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Academic Calendars

College of Pharmacy Regulations

All students are required to observe the University Regulations and Academic Regulations as described in this Calendar. The academic performance of each student in the College is assessed by the Student Promotions Committee.

Academic Requirements

Workload

Students are required to successfully complete all practice experience rotations. These placements may be outside the Halifax/Dartmouth area. Students are responsible for any travel, accommodation and any other costs associated with practice experience rotations.

The curriculum is composed of problem-based learning (PBL) and other courses, which may include tutorials, lectures, labs, practice experience and other components. (See IV. Programs offered).

PharmD

To satisfy the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), a student must achieve a grade of Pass in each prescribed component. Each academic year totals 48, 43, 38 or 32 credit hours, with the program total being161credit hours.

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

The curriculum is composed of problem-based learning (PBL) and other courses, which may include tutorials, lectures, labs, practice experience and other components.

Excluding practice experience courses, pharmacy courses occur in condensed blocks of learning or as longitudinal courses throughout the term and are weighted between 1 and 9 credit hours per course. The workload for each academic year is: 

Class of 2024:
Year 1- 48 credit hours
Year 2- 43 credit hours
Year 3- 38 credit hours
Year 4- 32 credit hours
The program total being 161 credit hours.

Class of 2025 and onward:
Year 1- 45 credit hours
Year 2- 43 credit hours
Year 3- 41 credit hours
Year 4- 32 credit hours
The program total being 161 credit hours.

Students are required to complete practice experience placements as part of the curriculum. These placements may be outside the Halifax/Dartmouth area. Students are responsible for any travel, accommodation and any other costs associated with practice experience rotations.

Students who began the program PRIOR to Fall 2021

To satisfy the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy, a student must achieve a grade of Pass in each prescribed component. PBL courses vary in length from three to seven weeks, and are weighted as either 1.5, 3, or 6 credit hours. Each academic year totals 27, 31.5, or 33 credit hours, with the program total being 123 credit hours.

 

Attendance

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

Attendance at the tutorials, skills laboratory and pharmacy practice experience courses is mandatory. Absence must be supported with a valid reason, such as illness, with appropriate documentation, or other reason approved by the Undergraduate Education Committee. Unapproved absences will be reported to the Student Promotions Committee and may be reason for failure.

Students who began the program PRIOR to Fall 2021

Refer to Assessment, Regulation 6.

Academic Recognition

Awards

The College of Pharmacy Awards Committee administers a number of awards, each with defined criteria. Selection of award recipients described as the “student who excels” is based on a combination of performance in knowledge assessments and in tutorials. Eligibility for in-course Scholarships is determined on the basis of knowledge assessments alone.

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

Dean’s List

Dean’s List Standing will be awarded each term to students in the top 15% of the class by term GPA, where the term GPA must be greater than or equal to 3.7, as described in Academic Regulation 23.

Distinction

Distinction will be awarded to graduating students who have achieved a cumulative GPA greater than or equal to 3.7 throughout the Doctor of Pharmacy program, as described in Academic Regulation 21.2.

Students who began the program PRIOR to Fall 2021

Dean’s List

Students will be assessed for Dean’s List based on their knowledge assessments and class standing in the annual “Progress Exam.” No student who has obtained a failing grade (FM or F) will be eligible for the Dean’s List in the year in question.

Distinction

Students who have been on the Dean’s List for three of the four years of the Pharmacy Program and a cumulative GPA of 3.70 or higher will graduate with Distinction.

 

Assessment

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

    1. To satisfy the requirements for promotion within the program and completion of the Doctor of Pharmacy degree, a student must achieve the minimum required grade in each prescribed course as described below.

      Minimum Grade Required to receive credit for promotion and degree completion:

      Minimum grade of C/60%
      Year 1:  PHAR 1040.06, PHAR 1051.06, PHAR 1052.06, PHAR 1061.03, PHAR 1062.03, PHAC 1471.03, PHAC 1472.03
      Year 2:  PHAR 2051.09, PHAR 2052.09, PHAR 2041.01, PHAR 2042.01, PHAR 2063.03, PHAR 2064.03
      Year 3:  PHAR 3041.01, PHAR 3051.09, PHAR 3052.09, PHAR 3061.03, PHAR 3062.03, Pharmacy Elective.03

      Minimum grade of C+/65%
      Year 1:  PHAR 1073.03, PHAR 1074.03, PHAR 1075.03, PHAR 1011.02
      Year 2:  PHAR 2013.02, PHAR 2014.02, PHAR 2073.03, PHAR 2074.03
      Year 3:  PHAR 3013.02, PHAR 3014.03, PHAR 3073.03, PHAR 3074.02, PHAR 3075.03

      Minimum grade of Pass-
      Year 1:  PHAR 1183.00, PHAR 1283.00, PHAR 1083
      Year 2:  PHAR 2083
      Year 4:  IPHE 4900, PHAR 4081.12, PHAR 4082.12, PHAR 4083.08

      Other:
      MICI 3115.03 – as indicated in course syllabus

      All students must have passed all courses of the year in which they are registered in in order to register for and begin any courses included within the next year’s courses. Also, all students must have passed any pre-requisite courses before being able to register for and begin a course.

    2. Grading criteria, including mandatory requirements to earn a passing grade, will be described in the syllabus for each course.
    3. With respect to all PBL courses, a student much pass both the student tutorial performance assessment and the course knowledge assessments.
    4. Student performance will be assessed during and at the end of each PBL course. Assessment will be of both the learning process and the knowledge/skills achieved. Tutors will provide informal assessment of the student’s learning process throughout a PBL course and a formal assessment (student tutorial performance assessment) at the completion of a course. Knowledge/skills will be assessed as described in the syllabus provided for each course.
    5. A student who earns a grade in a single course below the required minimum, described in assessment section 1 above, will be required to meet with the Associate Director, Student Affairs to discuss remediation, supplemental assessment, and support.  A student who fails to achieve other minimum requirements within a course, as described in the course syllabus, will be assigned the earned letter grade to a maximum of one letter grade below the required minimum passing grade.
    6. The Student Promotions Committee of the College of Pharmacy is responsible for monitoring the academic progress of students and providing recommendations to College of Pharmacy Full Faculty Committee regarding promotion and graduation of students. Students who seek redress for the application of the regulations of the College of Pharmacy should refer to the appeals process described in Appeals section below.

Students who began the program PRIOR to Fall 2021

    1. Grading is on a Pass/Fail basis, and grades recorded on the official University transcript are “Pass”, "Marginal Fail" or “Fail” (P, FM, F). Students must pass all components of the year in which they are registered to proceed to the next year. The passing grade for knowledge assessments is 60% unless otherwise indicated.
    2. Student performance will be assessed during and at the end of each PBL course. Assessment will be of both the learning process and the knowledge/skills achieved. Tutors will provide informal assessment of the student’s learning process throughout a PBL course and a formal assessment (student tutorial performance assessment) at the completion of a course. Knowledge/skills will be assessed as described in the syllabus provided for each course.
    3. To pass a PBL course, a student must pass both the student tutorial performance assessment and the course knowledge assessment.
    4. A student who fails no more than one academic course will be assigned a grade of marginal failure (FM) in that course. The student must meet with the Associate Director, Student Affairs to discuss remediation and/or support. More than one failure will result in all failed course being assigned the grade of Fail (F).
    5. The Student Promotions Committee of the College of Pharmacy is responsible for monitoring the academic progress of students and providing recommendations to faculty regarding promotion and graduation of students. Students who seek redress for the application of the regulations of the College of Pharmacy should refer to the appeals process described in Appeals section below.
    6. Attendance at the tutorials, skills laboratory and practice experience program (PEP) is mandatory. Absence must be supported with a valid reason, such as illness with a medical certificate or other reason approved by the Undergraduate Education Committee. Other absences will be reported to the Student Promotions Committee and may be reason for failure.

Reassessment of a Grade

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

See Academic Regulation 16.7. In all cases of reassessment, the calculations used to arrive at the final grade will be checked. In those courses where the student has had ample time to consider marks obtained for all work done, except for the final examination, reassessment in such courses shall be done on the final examination only. For other courses, a reassessment shall include the results from all work not previously available to the student during the term.

Students who began the program PRIOR to Fall 2021

See Academic Regulation 16.7. In all cases of reassessment, the calculations used to arrive at the final grade will be checked. In those courses where the student has had ample time to consider marks obtained for all work done, except for the final examination, reassessment in such courses shall be done on the final examination only. For other courses, a reassessment shall include the results from all work not previously available to the student during the term.

Supplemental Assessment

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

  1. A student who fails no more than one course is eligible for remedial work and supplemental assessment in that course.  Eligibility for supplemental assessment will be determined at the end of the winter semester.
  2. A student who fails one PBL student tutorial performance assessment must undertake remedial work during the following course, organized by the Associate Director, Student Affairs, in collaboration with the course coordinator. If the failure occurs in the final course of the year, remediation will occur during the summer. The student must successfully complete the remedial work and supplemental assessment to achieve a Pass.
  3. A student who fails the meet the minimum required grade or mandatory requirements of a course as outlined in the syllabus will be required to complete remedial work and must pass a supplemental assessment.  This work will be scheduled by the course coordinator in consultation with the Associate Director, Student Affairs and the students involved, and must be completed by June 30th of the academic year in question.
  4. If a student successfully complete the remedial work and supplemental assessment, the earned grade will be reported on the transcript with a notation that the grade was earned by supplemental assessment.

Students who began the program PRIOR to Fall 2021

  1. A student who receives a grade of FM is eligible for remedial work and supplemental assessment.
  2. A student who fails one PBL student tutorial performance assessment must undertake remedial work during the following course, organized by the Associate Director, Student Affairs. If the failure occurs in the final course of the year, remediation will occur during the summer. The student must successfully complete the remedial work and supplemental assessment to achieve a Pass.
  3. A student who fails the knowledge assessment or other requirement outlined in the syllabus of a PBL or non-PBL course will be required to do remedial work and must pass a supplemental assessment, which will be scheduled by the course coordinator in consultation with the Associate Director, Student Affairs and the students involved.
  4. If a student fails one PBL or non-PBL course, the grade will be recorded as "FM" on the student's transcript. Failure to pass the remedial work and supplemental assessment will lead to conversion of the grade to "F". If the student successfully completes the remedial work and supplemental assessment, the passing grade will then be added to the transcript and recorded as “P” with a notation that the grade was earned by supplemental assessment.
  5. Failure in a second course (either a PBL or non-PBL course) will negate a pass that may have been achieved by supplemental assessment in the first failed course. (See F.1.a below.)

Repeating Courses

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

  1. Subject to eligibility, a student will be required to repeat courses if:
          a) the student has failed any two courses or
          b) the student has failed one course and has not successfully completed the prescribed remedial work and supplemental assessment or
          c) the final assigned grade in the course(s) was INC or ILL.
  2. A student will not be permitted to participate in Pharmacy Practice Experience Placements if:
          a) they have a grade of INC or ILL in one or more courses in the current year or
          b) they have failed two courses in the current year or
          c) they have failed one course and they have not successfully completed required supplemental assessment.
  3. Application to repeat courses must be made in writing to the Associate Director, Student Affairs, by July 31.
  4. No student will be allowed to repeat a course more than once during the undergraduate program. All students who repeat course(s) will be assessed on performance in the repeated course(s).  Courses that had not commenced prior to a leave of absence, dismissal, or withdrawal as well as courses where students have received a grade of ILL will not be considered repeat courses in application of regulations.

Students who began the program PRIOR to Fall 2021

  1. Subject to eligibility, a student will be required to repeat the year if:
          a) the student has failed any two courses (PBL or non-PBL courses) or
          b) the student has failed one course and has not successfully completed the prescribed remedial work and supplemental assessment.
  2. To be eligible to repeat a year, a student who has failed two courses must satisfactorily complete all other year requirements except the Practice Experience Program. However, a student with two failures will not be eligible to register in the Practice Experience Program.
  3. Application to repeat the year must be made in writing to the Associate Director, Student Affairs by a predetermined date.
  4. Any student who withdraws voluntarily, due to illness or other personal circumstances, and is allowed to repeat the year, will be considered a student in a repeat year unless the student withdraws before the last day of the first PBL course of the academic year, or the student tutorial performance assessment, if the two do not coincide.
  5. No student will be allowed more than one repeat year during the undergraduate program. All students who repeat the year will be assessed on performance in the repeated year.

Leave of Absence and Withdrawal

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

A student who needs to take leave from the pharmacy program must apply to the Director to do so. A leave of absence must be approved in advance by the Director of the College of Pharmacy. A leave of absence will be limited to one leave period and will not normally exceed one academic year.  A leave of absence will not count towards time in the Pharmacy program.

Students who wish to withdraw from the pharmacy program as asked to notify the College of Pharmacy in writing of their intent.

A student who is absent from the College of Pharmacy without prior permission for an extended period (four weeks or greater) will be presumed to have withdrawn.

Students who began the program PRIOR to Fall 2021

A student who needs to take leave from the pharmacy program must apply to the Director to do so. A leave of absence must be approved in advance by the Director of the College of Pharmacy. Normally, a student who absents himself/herself from the College of Pharmacy without prior permission for an extended period (four weeks or greater) will be presumed to have withdrawn and will have to re-apply for admission to the College of Pharmacy. A leave of absence will be limited to one leave period and will not normally exceed one academic year. A leave of absence will not count towards time in the Pharmacy program.

Dismissal from the Study of Pharmacy

In addition to the University Regulations pertaining to dismissal (Academic Regulations 19.1.1 and 20.1.1), students in the following circumstances will be dismissed from the College of Pharmacy.

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

  1. Any student who fails to earn the minimum passing grades in more than two courses of the curriculum in one year will be dismissed from the study of pharmacy.
  2. A student who is repeating a course and does not obtain the minimum passing grade will be dismissed. The normal regulation allowing remedial work and supplemental assessment in one course will apply.
  3. Students are also referred to University Regulations: Suspension or Dismissal from a Program on the Grounds of Professional Unsuitability - Faculty of Health.

Students who began the program PRIOR to Fall 2021

  1. Any student who fails more than two courses (PBL or non-PBL courses) of the curriculum in one year will be dismissed from the study of pharmacy.
  2. A student in a repeat year who does not meet the criteria for promotion will be dismissed. The normal regulation allowing remedial work and supplemental assessment in one course will apply.
  3. Students are also referred to University Regulations: Suspension or Dismissal from a Program on the Grounds of Professional Unsuitability - Faculty of Health Professions.

Appeals

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

Students wishing to initiate a formal appeal should follow the appeals process described in the Student Appeals Policy for the Faculty of Health, available of the Faculty of Health website.  https://www.dal.ca/faculty/health/current-students/student-policies-and-procedures.html

Students who began the program PRIOR to Fall 2021

Students who wish to raise questions or to register complaints in matters of academic appeal are advised to communicate informally with their instructor within 10 working days of the alleged unfairness or irregularity. If no resolution arises from this (these) meeting(s), the student may initiate a formal appeal.

Students wishing to initiate a formal appeal should follow the appeals procedures as set out by the College of Pharmacy, Undergraduate Student Appeals Committee, Faculty of Health Professions. These procedures are available online, Faculty of Health Professions website, "For current students", Student Policies and Procedures. Application for a formal appeal should be made to the College of Pharmacy Chair, Undergraduate Student Appeals Committee within 20 working days of the matter giving rise to the appeal.

 

Re-Admission

Students who began the program starting in Fall 2021

  1. An application for readmission to the program may be considered 12 months after dismissal. A student who has been dismissed may be readmitted to the pharmacy program only once.
  2. Students who have withdrawn may apply for readmission in the next academic year.  A student who has withdrawn may be readmitted to the pharmacy program only once.
  3. Applications for readmission must be received by the College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee no later than June 30th for the year in which readmission is sought.
  4. Application for readmission will be considered for a period of 3 years after dismissal or withdrawal.
  5. Conditions of readmission, if granted, may include a requirement to re-take previously completed courses.