Shenandoah University and Richard Bland College of William & Mary, the only two-year residential institution in the Commonwealth, signed an articulation agreement that allows two-year RBC students to transfer to the university’s four-year Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) curriculum.
According to Shenandoah University Vice President for Academic Affairs Adrienne Bloss, Ph.D., as both institutions work together, students will have an efficient and effective mechanism for transferring their knowledge and their skills from one institution to the other. They will also begin their careers more quickly.
“Relationships are really important for institutions, but mostly they are important for students,” said Dr. Bloss. “In this case, it means that students entering Richard Bland College will get to look ahead and see what their future is going to hold. Those who are interested in pharmacy will know, before they start, where they are going for graduate school, and they’ll have a clear preparation path.”
According to the agreement, Shenandoah will give priority admission to RBC students who score in the 50th percentile or greater on the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), earn a GPA of 3.2 (overall and in prerequisite courses) and complete a successful interview along with all other admission requirements.
“RBC students may matriculate directly into the program and, in a total of six years, they can earn a Pharm.D.,” said Robert DiCenzo, Pharm.D., BCPS, FCCP, dean of Shenandoah University’s Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy. “Whether a student wants to practice in industry, serve as a community or hospital pharmacist or work for the government, the career opportunities in pharmacy are truly limitless. We’re proud to prepare students for pharmacy’s future.”
Incoming pharmacy students may choose to study at one of two Shenandoah locations — in the scenic Shenandoah Valley on the campus of Valley Health’s award-winning Winchester Medical Center, and in the vibrant, ever-growing Northern Virginia, near Dulles International Airport and Washington, D.C., at the Inova Center for Personalized Health in Fairfax.
“At Richard Bland, we believe in the goal of 100 percent student success,” said RBC Provost and Chief Academic Officer Kenneth LaTessa, Ph.D. “Our students are well-prepared in the liberal arts core to transfer to the institution that they want to attend, where their dreams can come true and their career goals can be met. We provide a highway to that success through our transfer agreements. I know our president, Debbie Sydow, is as equally excited about this partnership as I am.”
The Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy equips future pharmacists with the skills and experiences to deliver advanced care in the expanding health care arena. Students learn in an environment that models patient-centered care, emphasizing the importance of pharmacogenomics and health informatics. Students learn collaboratively with other health professionals, including doctors and nurses, and other members of an integrated health care team. Clinical experiences are integrated with rotations at such top facilities as Johns Hopkins, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), and more. Pharmacy students also have opportunities to serve around the globe on medical mission trips or deployments with the nonprofit organization Project HOPE.
Richard Bland College of William & Mary, located in Prince George, Virginia, is a selective, residential, two-year college with a singular focus to prepare students to transfer to highly ranked public and private colleges and universities in Virginia and throughout the nation.
Shenandoah University has articulation agreements with varying criteria with Lord Fairfax Community College as well as Shepherd University, Stevenson University, Virginia Wesleyan University and the University of Mary Washington.
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