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Pharmaceutical Science

General Overview
The Bachelor of Science degree program in Pharmaceutical Science is a unique degree program in the Knoxville and surrounding area. This program of study is designed to prepare students who have the goal of either seeking admission into professional and graduate degree programs or applying for entry level positions in the pharmaceutical, biomedical/ biotechnology, and chemical industries. Professional degree programs that students may apply to include pharmacy, medicine, and nursing. Completing a professional degree program and passing a state licensure examination is required for licensure in most of the healthcare professions. While the B.S. in Pharmaceutical Science does not allow one to be licensed as a pharmacist, it does prepare students to apply for admission into a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree program, the degree required for licensureas a pharmacist. Students with an interest in scientific research may choose to apply for admission into a graduate degree program. Programs leading to the Master ofScience (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees are available in a varietyof sciences, including pharmaceutical science and pharmacology. For students seeking entry-level positions with both private and public employers in the pharmaceutical and related sciences industries, diverse employment opportunities exist. Job titles for such positions include Food Scientist and Technologist, Biological Scientist, Pharmaceutical Sales Representative, Chemist and Material Scientist, and Biological Technician.

Admission Requirements
To be admitted to the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science program,students must meet the South College general admission requirements, and the following requirements specific to the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science program.

  1. Completion and submission of the "Application to Pharmaceutical Science" form to the pharmaceutical science program.
  2. Documentation of a minimum composite score of 21 on the ACT Writing Test.
  3. Documentation of a cumulative grade point average of at least a 2.50 calculated on general education course requirements for the program. Science and mathematics courses must be completed with at least acumulative 2.75 grade point average.
  4. Submission of a "personal statement" that describes the applicant's collegiateand/or career objectives that will be used to ensure that the applicant understands the mission and goals of the program and to ensure that the applicant's collegiate and/or career objectives are consistent with what the program will provide.

Termination from Program
Grounds for termination from the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science program include the following:

  1. Failure to achieve the minimum grade required for any upper division course or to maintain the required minimum cumulative grade pointaverage.
  2. Nonpayment of fees.
  3. Failure to comply with South College rules and/or policies.
  4. Failure to comply with Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science program rules and/or policies.
  5. Falsification of the South College Application to Pharmaceutical Science.

Any student terminated from the program may seek readmission by submitting a Letter of Intent to the Dean responsible for the program. The Admissions Committee for the program will review and consider the request for readmissionon a space available basis. If a readmitted student is not successful in repeating a course or achieving the required minimum cumulative grade point average, or based on one or more of the grounds listed above, is again terminated from the program, that student will not be readmitted to the program.

Voluntary Withdrawal
If a student finds it necessary to withdraw from the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science program, readmission into the program cannot be guaranteed. Any student seeking readmission following voluntary withdrawal must follow the procedure described immediately above for seeking readmission to theprogram following termination from the program. Readmission to the program may be granted on a space-available basis.

The Curriculum
The curriculum and sequence of course offerings leading to the Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Science have been planned to support the goals described above. The focus of the first two years of the curriculum is on establishing a firm foundation in the general studies disciplines, with a focus on the basic sciences. The remainder of the curriculum builds on this focus by offering courses concentrating on the pharmaceutical (i.e., medicinal chemistry, pharmacology) and biological sciences (i.e., immunology, genomics).