As the United States faces a continuing need for pharmacists and other health care professionals, Grace College is expanding opportunities for students to enter high-demand health professions through a new partnership with Cedarville University.
The agreement creates a direct entry pathway each year for a minimum of three Grace students to pursue a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree at Cedarville. Each student will receive a $30,000 tuition scholarship.
The partnership comes as the pharmacy profession is experiencing renewed interest and evolving workforce needs. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of pharmacists will grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, with approximately 14,200 openings each year during the decade. Meanwhile, applications to U.S. pharmacy schools increased 6% from last year, marking a second consecutive year of growth in applicants and applications, according to the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy.
“This partnership reflects our shared commitment to preparing students for lives of purpose and service,” said Dr. Drew Flamm, president of Grace College. “By creating clear pathways into high-demand health care professions, we’re giving Grace students more opportunities to pursue their calling while being equipped to serve patients with excellence, compassion and a Christ-centered perspective.”
For Grace students, the partnership provides a defined route from their undergraduate education to the four-year PharmD program. The pathway is designed to reduce some of the academic and financial barriers students can encounter when pursuing a professional health care degree. In addition to the $30,000 scholarship, qualified Grace graduates can receive up to $500 in reimbursement for campus visit expenses and assistance offsetting the PharmCAS application fee. Students also receive a faculty adviser upon acceptance, a peer mentor and invitations to pharmacy student events.
To qualify for the PharmD pathway, students must complete at least 68 semester hours of undergraduate coursework, including prerequisites in chemistry, biology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, calculus, communication, biblical studies and the humanities. Students must earn a grade of C or better in each prerequisite course and maintain a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75.
The partnership also reflects changes taking place within the pharmacy profession. Pharmacists increasingly work as members of patient care teams in hospitals, clinics and other health care settings, in addition to traditional community pharmacy roles. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects increased demand for pharmacists in hospitals and clinics as these professionals provide medication management and other patient care services.
Together, the programs give Grace students defined pathways into five graduate-level health care fields and expand the college’s ability to prepare students for careers serving patients and communities. The partnership also reflects the two institutions’ shared Christian mission of preparing health care professionals to combine professional excellence with compassionate, Christ-centered service.
