Why Students Choose UK
An Interdisciplinary Approach
Expanding Our Space
Commitment to Diversity
Student Achievements
Student Involvement
Research Opportunities
Graduate Success
Lexington
University of Kentucky
An Interdisciplinary Approach
The University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy is part of UK HealthCare, encompassing six distinguished health profession colleges. In addition to the College of Pharmacy, there are the colleges of Health Sciences, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing and Public Health. In this unique interdisciplinary setting, each member of the health care team is acknowledged for their particular expertise in maximizing positive patient outcomes and an atmosphere of collaboration is fostered among health care professionals.
Expanding Our Space
A new College of Pharmacy building is expected to open in early 2010. The $120 million building will create additional research space. The new academic medical campus of the future will include a new shared Health Sciences Learning Center where students from different health disciplines will interact and learn together.
Commitment to Diversity
The College of Pharmacy fosters a creative, supportive environment that nurtures diversity of thought, culture, gender, race and ethnicity. To advance this commitment, we are moving forward with specific actions that demonstrate our belief in the value and richness of human differences. We are participating with the whole university in providing a model for the Commonwealth of a truly diverse society that celebrates human differences, promotes fairness and equity in policies and practices, and upholds basic principles of social justice.
Student Achievements
The University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy professional students are actively involved in advancing the profession of pharmacy through their involvement in local and national professional organizations. UK has had 3 national Academy of Student Pharmacists (ASP) Presidents in the last 18 years. ASP is the student arm of the American Pharmacists Association. Our students have won 5 ASP Chapter Awards in the last 6 years and won National Chapter of the Year in 2000 and 2005. 95% of our students are members of a student professional association and there is ample opportunity for leadership development and professional involvement.
Student Involvement
In addition to numerous campus-wide social and cultural activities, and the intramural sports program, the College has active organizations of its own which sponsor professional, community service, and social events.
All pharmacy students are eligible for membership in the Kentucky Alliance of Pharmacy Students (KAPS). This organization is the student affiliate of the American Pharmaceutical Association, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the Kentucky Pharmacists Association, the Kentucky Society of Health-System Pharmacists and the National Community Pharmacy Association. Prompt affiliation with KAPS upon enrollment in the College not only serves to identify students with the profession, but also is regarded as evidence of interest in and enthusiasm for the profession. Through KAPS, students become acquainted with organizational work, develop professional attitudes with moral and ethical values, and lay the groundwork for continued growth and development after graduation.
National professional pharmaceutical fraternities or organizations on the UK campus: Kappa Psi Pharmaceutical Fraternity, Upsilon Chapter; Lambda Kappa Sigma, Alpha Nu Chapter; and the Fellowship of Christian Pharmacists.
Rho Chi, the national pharmaceutical honorary society, elects outstanding student members to the Alpha Xi Chapter. These members have at least 70 hours of professional credit, with a GPA of 3.0 or above, and are recommended by the Dean of the College of Pharmacy. In addition to high scholarship, eligibility requires class ranking in the top 20 percent, outstanding character, personality and leadership.
Phi Lambda Sigma is an honorary society that recognizes leadership. The purpose of PLS, also known as the national Pharmacy Leadership Society, is to promote the development of leadership qualities among pharmacy students. By peer recognition, the Society encourages participation in all pharmacy activities.
The Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) is the newest student organization at the UK College of Pharmacy. Founded in 1972 on the campus of Florida A & M University as the student affiliate of the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA), SNPhA is an educational service association of minority students who are concerned about pharmacy and health care related issues, and the poor minority representation in pharmacy and other health-related professions.
Research Opportunities
Research at the University of Kentucky is a dynamic enterprise encompassing both traditional scholarship and emerging technologies. In April 2005 the university opened the $74 million Biomedical Biological Sciences Research Building (BBSRB). The BBSRB - UK's largest research facility - features an "open-format" design that encourages collaborative research across disciplines.
More than 6,500 students per year are enrolled in graduate degree programs and other advanced study programs administered by the University of Kentucky Graduate School. Research on campus is supported by more than 45 institutes and centers, including the Center of Membrane Sciences, the Gill Heart Institute, the Graduate Center for Toxicology, the Markey Cancer Center, Sanders-Brown Center on Aging, the Spinal Cord and Brain Injury Research Center, and the Tobacco and Health Research Institute. Faculty in the Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences are active members of these centers of research excellence, offering graduate training in a truly multidisciplinary environment.
In addition, the University of Kentucky offers students in middle and high school and at the undergraduate level, the opportunity to work one-on-one with outstanding faculty members on scholarly, creative, and research projects.
For more information on student research opportunities at the University of Kentucky, visit: http://www.research.uky.edu/students/
Graduate Success
The true quality of an institution can only be measured by the accomplishments of its graduates, students and faculty. Their achievements reflect our dedication to making a difference in the lives of Kentuckians and the nation.
UK College of Pharmacy students have achieved a 100% pass rate on the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX) for eight out of the past nine years and routinely outperform their counterparts nationally by anywhere from 5-14% in average score. Most graduating students have multiple job offers and approximately 15% continue on to seek specialized training in the form of a residency or fellowship.
Graduates of the University of Kentucky Professional and Residency Programs have held the following positions:
- Prominent positions as practitioners and directors of hospital pharmacies, owners of independent pharmacies and managers of chain pharmacies in Kentucky and around the country.
- Former presidents of the American Pharmaceutical Association.
- Former presidents of the National Community Pharmacists Association.
- Former president of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
- Former presidents of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy.
- Former presidents of the American Society of Health System Pharmacists.
- Faculty members in over two-thirds of the Colleges of pharmacy in the United States.
- Directors or coordinators of clinical research with Bristol Myers-Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, Hoechst-Marion-Roussel, Miles, and Stuart.
Lexington
Home to 250,000 residents, Lexington is a bustling and rapidly growing city in the heart of the Bluegrass region. Residents enjoy the urban conveniences of business, industry, retail and dining, while miles of winding roads, picturesque horse farms, and white-planked fences are just minutes away. Cultural and historical attractions include the Kentucky Horse Park, the Lexington Philharmonic, the Ballet Theatre of Lexington, and Ashland, Henry Clay's estate. Sports enthusiasts enjoy the thrills of horseracing at Keeneland, UK home games, and Lexington Horseman indoor football games. With all these opportunities, it is not hard to believe Lexington ranks 15th in America's Best Places to Live and Work in Employment Review's latest annual survey.
University of Kentucky
Founded in 1865 as a land-grant institution adjacent to downtown Lexington, UK is nestled in the scenic heart of the unique Bluegrass region of Kentucky. From its early beginnings, with only 190 students and 10 professors, UK's campus now covers more than 716 acres and is home to over 26,000 students and nearly 11,000 employees.
At the University of Kentucky, students can choose from more than 125 undergraduate majors and degree programs in 16 academic or professional colleges: Agriculture, Arts and Sciences, Business and Economics, Communications and Information Studies, Dentistry, Design, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Social Work.
A variety of centers of excellence and research centers exist on campus, including aging, cancer, pharmaceutical science and technology, supercomputing, membrane sciences, robotics, biomedical engineering and a graduate center for toxicology. The University of Kentucky is classified as a Type I research institution by the Carnegie Foundation, one of only 45 public universities in the United States so designated.
Enrollment at UK, including the Chandler Medical Center, totaled 26,682 in fall 2005.

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