Doctor of Pharmacy Program Facts

Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)

The Ferris State University College of Pharmacy is accredited by the ACPE until June 2032. ACPE now accredits college of Pharmacy on 8 year cycles. For more information pertaining to the accreditation process please see the ACPE website: https://www.acpe-accredit.org or call the ACPE office at 312-664-3575.

Ferris State University is accredited by:

Higher Learning Commission

230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 263-0456
(800) 621-7440
https://www.hlcommission.org

The Doctor of Pharmacy Degree (Pharm.D.) is the entry level degree to become a pharmacist in any state in the United States. Each state grants pharmacist licensure based on a combination of: degree completion, required “internship” hours and successful completion of the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) and Multistate Pharmacy Jurisprudence Examination (MPJE).

Obtaining a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Ferris is based on the successful completion of a “pre-pharmacy” and “professional” collegiate course of study. The pre-pharmacy course requirements consist of 2 academic years (4 academic semesters) and a number of other criteria outlined in our admission guidelines. Ferris State University College of Pharmacy participates in the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS). The professional curriculum requires 4-years of academic studies, which includes approximately 1,700 hours of “field experience” in the practice of pharmacy across a wide spectrum of community and institutional settings. As a result, there is a minimum of 6 academic years of full-time college study (2 years pre-pharmacy + 4 professional years) to reach the goal of the Doctor of Pharmacy degree, based on the format of Ferris’ Doctor of Pharmacy program.

Both the pre-pharmacy and Doctor of Pharmacy programs can be completed through Ferris State University. The Ferris pre-pharmacy program is completed on the Big Rapids campus. If accepted, the professional degree program is completed on the Big Rapids (first two professional years) and Grand Rapids (third professional year) campuses. Required pharmacy practice experiences (4th year) are completed around the State of Michigan, with students having the option to select sites in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Flint-Saginaw and Marquette. Introductory pharmacy practice experiences occur around the state during the summers after the first and second professional years.

The pre-pharmacy requirements can also be completed at many of the colleges and universities, both in the State of Michigan, as well as out-of-state. Application guides for Michigan colleges and universities are available on the pharmacy website.

Complete and up-to-date tuition, housing, and dining information can be found on the Ferris website. Undergraduate (pre-pharmacy) tuition is approximately $12,000 per academic year for Michigan residents and $15,000 for U.S. non-Michigan residents. Professional program (Pharm.D) tuition is approximately $33,223 per academic year for both Michigan residents and Non-Michigan residents. It is important to note that during the professional degree program there are some credit hours associated with the summer semester. Ferris housing and dining expenses are approximately $9,000 to $13,000 per year depending on the type of housing (residence hall or apartment).

As stated above, admission to the College of Pharmacy is competitive, based on a number of different criteria, which are published on our website. Ferris' target is to admit 120 successful candidates to the Doctor of Pharmacy program each Fall. In addition to candidates who have completed their prerequisites at Ferris, the College of Pharmacy has also admitted applicants from colleges and universities across the State of Michigan, as well as around the region and country. Graduation rates for students admitted to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program can vary from class to class.

As stated above, the professional degree program requires 4-years of full-time academic commitment (Fall and Spring semester) along with parts of the summer semesters. "On-time" graduation (by the end of 4-years) varies based on student performance against academic requirements set within the program to assure a high degree of competency of future pharmacy practitioners. The College of Pharmacy provides remediation pathways for professional degree candidates to aid them in meeting these performance measures, that in some cases may delay graduation.

Measures: Applies to Doctor of Pharmacy Program Graduates of 2024

Measure	Count
Total Applicants	223
Qualified Applicants	183
Admitted in 2020	97
Average Overall Pre-Pharmacy Requirements GPA	3.37
Pharmacy College Admission Test Composite Percentile Average	51st
Number of Different Michigan Colleges Represented for Pre-Pharmacy Studies	38
Number of Out-of-State Colleges Represented for Pre-Pharmacy Studies	13
Number of Admitted that Graduated in 2024	86 (88.7%)
Number of Admitted Still Enrolled (e.g., Repeating Courses, Leave of Absence) as of January 2025	6 (6.2%)
Number Who Left the Program (e.g., Dismissed, Withdrew)	5 (6.2%)
Percent reported being prepared to enter pharmacy practice and provide medication expertise as part of a patient-centered care team.	100%

Ferris (In-State)

Exam Attempt	2024 Graduates Pass Rates
1st Time	75.9% (n=83)
All	75.8% (n= 95)

State (MI)

Exam Attempt	2024 Graduates Pass Rates
1st Time	85.8% (n=226)
All	85.4.3% (n= 247)

National 

Exam Attempt	2024 Graduates Pass Rates
1st Time	77.5% (n=10,466)
All	75.4% (n= 11,951)

 

Ferris (All)

Exam Attempt (Out-of-State)	2024 Graduates Pass Rates
1st Time	85.7% (n=7)
All	85.7% (n=7)

State (MI) (All)

Exam Attempt	2024 Graduates Pass Rates
1st Time	76.7% (n=30)
All	80.0% (n=35)

National (All)

(Click the link above to view the rates from each state.)

Exam Attempt	2024 Graduates Pass Rates
1st Time	76.6% (n=9137)
All	75.6% (n=10,891)