Our Institution

The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SSPPS) was founded in 2000 and admitted its first class in 2002.

The SSPPS is the only public school of pharmacy in Southern California, and one of only two public pharmacy schools in the state. Its four-year program leads to a doctorate in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree and offers unique classroom and clinical training in conjunction with UCSD’s School of Medicine. Second-year pharmacy students in the SSPPS share the same classes with the first-year medical students, and in their fourth year, pharmacy students participate in clinical rotations and advanced practice experiences with medical students. The School also offers a joint PharmD/Ph.D. program that is closely aligned with the drug discovery and development process, therapeutic practices, and outcomes, as well as post-graduate residencies for the Pharm.D. graduates.

In addition, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty mentor Ph.D. students through joint programs with the School of Medicine and several main campus departments, and train post-doctoral fellows. The School was named in recognition of a $30 million gift from The Skaggs Institute for Research, the largest gift ever given to UCSD Health Sciences.