Smiling female student in white coat, standing in a pharmacy lab.

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)—Direct Entry

Location: Boston | Start Term: Fall, Spring

Become a medication expert and help others live healthier lives across diverse career paths by earning a PharmD from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

A Well-Rounded Education with Invaluable Professional Opportunities

A Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) from the MCPHS provides you with an exceptional foundation for a career in pharmacy with countless career paths in healthcare, life sciences, research, and beyond. This full-time, six-year degree program is uniquely specialized for both undergraduates and transfer students. It begins with a two-year preprofessional phase and progresses to a four-year professional phase, emphasizing experiential and interprofessional education, pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacogenomics, and pharmacy practice. Upon completion, you will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to excel in shaping the future of healthcare.

Advance your career in Pharmacy at MCPHS

Founded in 1823, MCPHS is the second-oldest university of pharmacy in the United States. It has prepared more students for careers in the field than any other university in the world. 

#1

2025 Best Schools for a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) 

MCPHS is second among all pharmacy schools in the United States—and first in the Northeast—according to the 2025 rankings published by College Factual.  

33.3%

Experiential and Hands-On Learning

Students spend one-third of the PharmD in experiential education (EE), beginning as soon as the summer after the P1 year.

$136K

median salary

Average annual compensation for pharmacists according to U.S. News & World Report, Best Healthcare Jobs, 2023

Discover the PharmD from the MCPHS School of Pharmacy – Boston  

Learn how our nationally recognized faculty, innovative research, LiPhE Institute and supportive Community empower students to grow in the classroom and beyond. 

STEM Designated

All PharmD Direct Entry students can receive a BS in Pharmacy and Life Sciences, resulting up to an additional 2 years of OPT. 

Dual-Degree Options

The School of Pharmacy offers several dual degrees, graduate certificates, and post-graduate education opportunities to ensure students have access to the credentials they need to be successful. 

Biopharmaceutical Industry Fellowships

Over 100 biopharmaceutical industry fellowships are available, providing PharmD graduates with specialized training where they'll gain hands-on experience, develop business and clinical skills, and more.

School of Pharmacy

Tailored and accelerated professional development

All School of Pharmacy students are enrolled in the Leadership in Pharmacy Education (LiPhE) Institute, providing support and early exposure to career pathways.
School of Pharmacy

Careers in Action: MCPHS School of Pharmacy Alumni Making Their Mark 

Discover the types of roles and organizations where MCPHS graduates from the School of Pharmacy – Boston are making their impact.
  • Director, Clinical Pharmacology Lead

    Pfizer

  • Veterinary Compounding Pharmacist

    Petscripts

  • Clinical Research Scientist

    Johnson & Johnson

  • Breast Cancer Pharmacy Specialist

    Dana Farber Cancer Institute

  • Clinical Oncology Pharmacist

    Massachusetts General Hospital

  • Clinical Pharmacist

    Department of Defense

CATEGORY VALUE
Number of degrees conferred (May 2024) 174
On-time graduation rate (Class of 2024) 64%
2024 Graduates entering post-graduate training (Residency or Fellowship) 17.2%
2024 Graduates first time pass rate on NAPLEX * 67.4%

*as published on NABP website

MCPHS – Boston School of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by: 

Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)
190 S. LaSalle Street, Suite 3000
Chicago, Illinois 60603-3446
tel.: 312.664.3575
fax: 866.228.2631
website: www.acpe-accredit.org.

The School of Pharmacy – Boston (SOP-B) is committed to the development and delivery of quality programs that prepare a culturally diverse student body to become qualified practitioners of patient-centered care, services and research in the pharmaceutical professions while maintaining a multidisciplinary environment conducive to excellence in teaching, scholarship and professional advancement.

Strategic Plan

The School of Pharmacy – Boston undertakes planning and evaluation in order to accomplish and improve the achievement of its mission. Long-term planning objectives are articulated in the School of Pharmacy Boston Strategic Plan [PDF].

Each student must have access to a laptop for the duration of each year. (Please note - tablets (e.g., iPads) are currently not compatible with the newer features of ExamSoft ExamID and ExamMonitor.)

To begin utilizing ExamSoft software at this time, students need to ensure that their laptops fulfill the following minimum requirements based on the type of device they choose to use with ExamSoft.

Non-Academic Technical Standards

In conjunction with the applicable academic and accreditation standards, the faculty in each of the programs at MCPHS has established certain abilities and characteristics defined as technical standards. Candidates for enrollment in programs at MCPHS must meet these technical standards, which may include but are not limited to observation, communication, sensory and motor coordination and function, intellectual, conceptual, integrative and quantitative abilities, and behavioral and social attributes. These standards may be met with or without reasonable accommodations.

Review the School of Pharmacy Non-Academic Technical Standards.

News & Features from the School of Pharmacy – Boston 

Keep up with the latest news from the School of Pharmacy in Boston. 

Additional Options for PharmD

We offer two paths to a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in addition to our PharmD—Accelerated option.

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)—Accelerated

Non-Traditional Doctor of Pharmacy (NTDP)

Download a PharmD–Direct Entry Fact Sheet 

How can the PharmD–Direct Entry program help transform your trajectory while improving the lives of others? Tell us about yourself and we'll share the information you’ll need to make it happen at MCPHS.