Biological Sciences BS/PharmD

The Biological Sciences BS/PharmD pathway at the University at Buffalo gives students opportunities to develop practical skills across both biological science and professional pharmacy education. Students can gain hands-on laboratory experience, participate in faculty-led research and internships, and later apply their knowledge through pharmacy practice experiences in community, hospital and clinical settings. UB also provides dedicated simulation and research facilities where students can practice patient assessment, pharmacy operations, compounding and scientific research using professional equipment and digital resources.

Students can build practical experience through:

• Biological Sciences laboratories: Laboratory-based courses allow students to develop practical skills in biological sciences and gain experience working with scientific methods and laboratory techniques.

• Undergraduate research: Students can work with Biological Sciences faculty on real research projects, gaining experience with research methods, data interpretation and scientific problem-solving.

• Honors research: Eligible students can complete original research with a faculty mentor and present their findings at a departmental symposium, giving them experience communicating scientific results.

• Biological Sciences internships: Students can gain professional experience through internships related to their interests and career goals. Selected students may also receive support through Biological Sciences Experiential Learning Fellowships.

• Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences: During the PharmD stage, students complete supervised pharmacy experiences in community and hospital or health-system environments, with at least 315 hours of introductory experiential training.

• Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences: In the final PharmD year, students complete at least 1,600 hours of advanced practice experiences across areas such as ambulatory care, community pharmacy, hospital or health-system pharmacy and inpatient adult patient care.

• Pine Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Care Learning Center: The center includes 12 patient-assessment rooms equipped with computers, cameras, microphones, examination tables, blood-pressure equipment and mock patient charts. Students can use these spaces to practice patient assessment, communication and clinical decision-making.

• Model Pharmacy: Students can practice real-world pharmacy activities in a simulated pharmacy environment, including patient counseling, dispensing, packaging, prescription processing and other pharmacy operations.

• Compounding laboratory: Students receive hands-on training in preparing pharmaceutical products such as powders, capsules, suspensions and ointments, as well as sterile intravenous medications in a simulated cleanroom environment.

• Pharmaceutical research instrumentation: The Pharmaceutical Sciences Instrumentation Facility provides access to advanced research equipment and analytical technologies, including liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry, fluorescence and thermal analysis equipment.

• Computational resources: Students involved in pharmaceutical sciences research can use computational and visualization resources, including the Milo Gibaldi Computation Laboratory and tools supporting pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analysis.

• CORE ELMS: UB uses the CORE ELMS digital platform to manage experiential learning placements, assessments, evaluations and communication between students and their practice-site preceptors.

• Pharmacy research centers: The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences provides access to research environments covering areas such as drug delivery, protein therapeutics, proteomics, drug discovery and development, pharmacokinetics and artificial intelligence in clinical pharmacology.

• Gumtow Library and study facilities: Students have access to the Gumtow Library for individual and group study, as well as computer facilities and dedicated computational spaces within the Pharmacy Building.

• Extensive practice network: The PharmD experiential education program provides access to more than 1,200 preceptors across more than 750 training sites, giving students opportunities to experience different areas of professional pharmacy practice.

The Biological Sciences BS/PharmD pathway at the University at Buffalo gives students a clear route from undergraduate biological sciences into professional pharmacy practice. By combining scientific preparation with extensive clinical experience, the program prepares graduates for careers in community pharmacies, hospitals, healthcare systems, managed care and pharmaceutical organizations, while also providing options for postgraduate training.

Typical career roles include community pharmacist, clinical pharmacist, hospital pharmacist, managed-care pharmacist. Graduates can also explore opportunities in research, government, academia, pharmaceutical companies and clinical drug development.

Students can build toward these opportunities through:

• Career support: UB's Career Design Center helps students prepare for employment through career advising, resume reviews, employer connections, internship and job searches, and access to Bullseye powered by Handshake.

• Pharmacy career guidance: The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences provides career exploration resources that help students understand different pharmacy career paths and identify opportunities in patient care, research and pharmaceutical innovation.

• Employment outcomes: For the 2025 PharmD graduating class, UB reported that 92.3% of graduates with known outcomes were employed or pursuing pharmacy-related postgraduate opportunities. Destinations included community pharmacy, residency programs, fellowships and managed care.

• Salary potential: UB reports a $137,210 mean annual wage for pharmacists, based on 2024 U.S. Department of Labor and O*NET data. The occupation is also identified by UB as having a Rapid Growth outlook.

• Residency opportunities: UB reported a 91% residency match rate in 2026, with 93% overall residency attainment when ASHP Match and other opportunities were included. This gives students a strong option for developing advanced clinical expertise after the PharmD.

• Pharmaceutical industry connections: UB pharmacy graduates have pursued fellowship opportunities with organizations including Merck, Gilead Sciences and CSL Behring, supporting career paths in areas such as medical affairs, medical information and pharmaceutical marketing.

• Extensive practice network: The PharmD experiential education program provides access to more than 1,200 preceptors across 750+ training sites. Students therefore gain experience across different pharmacy and healthcare environments before completing their professional degree.

• Professional accreditation: The PharmD program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). This accreditation demonstrates that the professional pharmacy curriculum meets established standards for pharmacy education and helps maintain the program's long-term professional relevance.

• Graduation outcomes: UB reported an 89.6% on-track graduation rate for the 2025 PharmD cohort. Graduates move into community pharmacy, residency programs, fellowships, managed care and other pharmacy-related fields.

Further Academic Progression: After completing the PharmD, students can continue their professional development through pharmacy residency programs and competitive fellowships. They can also pursue further study and research in pharmaceutical sciences, clinical and translational therapeutics and related areas, opening pathways into advanced clinical practice, drug development, pharmaceutical research, academia and healthcare leadership.