Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education
2025 Best National Universities1
U.S. News & World Report
Best Colleges in the Midwest, 2025
The Princeton Review
2024 Best Graduate Schools - Pharmacy2
U.S. News & World Report
Your Flexible Online Pathway to a Rewarding Career in Pharmacy
One of the few programs of its kind, the University of Findlay’s Distance Doctor of Pharmacy program (Distance PharmD) is a rare opportunity to achieve your Doctor of Pharmacy degree online from a reputable and accredited university. This pioneering online PharmD program is divided into four academic years with increasing responsibility and independence and includes didactic coursework, on-campus immersions, and experiential learning.
4-Year Distance Format
Graduate Dual Degree
Options Available
One-Week Campus Immersions
Your Weekly Commitment Our Online Pharmacy Program
2-4
HOURS*
SYNCHRONOUS
Scheduled, real-time virtual classroom with an instructor
33-40
HOURS*
ASYNCHRONOUS
Self-paced, independent online coursework
17-20
HOURS*
ASSESSED ACTIVITIES
Discussions, assignments, projects, and study for test taking
8-9
HOURS**
IPPE EDUCATION
On-site rotations with a preceptor
60-73
HOURS
TOTAL HOURS
Total hourly commitment for the program on average per week
* Students will be taking 18 credit hours, which is the typical rigor for a doctoral level program.
**Experiential education hours vary due to IPPEs and APPE schedules. IPPEs occur for a maximum of six weeks for the first six terms. APPEs are generally full-time at 40 hours per week and will not be accompanied by any additional coursework.
Distance PharmD Program at a Glance
Here is what you can expect over the course of your 4-year degree program:
- On-campus Orientation and White Coat Ceremony
- 100 hours of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) with a licensed Pharmacist
- Foundational courses in biological and pharmaceutical sciences
- Specialized courses including Self-care for the Pharmacist, drug information
- One-week On-Campus Immersion in May
- 100 IPPE hours each year with a licensed Pharmacist
- Disease-state courses integrating pathophysiology, pharmacology, medicinal chemistry and therapeutics
- Skill labs, healthcare ethics, pharmacy law and administration, electives, and capstone project
- Service-learning and pharmacy research
- One-week On-Campus Immersion experiences each May
- PY4 is dedicated to Experiential Learning – there is no coursework
- 1,400 Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) hours with a licensed Pharmacist
- Direct patient care
- Rotations can include general medicine, ambulatory care, community pharmacy, geriatrics, and cardiology
- On-campus camp for NAPLEX/MPJE exam prep and graduation ceremony
This course introduces the basic principles of physical pharmacy and pharmaceutics. The course integrates the principles of physical pharmacy with dosage forms (pharmaceutics) and the use of dosage forms in pharmacy practice. The course correlates physical pharmacy, pharmaceutical, and biopharmaceutical principles with product design and preparation. (4 credits)
This laboratory course will reinforce the Pharmacists’ Patient Care Process approach by preparing students to apply clinical assessment and therapeutic management skills in the treatment of one or more disease states, including the demonstration of medication administration and therapeutic monitoring techniques, assessment and management of comorbid conditions, effective sourcing, application and communication of drug information, and the development of the soft skills necessary for effective patient counseling and education. The course may also include case-based sessions and the introduction of new material as appropriate to the learning session. (1 credit)
This course requires the student to demonstrate mastery of essential knowledge and skills necessary for the completion of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Rotations (APPEs) in the fourth professional year. Activities for this course will include, but are not limited to, topic discussions, patient case simulations, communication simulations with patients and other healthcare personnel, topic/case presentations, drug information questions, and journal clubs. Successful completion of the course requires the student to achieve competency on a variety of written knowledge assessments as well as verbal and written objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). (5 credits)
Rotations for the pharmacy practice experience include a required two-month rotation each for advanced institutional/general medicine and ambulatory/advanced community pharmacy, one required two-month special populations rotation (e.g., geriatrics, pediatrics, critical care) and three months of rotations chosen from a list of electives. Some possibilities for one-month elective rotations include nuclear pharmacy, toxicology, neonatology, cardiology, drug information, compounding, and infectious disease. Each course may be completed only once for credit. (4 credits)
LEARN MORE
We’re here for you and ready to help you with enrollment and answer your questions about our online pharmacy program, including tuition, admission requirements, curriculum details, and more.
Meet Your Academic Team
Laura A Perry, Pharm.D.
Dr. Perry's research interests include evaluating medication use and adherence in the outpatient setting, self-care and over-the-counter medication use, and evidence-based methods to teach and evaluate pharmacy practice skills in the laboratory setting.
Richard W Dudley, Ph.D.
Dr. Dudley graduated with his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry in 2006. He joined The University of Findlay College of Pharmacy in July 2007 as an assistant professor and has been responsible for teaching medicinal chemistry and pharmacology.
Tonya A. Dauterman, Pharm.D.
Dr. Dauterman's areas of interest are diabetes, lipid management, public health and pharmacy economics, and healthcare literacy. Areas of research include experiential education, patient outcomes, appropriate medication use, and diabetes.
"The University of Findlay has many different career pathways for their pharmacy students. This school not only provides you with the scientific knowledge but also empowers you with the humanitarian touch. The course is designed so that way you have not just the basic knowledge, but they also offer you on-campus laboratory work so you have the skills necessary to transition into a career. This gave me kind of like a two-way kind of learning where I can process information on my own, critically think on my own."
Tammy Tran,
"Freedom is a very prominent part of why you choose a distance pathway. I have the option of still living my own life at home while getting to accomplish a big goal and dream. The faculty have been awesome. Everybody's just very approachable, and you feel like you're able to be human with them as well."
Kelly Christman,
"When I spoke with faculty after my interview, that's when it really solidified my decision. The faculty was very approachable, they're very welcoming and warm. I've never had an experience like this where all of the professors I've had have been so supportive. They don't just listen to what we have to say, they actually hear us and they respond accordingly. They do everything that they can to support what we need."
Flora Shamayan,
The University of Findlay’s Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The University of Findlay is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).
This innovatively designed online pharmacy program can be completed in 4 years (9 semesters) and includes online coursework (synchronous and asynchronous), (3) one-week campus immersions, and experiential learning in clinical settings.
The Distance PharmD total program investment is approximately $170,960. Financial aid may be available to our distance students.
Yes. Our faculty members are experienced pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences professionals who use an interactive teaching style and a system-based curriculum to support your personal and professional development.
Our PharmD program information Session webinar and follow-up conversation with an enrollment advisor will help you determine if you qualify to apply, any required courses you may need to complete, and when you can expect to begin Findlay’s Distance PharmD program.
You can apply to the program before completing all prerequisites and Gen Ed (Core) courses, but you must complete your required courses to begin the program.
If you do not have a bachelor’s degree but have 60 college credits and a minimum 2.75 GPA*, Gen Ed (Core) courses must be completed before beginning the program.
I you have a bachelor’s degree and a minimum 2.75* GPA, Gen Ed (Core) courses are not required.
*A 3.0 GPA is preferred, but a minimum cumulative 2.75 GPA is required.
Your Enrollment Advisor will help you determine the time you should allocate toward completion of these required courses. This could be 14-16 weeks for every 3-12 credits, although faster alternatives may be available.
We recommend allocating 2-3 weeks for completion of the course-by-course WES evaluation if your coursework is from outside of the U.S.
01
What is experiential learning?
Experiential learning is the practice component of the University of Findlay’s Distance PharmD program, where you participate in interactive learning experiences under the supervision of a PharmD preceptor in your community to develop and refine practical pharmacy competencies.
02
What are Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE)?
During the program's first three years, you will complete 300 hours (100 each year) of supervised and structured training in a clinical setting with a licensed pharmacist. These guided experiences follow standard U.S. practice models and help you gain confidence while building practical pharmaceutical and patient-focused communication skills.
03
What are Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPE)?
In the program's final year, you will complete at least 1,440 advanced, experiential-based learning hours. An assigned preceptor directs these experiences at a designated site near you. A minimum of 160 hours must be completed in each of the ACPE-required APPE areas, including community practice, ambulatory patient care, hospital/health system pharmacy, and inpatient general medicine. The remaining hours include specialty and elective areas.
04
Where will my experiential learning rotations take place?
Findlay’s placement team helps you find experiential learning sites and preceptors within driving distance of your residence. The practical experience you’ll gain during your IPPE and APPE hours complements classroom learning and prepares you to develop and refine practical pharmacy competencies.
05
How do I benefit from Findlay’s experiential learning support services?
Finding preceptors and sites near you for your experiential learning rotations can be time-consuming. We manage the logistics of this process so that you can focus on your education and the competencies you need to become an accomplished pharmacist.
Numbers Tell the Story
1Best National Universities (2025) U.S. News and World Report. Ranked in 2025.
2Best Graduate Schools - Pharmacy (2024) U.S. News and World Report. Ranked in 2024.
