Agreement signed with Fairleigh Dickinson School of Pharmacy

Florham Park, NJ — At a signing ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 28, officials from Bloomsburg University and the Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences finalized an agreement to allow qualified students to earn both an undergraduate degree and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in seven years, saving a full year of time and costs.

FDU Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Gillian Small offered a welcome to those in attendance. “We are pleased to be able to partner with Bloomsburg University on a program that will benefit students,” said Small. “We hope to have more partnerships in the future with BU.”

Bloomsburg University Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Diana Rogers-Adkinson offered remarks on behalf of BU President Bashar Hanna. “Agreements such as this are very important and expand our ability to attract quality, highly-driven students,” said Rogers-Adkinson. “We look forward to collaborating with Fairleigh Dickinson University on other programs in the future that will benefit our students.”

The Fairleigh Dickinson University program will allow BU students majoring in chemistry or health sciences into the Fast Track to Pharmacy (PharmD) program at Fairleigh Dickinson following their junior year. BU students will then complete their final year enrolled in pharmacy coursework at the Fairleigh Dickinson School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. That year will also serve to complete both their first year of study within the Doctor of Pharmacy program and concurrently to complete the final credits to receive their B.A. degree in chemistry or B.S. degree in health sciences from Bloomsburg University.

Candidates for admission must have a 3.3 or higher overall GPA at BU and complete all prerequisite courses with a grade of B- or better. Reserved admission is limited to a maximum of five BU students each year.

The agreement is effective immediately, allowing current Bloomsburg University students to apply for admission.

“Access to such accelerated pathways to professional programs are very attractive opportunities to students, and we are excited to partner with FDU’s School of Pharmacy to provide this opportunity to our current and future students in the College of Science and Technology," said Latha Ramakrishnan, dean of the Bloomsburg University College of Science and Technology. “Our faculty are dedicated to support student success and I am delighted to note the collaboration between faculty in chemistry and biology and allied health departments to create such pathways for success to our students.”

Taking part in the signing ceremony were Small, Rogers-Adkinson, Dr. Latha Ramakrishnan, Dr. Michael Avaltroni, dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at FDU; Dr. Anastasia Rivkin, executive associate dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; and Dr. Chadwin Sandifer, associate dean for Student Affairs and Administrative Operations.

About Fairleigh Dickinson University School of Pharmacy
As a fully accredited program by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), FDU’s PharmD program meets the academic requirements for licensure in all 50 states. Separate from educational requirements, state licensure boards may require applicants to complete other requirements.
 
Professional licensure and certification requirements may vary state to state, and are also subject to change. Students should contact the appropriate licensing agency in each home state to obtain the most up-to-date information.

About Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 7,800 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in five distinct colleges: College of Education, Zeigler College of Business, College of Liberal Arts, College of Science and Technology, and new Honors College.

Front row (L to R)--FDU Provost Gillian Small, BU Provost Diana Rogers-Adkinson

Back row (L to R)--Dr. Chadwin Sandifer, FDU associate dean for Student Affairs and Administrative Operations; Dr. Michael Avaltroni, FDU dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Dr. Anastasia Rivkin, FDU executive associate dean of the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Dr. Latha Ramakrishnan, BU dean of the College of Science and Technology.