The first two years, which consist of pre-pharmacy coursework, can be completed at any accredited 2-year or 4-year institution for Mississippi residents. Non-Mississippi residents, are encouraged, due to the formula for calculation of applicant admission scores, to complete the pre-pharmacy courses at The University of Mississippi. Non-Mississippi residents who do not do so are placed at a disadvantage in the applicant selection process. The third and fourth years of the six-year Doctor of Pharmacy program provide students with a solid pharmaceutical science background, coupled with exposure to the multifaceted U.S. health care system and are completed on the Oxford campus. Introductory practice experiences and student participation through active learning are the hallmarks of this segment of the degree program. Students receive a B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences (a non-practice degree) following completion of the initial four years in the program.

The curriculum for the final two years of the program is different from that of any other pharmacy school in the U.S. The fifth year, conducted at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, emphasizes problem-based learning, an active learning method which promotes the development of independent learning skills and a commitment to lifelong learning. This case-based form of study represents a completely integrated curriculum, emphasizing application of scientific information from such disciplines as pathophysiology, pharmacology, pharmaceutics, therapeutics, and pharmacokinetics to contemporary practice situations.

This format stresses development and use of written, verbal, and electronic communication skills, team learning, use of drug information systems both electronic and written, and emphasizes the development of problem-solving skills. These abilities are essential for a contemporary pharmacist. Students are assigned to 6-8 member teams, each with a faculty facilitator.

The sixth year consists entirely of experiential education in the form of seven, six-week rotations. These include advanced practice settings include four required practice environments: adult medicine (inpatient), ambulatory care (outpatient), traditional community and traditional institutional practice. The sites for required rotations are located throughout Mississippi and the Mid-South area. These external learning experiences provide the student with opportunities for hands-on patient-centered training, and assist in the refinement of the communication skills necessary for patient-centered care and for successful interprofessional relationships within the health care team. During the advanced practice experiences, students will become intimately involved in patient care. Working directly under a practitioner-educator, students will assume an active role in the monitoring of individual patients (inpatients and outpatients), and are encouraged to provide therapeutic input to the interprofessional team of which they are a part.

Advanced practice experience provide exposure to the typical activities of pharmacists in varied settings. A rotation in the community practice setting will prepare students for such tasks as prescription processing, patient education and counseling, and pharmacy management. An institutional rotation exposes students to hospital pharmacy practice responsibilities, including preparation of parenteral medications, provision of drug information to patients and other health care professionals, unit-dose dispensing, and pharmacy and therapeutics committee functions. The inclusion of three elective rotations provides a personalized educational experience for each student.