Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Honors Program

School of Pharmacy–Boston, Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Honors Program

The School of Pharmacy–Boston Honors Program is an enrichment of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum that expands educational opportunities for highly motivated and academically talented students.

Program Overview

Students in the Honors Program will: • participate in small class seminars with peers that help students develop and improve research and presentation skills • conduct a research project under the supervision of a research mentor in Pharmaceutical, Clinical, or Social and Administrative Sciences • earn an Honors designation on their degree transcript with completion of all Honors Program requirements

Honors Program Eligibility

A student who is interested in applying for admission to the Honors Program must: • be a third-year pharmacy student (first professional year, PY1) in the PharmD program; and • have a minimum professional grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 by the end of the Fall semester of the PY1 year.

Applications for admission to the Honors Program are due by the last Friday in January of the Spring semester of the PY1 year. The applicant must: • complete the application form • submit their curriculum vitae / résumé • provide two professional references • submit an essay that outlines the reasons for pursuing the Honors Program as well as how the student expects the Honors Program to contribute to their professional goals after graduation

All applicants who meet the eligibility criteria, whose application materials are received by the deadline, are invited for an interview with members of the Honors Program Committee during the Spring semester. Applicants must maintain their professional GPA of 3.50 or higher through the end of the Spring semester of the PY1 year to be eligible for acceptance. The Honors Program Committee makes the final determination of eligible students' acceptance into the Honors Program.

Honors Program Requirements

Honors students are expected to maintain a professional GPA of a 3.30 or higher throughout the remaining professional years of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. Honors students participate in an Honors seminar that meets during the Fall and Spring semesters of the second professional year (PY2) and the Fall and Spring semesters of the third professional year (PY3). This seminar will foster intellectual inquiry and the technical skills necessary for development, completion and presentation of the Honors project. During the second professional year (PY2), each Honors student selects one required course in the Fall semester and one required course in the Spring semester in which to complete additional coursework to meet Honors Program coursework requirements. The Honors student will work under the supervision and guidance of one or more faculty members on a specific area within each course to gain further depth and knowledge in the area of study (laboratory, practicum, and clinical experience can be included) covered within each course. The student must fulfill the Honors coursework requirements as specified by the faculty member(s). The student will spend approximately two hours per week to complete the Honors Program coursework requirements in each course. By the end of the PY2 year, the Honors student will be paired with a faculty research mentor who will supervise their Honors research project throughout the remainder of the student’s time in the Honors Program. During the third professional year (PY3), the student will focus on advancing their Honors research project under the supervision and guidance of their research mentor. In October, the student will submit their research project proposal with a timeline and budget and present their proposal to the Honors Program Committee, who must approve the proposal prior to initiation of the project. The student begins work on his or her research project in the latter portion of the Fall semester of the PY3 year and continues into the PY4 year. The student may elect to work on their Honors project with their faculty research mentor through completion of an Undergraduate Research elective as a professional elective in the Spring semester of the PY3 year. The student may also select one or two six-week rotations that will advance the goals of the research project. Rotation selections must be indicated within their proposal. These rotations should occur in the first part of the PY4 academic year since the student must complete the research project during the final semester of the PY4 year. During the fourth professional year (PY4), the student will focus on the advancement and completion of their research project under the supervision and guidance of their research mentor. The Honors student must submit a scientific report and give a formal presentation on the results of their research in the Spring semester of their PY4 year. Students will be