Colleges with Pharmacy Programs in Texas

Students wishing to become a pharmacist will need to hold a doctorate from an accredited college or university, although earning an undergraduate or master's degree may also provide job opportunities later down the line. Pharmacists who want to run a pharmacy may also think about getting a Master of Business Administration (MBA). Continue reading below to learn about the degree pathways available, and schools in Texas that offer these programs.

What Does an Undergraduate Degree in Pharmacy Entail?

Earning an associate's degree in the program will typically take around two years, and a bachelor's degree program will take around four years. Students in both degree programs will need to complete both lecture and laboratory courses. Some of the potential classes in these programs include medical terminology, chemistry, biology, and toxicology.

Some of the schools that offer an associate's or bachelor's degree in pharmacy in Texas are:

• Remington College - Pharmacy Technician Associate Degree
• College of the Mainland (COM) - Pharmacy Technician Associate Degree
• Texas State College - Bachelor's in Chemistry with Concentration in Pre-Pharmacy
• University of Houston - Bachelor's of Pharmaceutical Science

What Does a Master's Degree in Pharmacy Entail?

To earn a master's degree in pharmaceutical science, students will spend roughly two years completing the necessary course work. Students can specialize in one of two areas, either health outcomes and pharmacy practice or pharmacotherapy. Students will need to take both lecture and lab courses to meet all of the curriculum requirements. Some of the potential courses that students can take include biochemistry, pharmacokinetics, and pharmaceutical science.

A few of the schools in Texas that offer master's degree programs in pharmacy, or pharmaceutical sciences, include:

• The University of Texas at Austin - Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Texas Tech University - Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Texas Southern University - Master's in Pharmaceutical Sciences

What Does a Doctorate Program in Pharmacy Entail?

Doctorates in pharmacy typically take around four years to complete and teach students everything they need to know to take a position as a pharmacist upon graduation. Students in this program can specialize in one of two areas: pharmacology or pharmaceutics. Before earning their degree, students will also need to write a dissertation. In the final year of schooling, potential pharmacists will need to defend their dissertation in front of a dissertation committee. The committee will be comprised of people with expertise in the area of pharmaceutical science.

There are a variety of schools that offer Doctorate programs for pharmacy in the state of Texas. Below is a list of a few of the schools that offer this program:

• Texas Southern University - PharmD Program
• University of Houston - PharmD Program
• University of Texas at Tyler - PharmD Program

Which Degree Is Best?

When trying to decide which degree is the best fit, it is important to look at the long term goal. If the goal is to work as a pharmacist for the government or other top-notch pharmacies, the doctorate is the way to go. However, a master's degree would be a great stepping stone to reaching larger goals, plus it will provide students with more experience and time to prepare for writing and defending their dissertation.

Even after completing a PharmD, pharmacists who want to work in a specialized field like pharmacy research, geriatric care or clinical pharmacy may need to do a residency. These residencies typically last from one to two years and allow pharmacists to gain experience in a real-world environment.

What Do the Career Statistics Look Like for Pharmacists?

If you're thinking about becoming a pharmacist, your potential salary and growth in the industry might be important factors. The career of pharmacists is expected to decline, meaning that the number of positions available will most likely decrease between 2019 and 2029. As of 2020, there were roughly 315,470 job positions in the country. The median pay for 2020 was reported to be $61.88 per hour, which equals $128,710 per year. The lowest ten percent of pharmacists earned around $85,210 in 2018 and the top 10% earned $164,980 per year or more.