Pharmacy (Doctor of Pharmacy)

The Pharm.D., the professional doctorate that leads to licensure as a pharmacist. Three Florida public universities award it (UF, FAMU and USF), about 412 a year. ⚠⚠ Admission turns on two or more years of prerequisite science, not on a bachelor's degree: UF's minimum is an associate degree.

The degrees this program covers

⚠⚠ The Pharm.D. (CIP 51.2001) is the only degree that leads to the pharmacist licence exams. In 2023 UF awarded 237, FAMU 100 and USF 75. UF also awarded 25 post-master's certificates under the same code. ⚠⚠ Do not confuse it with the pharmaceutical sciences master's (51.2099), about 300 a year at UF, 26 at USF and 7 at FAMU. Those are research and industry degrees, not a licence route. ⚠ Pharmacy technician is a separate, short programme, covered by Pharmacy Technology. ⚠⚠ Admission: BLS says programmes typically require at least two years of prerequisite undergraduate courses, and UF's minimum is an A.A. or A.S. AACP's 2023-24 figures show that 39% of applications nationally came from bachelor's holders and more than half from people without one. ⚠ The prerequisite numbers compete in Florida: CHM2045 against CHM1045, BSC2010 against BSC1010, MCB3020 against MCB2010. UF accepts the state's common-prerequisite equivalents, but check each target school's list literally.

Careers this program leads to

Each one sets out the courses along the way, the licence or certification at the end, and the sources behind it.

Pharmacist

⚠⚠ One route: the Doctor of Pharmacy, awarded in Florida's public system by UF, FAMU and USF (about 412 a year). ⚠⚠ Admission turns on two or more years of prerequisite science, not a bachelor's degree: UF's minimum is an associate degree, and more than half of Pharm.D. applications nationally come from people without a bachelor's. Median pay is $140,910 nationally and $135,970 in Florida. BLS expects retail demand to be limited as prescriptions move online and by mail.

Programs similar to this one

Neighbouring fields that share much of the same coursework, and often the same employers. ⚠ Read these before you commit to a major — which doors a neighbouring degree keeps open is the part no catalog tells you, and it is far cheaper to change now than later.

Chemistry and Biochemistry 10 Florida schools

⚠ The prerequisite core — general and organic chemistry, often biochemistry — is chemistry, so a chemistry major covers most of it inside the degree. It also leads to the pharmaceutical-industry careers that the Pharm.D. does not require.

Biology and Biomedical Sciences 15 Florida schools

⚠ The other major that absorbs most pre-pharmacy prerequisites: general biology, microbiology, anatomy and physiology. ⚠ AACP publishes no data on entrants' majors, so neither is shown to be better.

Pharmacy Technology 30 Florida schools

⚠⚠ A different job, not a first step on the same ladder. The technician programme is short and leads to board registration; it earns no credit toward a Pharm.D., though pharmacy work experience helps an application.

Medicine 6 Florida schools

⚠ The other prescriber-side health doctorate. The science prerequisites overlap heavily.

Florida public institutions offering this program

3 institutions awarded a credential in this field in 2023, at these levels: Doctorate (professional practice), Post-master's certificate. A school appears here if it awards anything in the field, however limited its offering — a technical college teaching only practical nursing has a nursing program. Listed alphabetically, not ranked.

Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University

Doctorate (professional practice)

University of Florida

Doctorate (professional practice) · Post-master's certificate

University of South Florida

Doctorate (professional practice)

Source: federal IPEDS completions data for 2023, first majors only — the most recent year published. ⚠ It records what was awarded, which is strong evidence of what is offered, but a program launched since 2023 will not appear here. Check the institution’s own catalog before applying.

Updated 23 September 2026. ⚠ Program pages describe a field of study, not one school’s degree — always read the catalog of the institution you are applying to.