Press Releases


ACPHS to Offer 3-Year Pharm.D. Program on Vermont Campus

February 8, 2019

Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is launching a new 3-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program on its Colchester, VT, Campus; applications are now being accepted for Summer 2019 enrollment.

The program, which was recently approved by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, is scheduled to begin on June 3 following a four day orientation (May 28-31).

With students increasingly looking to fast-track their careers in order to begin earning income sooner and start gaining professional experience, the 3-year program helps address a growing need.

Of the more than 150 Pharm.D. programs in the country, there are only 21 who offer 3-year programs and just four in the Northeast (including ACPHS-Vermont).

The 3-year or “accelerated” Pharm.D. program contains the same coursework as the traditional 4-year professional degree program, with the only difference being the time to completion. Students in the 3-year program will attend ten weeks of classes between June and August each year which will enable them to graduate one year earlier.

“Graduates of the 3-year program will share the same knowledge and experiences as those in the traditional program, with the added benefit of being able to enter the workforce one year earlier,” said Robert Hamilton, Pharm.D., MPH. “It’s a great fit for the focused individual who is eager to launch their career.”

In their 2019 rankings, The Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education identified ACPHS as the #1 value-added school in the country (nearly 1,000 colleges and universities were evaluated for the report). ACPHS is also ranked 2nd in the country by the College Scorecard for Salary After Attending with a median salary of $124,700.

The 3-year Pharm.D. program will be exclusive to the College’s Vermont Campus; the ACPHS Albany Campus will continue to offer the 4-year Pharm.D. program in addition to its 6-year pharmacy program for students entering directly from high school. 

The ACPHS-Vermont Campus opened in 2009, and it remains the only pharmacy program of any kind in the state. Its combination of a modern learning environment along with easy access to some of the region’s best spots for dining, shopping, and outdoors activities makes it an attractive destination in which to live and study.

Visit acphs.edu/3-year for more information.