U-M College of Pharmacy: College News

U.S. News & World Report Ranks U-M PharmD Program No. 4

Dean Frank J.Ascione with some of the U-M PharmD students attending the 2005 APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando, Fla. in early April. Photo by Peter Niedbala.

In early April, U.S. News & World Report published its periodic ranking of U.S. graduate and professional degree granting programs. (The last one was published in spring 1997.)

The University of Michigan College of Pharmacy PharmD program was listed in fourth place, tied with the University of Arizona and fellow Big 10 schools, Purdue and Minnesota. The top-ranked school was the University of California, San Francisco. Number two on the list was the University of Texas, Austin; number three was the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

The ranking was based upon a survey sent to deans, faculty, and administrators at accredited U.S. pharmacy programs. Survey recipients were asked to rate the academic quality of doctoral programs on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (distinguished). The University of Michigan received an average score of 4.1 from the 57 percent of survey recipients who responded.

"While we appreciate the recognition and agree that our College should be included on any list of America's best pharmacy schools, we also believe it is necessary to keep such rankings in perspective," says Dean Frank J. Ascione, BSPharm'69, PharmD'73, PhD.

"Overall, I'm pleased with the esteem in which our fellow educators hold our PharmD program. I disagree somewhat with their final assessment. I consider the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) evaluation last year a more accurate assessment."

Ascione was referring to the ACPE's official report, which concluded that the College "truly demonstrates a commitment to excellence in all areas," and is "recognized as a leader nationally and internationally in professional, graduate, and post-doctoral education, in the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge through sponsored research and scholarship, and in the development and implementation of innovations in pharmacy practice that have had significant impact on the quality of patient care."

"Given my choice of 'best school' criteria, I'll let our alumni record of achievement, our faculty's research accomplishments and devotion to inspired teaching, and the exceptional character and intelligence of our PharmD and PhD students speak for the true quality of a Michigan College of Pharmacy education," states Ascione. "They always have. They always will."

		U.S. News & World Report Ranks U-M PharmD Program No. 4 Dean Frank J.Ascione with some of the U-M PharmD students attending the 2005 APhA Annual Meeting and Exposition in Orlando, Fla. in early April. Photo by Peter Niedbala. In early April, U.S. News & World Report published its periodic ranking of U.S. graduate and professional degree granting programs. (The last one was published in spring 1997.) The University of Michigan College of Pharmacy PharmD program was listed in fourth place, tied with the University of Arizona and fellow Big 10 schools, Purdue and Minnesota. The top-ranked school was the University of California, San Francisco. Number two on the list was the University of Texas, Austin; number three was the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. The ranking was based upon a survey sent to deans, faculty, and administrators at accredited U.S. pharmacy programs. Survey recipients were asked to rate the academic quality of doctoral programs on a scale of 1 (marginal) to 5 (distinguished). The University of Michigan received an average score of 4.1 from the 57 percent of survey recipients who responded. "While we appreciate the recognition and agree that our College should be included on any list of America's best pharmacy schools, we also believe it is necessary to keep such rankings in perspective," says Dean Frank J. Ascione, BSPharm'69, PharmD'73, PhD. "Overall, I'm pleased with the esteem in which our fellow educators hold our PharmD program. I disagree somewhat with their final assessment. I consider the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) evaluation last year a more accurate assessment." Ascione was referring to the ACPE's official report, which concluded that the College "truly demonstrates a commitment to excellence in all areas," and is "recognized as a leader nationally and internationally in professional, graduate, and post-doctoral education, in the discovery and dissemination of new knowledge through sponsored research and scholarship, and in the development and implementation of innovations in pharmacy practice that have had significant impact on the quality of patient care." "Given my choice of 'best school' criteria, I'll let our alumni record of achievement, our faculty's research accomplishments and devotion to inspired teaching, and the exceptional character and intelligence of our PharmD and PhD students speak for the true quality of a Michigan College of Pharmacy education," states Ascione. "They always have. They always will."
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