Course List
| Course Number | Course Name | Quarter Credit Units |
|---|---|---|
| BMS 302 | Intro Clinical Research | 3 |
| BMS 405 | Genetics | 2 |
| PHM 101 | Pharmacy I | 6 |
| PHM 102 | Pharmacy II | 6 |
| PHM 103 | Pharmacy III | 6 |
| PHM 201 | Pharmacy IV | 6 |
| PHM 301 | Pharmacology I | 4 |
| PHM 302L | Pharmacy Experience V | 2 |
| PHM 401 | Therapeutics I | 2 |
| PHM 403L | Pharmacy Experience VI | 2 |
| PHM 407L | Pharmacy Experience VII | 2 |
| PHM 411L | Pharmacy Experience VIII | 2 |
| TOTAL | 40 | |
Note: Courses may be taught in a sequence that differsfrom the order represented above.
BSPS INFORMATION PROGRAM (CIP 51.2010; SOC 29-1051)
| Program Length | 36 Months |
| Quarters | 12 Quarters |
| Units | 189 Units |
| Clock Hours | 2,260 |
Instructional Clock Hours to Credit Conversion
A “clock (Contact) hour” includes a minimum instructional time of 50 minutes of supervised or directed instruction and appropriate break(s).
The formula used to calculate the number of QUARTER CREDIT units
| FOR LECTURE | One Credit = 10 Lecture Hours |
| FOR LABORATORY | One Credit = 20 Laboratory Hours |
| FOR EXPERIENTIAL | One Credit = 30 Practicum Hours |
