STEUBENVILLE, OH – Students at Franciscan University of Steubenville will be able to obtain a doctor of pharmacy degree through a new agreement with D’Youville College in Buffalo, New York.

Under the 3+4 program, a maximum of 10 Franciscan students a year will have the opportunity to begin studies in either chemistry or biology on the Steubenville campus and, after successfully completing three years, to enroll in a four-year program at D’Youville’s School of Pharmacy. Students in the program will receive both a bachelor’s degree from Franciscan and doctor of pharmacy degree from D’Youville. The program is similar to agreements Franciscan has in engineering and canon law with the University of Notre Dame, the University of Dayton, Gannon University, and the Catholic University of America.

Dr. Daniel Kempton, Franciscan vice president for Academic Affairs, said the idea for the joint pharmacy program originated with Father Sean O. Sheridan, TOR, University president and himself a former pharmacist, who approached Sister Denise A. Roche, then president of D’Youville College, about it.

“Like our agreements in engineering and canon law, the primary goal here is to allow more students to gain their core education and formation here at Franciscan University while expeditiously gaining degrees that Franciscan does not have the resources to offer,” Kempton said. “We are grateful for the collaboration of our partnering schools and universities so that we may better serve more students.”

Dr. Eric Haenni, pre-health professional programs coordinator at Franciscan, said the University sought the agreement with D’Youville out of a desire to diversify the options open to biology and chemistry students. With demand for new pharmacists still on the rise because of an aging population, the Affordable Care Act, and the retirement of pharmacists who initially benefited from the expansion of national drugstore chains, Haenni said a burgeoning job market should await graduates of the new program.

“The collaboration with D’Youville,” he said, “presents our students with the opportunity to continue studies at another Catholic institution.” D’Youville, he continued, also has the advantages of state-of-the-art facilities and a progressive, modern approach to the field of pharmacy. The decision to collaborate with the Buffalo college, he added, was solidified by the professionalism of D’Youville’s staff and the quality of their students.

“Both institutions are committed to student-centered learning, built on a foundation of service,” said Dr. Canio J. Marasco, dean of the D’Youville School of Pharmacy, “and each has its own rich history and tradition in serving their respective communities locally and globally. Together, Franciscan University and D’Youville College will produce competent and compassionate pharmacists who will dedicate themselves to serving their patients, profession, and communities.”

Previously, Franciscan students who were interested in the field of pharmacy could complete a bachelor’s degree in biology or chemistry on the Steubenville campus and then seek admission into a pharmacy program elsewhere. In most cases, that would involve four additional years of study. Students also had the option of earning their prerequisites at Franciscan before matriculating without a bachelor’s degree into a doctor of pharmacy program.

“We are creating an opportunity where a student can come to Franciscan University and spend more than just a few years earning prerequisites,” Haenni said. With the 3+4 program, after spending three years at Franciscan and successfully completing the first year of pharmacy at D’Youville, 34 credit hours will be transferred back to Franciscan toward completion of a bachelor’s degree in chemistry or biology.

To qualify for the program, students must achieve a score in the 65th percentile for the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), complete a minimum of 90 semester hours in courses meeting the prerequisite requirements for D’Youville’s pharmacy curriculum, and fulfill all requirements for Franciscan’s bachelor of science degree, except for courses and credits that will transfer from D’Youville.

Franciscan students will be admitted to the joint program at the end of the sophomore year, provided they meet grade-point average and other requirements.

D’Youville College, an independent Catholic college founded in 1908 by the Grey Nuns, has about 3,000 students and offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree programs in the allied health professions, education, business, and liberal arts.

For more information, visit the Pharmacy 3+4 Program page or contact Franciscan University’s Admissions Office at [email protected] or 800-783-6226; or Dr. Eric Haenni at [email protected] or 740-284-5273).