- Online PharmD Programs
-
Online PharmD Programs
- Accredited Online PharmD Programs Compared (2026)
- Creighton University — Distance Pathway
- LECOM — Distance Education Pathway
- Duquesne University — Online Pathway
- St. John Fisher University — Hybrid Pathway
- How Do Online PharmD Programs Actually Work?
- Admissions: What You Need to Apply
- Already a Licensed Pharmacist? Nontraditional PharmD Options
- Find Pharmacy Schools in Your State
- Frequently Asked Questions
Online PharmD Programs
Working as a pharmacist can be a highly rewarding career, with pharmacists earning an average salary of $128.710 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In order to work as a pharmacist in the United States, though, you will first need to earn your Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD). Thankfully, the prevalence of online PharmD programs has made earning a Doctorate of Pharmacy more accessible than ever before. To help you choose the online PharmD program that is best suited for you, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about these programs, including what to expect from an online PharmD program, how difficult it is to get accepted into a PharmD program, and how to choose an online PharmD program that will best prepare you for your career as a pharmacist.What is the Best Online Pharmacy School?
There are a number of important factors to consider when it comes time to choose an online pharmacy school. To start, it is essential to choose a program that has been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Choosing an accredited PharmD program means that you will receive an education that meets rigorous academic standards and ensures that your resume will look as attractive as possible to potential employers. Once you have narrowed your selection down to programs that have been accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, other important factors to take into account include the cost of the program, the program’s duration, and what other students who have completed the program have to say about it.How Many Years of School do You Need to Become a Pharmacist?
Before you are able to attend a PharmD program and earn your Doctorate of Pharmacy, you will first need to complete three to four years of pre-professional coursework.Before you are able to attend a PharmD program and earn your Doctorate of Pharmacy, you will first need to complete three to four years of pre-professional coursework. After completing these undergraduate courses, it typically takes four years to complete a PharmD program and earn a Doctorate of Pharmacy. It is also important to note that after graduating with a Doctorate of Pharmacy, you will need to complete two years of residency before you are able to take the NAPLEX and MPJE exams and receive your license as a pharmacist.
How Long is an Online PharmD Program?
Like on-campus PharmD programs, most online PharmD programs take four years to complete. Since online PharmD programs largely allow you to work on your own schedule, though, you may be able to complete the program in less than four years with enough hard work and dedication. Alternatively, online PharmD programs can also allow you to extend the duration of your time in the program in order to leave space in your schedule for work or other commitments.Pharmacy Application Requirements by State
- AL Alabama
- AK Alaska
- AZ Arizona
- AR Arkansas
- CA California
- CO Colorado
- CT Connecticut
- DE Delaware
- FL Florida
- GA Georgia
- HI Hawaii
- ID Idaho
- IL Illinois
- IN Indiana
- IA Iowa
- KS Kansas
- KY Kentucky
- LA Louisiana
- ME Maine
- MD Maryland
- MA Massachusetts
- MI Michigan
- MN Minnesota
- MS Mississippi
- MO Missouri
- MT Montana
- NE Nebraska
- NV Nevada
- NH New Hampshire
- NJ New Jersey
- NM New Mexico
- NY New York
- NC North Carolina
- ND North Dakota
- OH Ohio
- OK Oklahoma
- OR Oregon
- PA Pennsylvania
- RI Rhode Island
- SC South Carolina
- SD South Dakota
- TN Tennessee
- TX Texas
- UT Utah
- VT Vermont
- VA Virginia
- WA Washington
- DC Washington, DC
- WV West Virginia
- WI Wisconsin
- WY Wyoming
Can You Study for a Pharmacy Degree Online?
Online learning has recently experienced a massive boost in popularity. Not that long ago, online PharmD programs were few and far between – and what few did exist were not all that well respected. Today, however, it’s a different story, and a plethora of reputable universities are now offering students the option to earn their Doctorate of Pharmacy completely online. These online PharmD programs offer pharmacy students a number of key benefits. For one, online programs tend to be much more affordable than their on-campus counterparts. Attending an online PharmD program also allows you to work at your own pace from the comfort of your own home. Finally, attending a program online means that you won’t have to worry about finding a living arrangement that is close to the campus of the school you would like to attend.What is a Non-Traditional PharmD?
A non-traditional PharmD program is simply defined as a PharmD program that is conducted online rather than on-campus.Is a PharmD Program Hard to Get Into?
The average acceptance rate across all PharmD programs is 82.7%. Compared to the average acceptance rate for medical school – which is about 42% – this is actually quite high. This makes getting accepted into a PharmD program a highly achievable goal for anyone who has completed the appropriate pre-requisite courses.Is a PharmD the Same as a Pharmacist?
A PharmD is the program that a student must complete in order to become a pharmacist. As we’ve already mentioned, though, graduating with your Doctorate of Pharmacy does not mean you automatically become a licensed pharmacist. Upon graduating from a PharmD program, you will still need to complete two years of residency and pass the NAPLEX and MPJE exams before you are able to receive your license as a pharmacist.Sources:
Online PharmD Programs
Quick answer: Yes, you can earn an accredited Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) mostly online — but only through a small number of ACPE-accredited "distance" or "hybrid" pathways. As of 2026, the main entry-level options are Creighton University, LECOM, Duquesne University, and St. John Fisher University. No PharmD program is 100% online: every accredited pathway requires in-person clinical rotations (IPPEs and APPEs), and most require a handful of campus visits for labs and assessments.
Pharmacists earned a median of $137,480 per year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024), and the distance pathways below lead to the exact same PharmD degree and NAPLEX eligibility as their on-campus counterparts. Request information from programs currently accepting applications below, or keep reading to compare the accredited online pathways.
Accredited Online PharmD Programs Compared (2026)
| Program | Format | In-Person Requirements | Length | Distance Pathway Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creighton University (Omaha, NE) | Online didactic coursework (mix of live and self-paced) | 5 campus visits in Omaha + local clinical rotations | 4 years | 2001 (first accredited distance PharmD in the U.S.) |
| LECOM (Erie, PA) | Online classes, system-based curriculum | Lab intensives at the Erie campus + local clinical rotations | 4 years | 2014 |
| Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA) | 8-week sessions: 7 weeks online, 1 week on campus | 1 on-campus week per session (hands-on labs, finals) + rotations | 4 years (part-time friendly) | 2019 |
| St. John Fisher University (Rochester, NY) | Hybrid — live online class sessions | 6 in-person immersion experiences + rotations | 4 years | Hybrid pathway (newer program) |
All four pathways are ACPE-accredited and lead to a PharmD that qualifies you to sit for the NAPLEX in every U.S. state.
Creighton University — Distance Pathway
Creighton launched the country's first accredited web-based distance PharmD pathway in 2001 and has graduated more than 800 distance students since. The pathway covers the same curriculum as the on-campus Omaha program. Coursework mixes synchronous (live) and asynchronous formats, and students interact with faculty through web conferencing and discussion boards. Distance students travel to the Omaha campus a total of five times over the program. Creighton also offers a hybrid pathway based in Phoenix.
Best for: students who want the most established distance program with the longest track record and strongest alumni network.
LECOM — Distance Education Pathway
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine's School of Pharmacy launched its Distance Education Pathway in 2014. The curriculum is system-based, introducing pharmacotherapeutics and clinical exposure starting in year one. Most coursework is delivered online, with laboratory work completed at the Erie, PA campus, and the fourth year consists of six 6-week Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) rotations in community and clinical settings. LECOM confirms the degree earned through the Distance Education Pathway meets the educational requirements for licensure in all U.S. states.
Best for: students who want a clinically front-loaded curriculum, or who are also considering LECOM's accelerated 3-year on-campus option.
Duquesne University — Online Pathway
Duquesne's online pathway admitted its first class in 2019 and was designed specifically for older and working students who can't commit to a traditional full-time campus schedule. Coursework runs in 8-week sessions worth 6–8 credits each: seven weeks are completed online, and one week is spent on campus in Pittsburgh for hands-on activities and final exams. Class sizes are small (around 20 students per cohort).
Best for: working adults and career changers who need to keep a job while completing pharmacy school.
St. John Fisher University — Hybrid Pathway
Fisher's hybrid PharmD pathway delivers a clinically oriented, science-based curriculum through live online class sessions. Students complete six in-person immersion experiences over the course of the program, in addition to standard in-person clinical rotations.
Best for: students who want live (rather than self-paced) instruction in an online format.
How Do Online PharmD Programs Actually Work?
"Online PharmD" really means a distance didactic pathway. The classroom portion of the degree — pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, pharmacotherapeutics, pharmacy law — is delivered online. Three components always happen in person:
- Campus intensives: short visits for labs, skills assessments, and exams (frequency varies by school — see table above)
- IPPEs (Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences): early clinical hours, typically arranged at pharmacies near where you live
- APPEs (Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences): the full-time final-year rotations every PharmD student completes, also typically arranged regionally
This is why ACPE accreditation matters so much for distance pathways: an accredited program has a vetted system for placing remote students into local rotation sites, and graduates are NAPLEX-eligible in all 50 states.
Admissions: What You Need to Apply
- Prerequisite coursework: typically 2+ years of pre-pharmacy coursework including general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, anatomy & physiology, calculus, and statistics. Requirements vary by school — see our requirements by state guide.
- GPA: most distance pathways look for a 2.5–3.0 minimum, with competitive applicants higher. See GPA requirements by school.
- PharmCAS application: all four programs above accept applications through PharmCAS.
- No PCAT: the PCAT exam was discontinued after the 2023–24 admissions cycle, so standardized testing is no longer a barrier to applying.
Already a Licensed Pharmacist? Nontraditional PharmD Options
If you hold a BS in Pharmacy and an active pharmacist license, a separate category of "nontraditional" online PharmD completion programs exists — these can be far more flexible than entry-level pathways because you've already completed clinical training. Schools offering nontraditional online PharmD programs include Shenandoah University (fully online with a single on-site clinical skills assessment) and Howard University.
Find Pharmacy Schools in Your State
Prefer a campus program, or want to see every option near you? Browse accredited PharmD programs by state — including admissions requirements, tuition, and acceptance rates for each school.- AL Alabama
- AK Alaska
- AZ Arizona
- AR Arkansas
- CA California
- CO Colorado
- CT Connecticut
- DE Delaware
- FL Florida
- GA Georgia
- HI Hawaii
- ID Idaho
- IL Illinois
- IN Indiana
- IA Iowa
- KS Kansas
- KY Kentucky
- LA Louisiana
- ME Maine
- MD Maryland
- MA Massachusetts
- MI Michigan
- MN Minnesota
- MS Mississippi
- MO Missouri
- MT Montana
- NE Nebraska
- NV Nevada
- NH New Hampshire
- NJ New Jersey
- NM New Mexico
- NY New York
- NC North Carolina
- ND North Dakota
- OH Ohio
- OK Oklahoma
- OR Oregon
- PA Pennsylvania
- RI Rhode Island
- SC South Carolina
- SD South Dakota
- TN Tennessee
- TX Texas
- UT Utah
- VT Vermont
- VA Virginia
- WA Washington
- DC Washington, DC
- WV West Virginia
- WI Wisconsin
- WY Wyoming
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there any 100% online PharmD programs?
No. Every ACPE-accredited PharmD — including distance pathways — requires in-person clinical rotations and at least some on-campus components. Programs advertising a fully online entry-level PharmD with no in-person requirements are not ACPE-accredited, and graduating from a non-accredited program means you cannot sit for the NAPLEX.
Is an online PharmD respected by employers?
Your diploma and transcript do not distinguish between pathways — Creighton distance graduates earn the same PharmD as Creighton's Omaha campus graduates. Because licensure requires the same NAPLEX and MPJE exams regardless of pathway, employers treat accredited distance graduates the same as campus graduates.
How long does an online PharmD take?
Four years for the professional program, same as on-campus — after completing roughly two to four years of prerequisite coursework. Duquesne's session-based format offers more scheduling flexibility for students working full time.
Do I need a residency to become a pharmacist?
No. You can take the NAPLEX and MPJE and become a licensed pharmacist immediately after graduating from your PharmD program. Residency (one to two years) is optional and pursued mainly by graduates targeting clinical hospital roles or specialized practice.
Is pharmacy school hard to get into?
The average acceptance rate across PharmD programs is over 80% — far higher than medical school. Distance pathways can be more competitive than campus programs because of limited seats, so apply early through PharmCAS. Check our rankings and individual school acceptance rates before building your list.