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About Us

About the College

Since its inception in 1987, Nova Southeastern University’s College of Pharmacy has been shaping the future of pharmacy. From groundbreaking research developments in consumer health to our prestigious international program, the College of Pharmacy is a hub of innovation, knowledge, and global impact.

Our mission is to guide your unique driving force into optimizing patient care. Through our diverse class offerings and hands-on pharmaceutical work, we teach our students how to become inclusive leaders in the science and practice of pharmacy.

Our Vision

To be a preeminent College of Pharmacy that cultivates leadership, innovation, and diversity in education, practice, research, and service to advance the health and well-being of our communities.

Our Mission

To educate and develop inclusive leaders in the science and practice of pharmacy who will improve health through discovery, innovation, advocacy, and the delivery of optimal patient care.

  • We’ve graduated more than 5,000 pharmacists, with over one-third practicing in South Florida.
  • Our Pharm.D program has expanded past our Davie, Florida hometown and into Palm Beach, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
  • Our College is the only pharmaceutical college in the United States that operates a full-service community pharmacy and a full institutional pharmacy service.
  • Our summer Travel Study Program is the largest and most sought out international program of any college of pharmacy.
  • In 2011, we inaugurated the country’s first Center for Consumer Health Informatics Research, generating discoveries that leverage data to improve patient health. The Center has also been designated as the world's first World Health Organization's Collaborating Center in Consumer Health Informatics.
  • More than 20,000 pharmacists from all over the world have successfully completed the College’s continuing education programs for pharmacists.
  • The College ranks 14th in professional doctorates in pharmacy to African-American students and 1st to Hispanic students.
  • The College launched the fastest growing and unique program of graduate study and research leading to the doctor of philosophy degree (Ph.D.), creating a "critical mass" of researchers prepared for careers in academia and research-directed institutions.
  • The first two patents granted to NSU were developed by a College of Pharmacy faculty member.
  • The College built the first therapeutically stone-studded pathway, the longest of its kind in the United States. Located on the renovated Medicinal & Healing Garden (in the heart of NSU's 300-acre complex), both are opened to the NSU community and the public, making this setting a living classroom.

History of NSU Silverman College of Pharmacy

NSU’s history dates back to the 1960s, when local entrepreneurs banded together to create a never-before-seen educational concept. The first pharmacy student was admitted in 1987 as a member of the Southeastern College of Pharmacy, which later became Nova Southeastern University in conjunction with Nova University.

Since then, our students and faculty have been creating milestone after milestone.

In 1986, G. Joseph Norwood, Ph.D., assumed the role of founding dean of the Southeastern College of Pharmacy, laying the groundwork for what would later become the Nova Southeastern University College of Pharmacy. The subsequent years marked significant milestones, including the matriculation of the charter class of the Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy program in 1987 and the Doctor of Pharmacy program in 1988.

The leadership continued to evolve with the appointment of William D. Hardigan, Ph.D., as dean in 1991, coinciding with the merger of Southeastern University of the Health Sciences and Nova University in 1994. As part of this transformative era, the College initiated an ACPE-approved Continuing Education program for licensed pharmacists in 1995, solidifying its commitment to advancing pharmaceutical education.

The new millennium ushered in a period of expansion and innovation for the College of Pharmacy. In 2000, a campus in Palm Beach, Florida, was established, followed by the opening of the Puerto Rico Regional Campus in Ponce in 2001. The College's commitment to global pharmacy education was further underscored with the establishment of the International Travel Study program in 2007.

The subsequent years saw the introduction of groundbreaking initiatives, such as the Healing and Medicinal Garden and Reflexology Pathway on the Ft. Lauderdale/Davie campus in 2010. The College continued to evolve its academic offerings with the establishment of the Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Affairs program in 2016 and the Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program in 2017.

Under the leadership of Michelle A. Clark, Ph.D., who assumed the role of dean in 2019, the College has continued to thrive. The joint Master of Science in Medicinal Chemistry between the College of Pharmacy and NSU's Halmos College of Arts and Sciences was introduced in 2021, showcasing NSU's interdisciplinary approach to education. In the same year, the Project Management Concentration was approved for Pharm.D. students, further enriching the academic offerings. The year 2023 marked a momentous occasion with the naming of the Barry and Judy Silverman College of Pharmacy, symbolizing a legacy of excellence and a vision for the future.

As the College looks ahead, its commitment to innovation, education, and community impact remains unwavering, ensuring a continued legacy of shaping the future of pharmacy.

Accreditations

The Silverman College of Pharmacy at NSU holds accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a recognized provider of continuing pharmacy education. 

View College Accreditation 

Nova Southeastern University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate’s, baccalaureate, master’s, educational specialist, doctoral, and professional degrees. Nova Southeastern University also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Nova Southeastern University may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Nova Southeastern University admits students of any race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, nondisqualifying disability, religion or creed, or national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school, and does not discriminate in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.
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