Juris Doctor/PharmD (JD/PharmD)

Admission Requirements

Admission to the dual PharmD/JD program is competitive, and involves meeting admission requirements and gaining acceptance to both the School of Pharmacy and the law school. Students will not be given special consideration for admission to either program because they are applying for the dual degree. Students that have a baccalaureate degree may apply to the dual PharmD/JD degree program in two ways. First, they may apply at the time they submit their PharmD application by concurrently submitting applications to both schools. Students who elect this approach must identify themselves on their PharmD applications as potential dual PharmD/JD degree students. Students who are admitted to both schools will be offered admission to the dual degree contingent on passing all courses in their first year of the PharmD with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

Students pursuing the dual PharmD/JD degree must notify the law school in a timely fashion that they will be enrolling in the dual PharmD/JD degree program and will not matriculate at the law school until the following year. Students who are accepted only by one school may choose to attend that school but will not be eligible for the dual degree. Second, students can apply to the dual degree by submitting an application to the law school during their first year of enrollment in the PharmD program prior to the law school’s published application deadline. Students who elect this approach must apply through the School of Pharmacy. Students admitted to the law school using this approach would be offered admission to the dual degree contingent on passing all courses in their first year of the PharmD with a minimum 3.0 GPA. See the admissions section of the School of Pharmacy and the law school for specific requirements.

Degree Requirements

The professions of pharmacy and law are distinctly different, yet pharmacists are often involved in legal issues and lawyers frequently deal with pharmacy, drug, health care, product development and toxin-related matters. This dual degree program provides qualified students with an efficient mechanism for obtaining the expertise and professional credentials that will enable them to develop professional practices that bring together expertise in both areas.

Overall Requirements

A student is required to complete all work for both degrees within six years of the date of matriculation at the School of Pharmacy (PharmD) and five years of matriculation at the law school (JD). The entire dual degree program will take six years to complete. Dual degree students will be allowed to use 12 units of approved JD course work (elective or required) to meet 12 units of PharmD electives and 12 units of approved PharmD course work (elective or required) to meet 12 units of JD electives. A faculty qualifying exam committee will determine the exact program for each student, including the appropriateness of courses in one program used to meet elective requirements for the other program. A total of 208 units is required for the dual degree.

PharmD Requirements

Dual degree students must successfully complete 144 units of PharmD and acceptable JD units to receive the PharmD degree. The 144 units must include 132 units of required and elective pharmacy course work plus 12 units of JD course work deemed acceptable to meet PharmD elective requirements. Dual degree students should graduate with their PharmD degrees at the completion of the first semester of the sixth academic year of the dual degree program. Students will be eligible to sit for the Pharmacy Board Exams after completion of the PharmD degree requirements. However, dual degree students will not actually be awarded their PharmD degrees until they complete requirements for both degrees.

Juris Doctor Requirements

Dual degree students must successfully complete 88 units of JD and acceptable PharmD course work during the second to sixth years of the dual degree program to receive the JD degree. The 88 units must be composed of 76 units of JD course work, including satisfaction of the upper-division writing requirement and any other substantive requirements, plus 12 units of PharmD course work deemed acceptable to meet JD elective requirements. No JD credit will be awarded for PharmD course work completed prior to matriculation in the law school. Students cannot receive the JD degree under requirements for the dual degree program without prior or simultaneous completion of the PharmD degree.

Both professions require passing a state board or bar exam to practice the respective professions. Neither of these degrees requires a thesis or comprehensive final exam.

Recommended Program

PharmD/JD dual degree students will begin with the first year of the PharmD curriculum (36 units). During the second year, students will take the first year law core (33 units), plus 3–5 PharmD units. Due to the rigor of the law school core, pharmacy courses during the first year of law school are limited to non-science courses. The third through fifth years of the program focus on PharmD courses with sufficient law courses to maintain students’ educational momentum in law. Students should complete their PharmD requirements during the fall of their sixth year of the program and their law course work also during the sixth year. Students must complete both degree requirements by the end of the sixth year of the program.