Pharmacy (Pharm. D/ M. Pharm)
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Chapter One - Registration and Eentrance Prerequisites Article 1) The prerequisites for entering the doctor of pharmacy are as follows: 1-1- Having physical and psychological health based on the approved criteria of the great council of scheduling medical sciences of Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI). 1-2- Being allowed to study based on the current rules of IRI. 1-3- Having the high school diploma of IRI. Note 1: If a student does not embed mental and physical health for the doctor of pharmacy, s/he will not be allowed to continue studying in this course based on the viewpoint of medical council of university’s international campus. Note 2: In registration time the high school certification should be handed maximum by the end of first semester. Article 2) Admitted students are bound to refer to the related university or college for registration at certain times assigned by the international campus of the university. Not referring for registration by the first semester after admission it will be considered as withdrawal from university. Article 3) A student is bound to refer to the department of education for continuing studies and taking units in every semester at assigned times by university. Not doing so for one semester without excused reason will be considered as withdrawal from university and the student will be excluded. Note 1: In exceptional cases which the student considers his/her withdrawal excused, the written reasons of that should be delivered to the department of education maximum by one month before the end of that very semester. If the educational council of university accepts the genuineness of the provided excuses, that semester will be accounted as the allowed period of studying and a leave of absence will be issued for that semester. Chapter Two - Educational System Article 4) The doctor of pharmacy is based on unit-selecting system. In unit-selecting system the scale of a course will be based on the number of units in that course and passing or failing in a course will be limited to that very course. Article 5) Every course unit is a scale for that course the terms of which are respectively 17 hours for theoretical units, 34 hours for practical or laboratorial units, and 51 hours for internship and training in one semester or summer term. All of these will be taught according to the approved program of great council of scheduling. Article 6) The program for the doctor of pharmacy is as follows: Stage 1: General courses and basic sciences Stage 2: Specialized courses of pharmacy, internship and internship in the field and dissertation Article 7) Each educational year is made up of two semesters and one summer term if bearing the necessary prerequisites. Article 8) Each semester is made up of 17 educational weeks and summer term is made up of 6 educational weeks based on the terms mentioned in article 6. Note 1: The duration of final examination time of each semester or summer term will not be counted in those 17 and 6 weeks respectively. Note 2: In critical and exceptional cases, such as natural disasters or when the professor is sick and so on, the students of that course(s) are allowed to take the course in less than 17 weeks and the syllabus will be taught in shorter period according to the related college’s suggestion. This will happen only if the sum of instruction time does not grow less than the terms mentioned in article 6 of this set of regulations and participating in all the classes according to the timing is also obligatory. Article 9) All the schools and universities of medicine are bound to execute the educational plan and syllabus assigned by the great council of scheduling. Note: Order of courses considering the prerequisites, scheduling the studying program of students during the semester, teaching methodology and changing terms and introducing new course contents and selecting references are all included as the obligations of the universities and colleges of medical sciences. Obviously, the sources for formal examination of basic sciences will be determined by the related ministry. Article 10) At the end of stage one there will be held a formal examination of basic sciences and passing this examination will be a prerequisite for entering the next stage. Note 1: Passing all the courses of stage one (basic sciences course and general course) and obtaining the average of 12 in this stage will be a prerequisite for participating in the formal examination of basic sciences. Yet, in the circumstances when the student has only one general course s/he can participate in the formal examination of basic sciences and if s/he is admitted in the formal examination, that left course will be taken in the next stage. Obviously, the score of this course will affect the average of the next stage scores. Note 2: If scores obtained in some courses passed by the student are not announced by the time of formal examination, the student will participate in the examination under conditions. If the student fails in that course after the announcement of formal examination’s score or passes the course but the average does not reach 12, the result of formal examination will be considered null and void. The participated exam will not be considered as one of the allowed times in which a student can take the formal examination but the student will not be allowed to participate in the next formal examination even under conditions unless s/he passes the failed course and obtain the necessary average score. Article 11) Participation in the formal examination of basic sciences is allowed up to three times. If the student does not obtain passing score in this examination s/he will be excluded from continuing the doctor of pharmacy. Note 1: Unexcused absence in the formal examination of basic sciences will be considered as one of the allowed times for participating in this exam. Note 2: A student who is excluded from continuing studies in the doctor of pharmacy due to failure in the final examination of basic sciences can change his/her course of study into integrated or disintegrated B.Sc. level. This is also for students who are excluded from continuing studies in PhD courses based on the Course Changing Instruction of MD, D.D.S and pharmacy. This bill was approved in the twenty second session of great council of scheduling medical sciences dated at July 19th, 2003. Such a student can change his/her course of study into integrated or disintegrated B.Sc. and Associate level. Article 12) Location for internship and internship in the field is either in the pharmacy, hospital, emergency section, provincial or urban health centers and pharmaceutical industry. Chapter Three - Course Units and Education Period Article 13) Minimum number of passed units for graduation from the doctor of pharmacy is in accordance with the approved program of that course in the great council of medical sciences scheduling. Article 14) In all semesters of doctor of pharmacy, each student should take minimum of 12 and maximum of 20 units per semester. Note 1: Students can disobey the condition of “minimum 12 units” in the last semester of each of the training sections. Note 2: If the total average score of a student is at least 17 in a semester she/he can take up to 24 units with the counseling of the advisor and agreement of the college. Note 3: If the student has been left with maximum 24 units to pass a section, she/he can take all those units provided that s/he was not conditional in the previous semester. This should all be done with the agreement of the college. Note 4: Students are not permitted to take more than 6 units in summer term. Article 15) In cases which the educational department of the college finds necessary some prerequisite courses will be offered for better readiness of students. Note 1: Determining the course, number of units, terms, teaching methodology and time for prerequisite courses will be upon the educational council of the acceptor university. The educational departments will suggest these courses. Note 2: The way prerequisite courses will be offered and the way they will be run whether the method of putting the scores in the score record or calculating the total average of semesters will be similar to that of university courses and must follow the rules of higher education. Note 3: One semester will be added to the allotted time of education for those students who have passed at least 8 units of the prerequisite courses. Article 16) The maximum allotted time for educating in the doctor of pharmacy is 9/5 years. Note 1: students who cannot pass the formal examination of basic sciences in the first 4years of training pharmacy are to be excluded from continuing studies. If the average of passed units is at least 10 that student can change his/her course of study into integrated or disintegrated B.Sc. level according to the terms mentioned in Note 2 of Article 12. Note 2: The duration of education can be extended to maximum 12 more months for a student who could not finish the second stage within 5 years from the beginning of this stage. This will be possible if the allowed time of education has not been expired. Chapter Four - Presence and Absence Article 17) Presence of the student is obligatory in all the sessions related to the courses, internship and training periods. Not being present in every session will be considered as absence. Article 18) The absence hours of a student should not exceed 4/17 in theoretical, 2/17 in practical and laboratorial and 1/10 in internship and internship on the field sessions. Otherwise, the score for that course or section will be considered as zero. Note 1: Allowed absences in Article 19 are accepted provided that students bring in documents for that and the related professor approves it. Acting against absences (either excused or not) will be the decision of the professor and agreement of the college. Note 2: If the number of absences exceeds the determined limit in Article 19 but the educational council of university considers them excused, that course will be dropped. In this situation following “the minimum 12 units” for each semester will not be obligatory but that very semester will be considered as a whole semester in the educational history of the student. Article 19) Unexcused absences in the final examination of each course or section will be considered as zero and excused absences will be a cause for that course or section to be dropped. Determining the genuineness of excused absences in the final examinations will be upon the educational council of the university. Chapter Five - Adding and Dropping Article 20) a student can drop or add maximum two courses in every semester until two weeks after the beginning of the semester. A student can either change two of the added courses with two other ones or drop two courses and take two others provided that the number of taken units does not exceed the amount mentioned in article 15. Note 1: absences during the first two weeks due to adding and dropping period or any other reasons are not permitted and if committed will be considered as the allowed number of absences (mentioned in article 19) and the terms of that article will be executed. Note 2: adding and dropping will not be possible in summer term. Article 21) in emergency situations the student can drop only one of his/her courses 5 weeks before the end of semester with the agreement of department of education. Provided that firstly student’s absents do not exceed that of mentioned in Article 19 secondly the remained units should not be less than12. Article 22) dropping all the taken courses in a semester is possible before the beginning of final examinations only if the educational council of university determines that the student is not able to continue education in that semester. In this case, a leave of absence will be issued for that student. Counting this leave of absence among the allowed time of education for that student will be upon the educational council of the university. Note: dropping all the taken courses of summer term is only possible maximum by the beginning of the final examinations of that course and this is followed by the approval of the educational department of university. Chapter Six - Assessing the Student’s Educational Development Article 23) The educational progress of every student is done based on the class participation and activities and doing well in the educational activities. Besides, final examination results will also be involved. Moreover, the related professor will also be a source of progress for every student. Article 24) progress the educational development of students in internship and internship in the field courses will be done by observing the following terms: 24-1- obeying Islamic and professional ethics and providing appropriate relations with the patients, visitors and employees 24-2- Participating regularly in all the classes and related sections 24-3- Paying attention to the given tasks of the related unit and having sense of conscientiousness 24-4- Expanding skills and benefiting from the internship and internship in the field units 24-5- Participating in the final examination and obtaining necessary score Article 25) Running final written examinations of doctor of pharmacy is obligatory and examinations of internship and internship in the field units are in the end of each course Article 26) The result of educational progress which are based on the terms of Articles 24 and 25 will be announced by scores. Score of each student in each course or section will range between zero to twenty. Article 27) The minimum passing score for all courses of stage one (general and basic courses) will be 10 and the minimum total average of each semester in this stage will be 12. Minimum passing score for all courses of stage two (specialized, internship and internship in the field courses and dissertation 1, 2, 3) will be 12. And the minimum of each semester for stage two and the total average of each of this stage will be 14. Students who do not obtain the minimum passing score for either of the courses or section are bound to retake those courses or sections in the earliest set time. However, all the scores including passed or failed will be put in the score record and will be calculated in the average score. Note: Each of the theoretical and practical courses have separate scores, but the score for theoretical-practical courses which are considered as one united course will be the average of the two theoretical and practical sections separately based on their course index. If the average of the two theoretical and practical sections does not reach 10 or score of one of them be less than 8 even if the average reaches 10 both the sections must be retaken. Article 28) Professors are bound to announce the final score of students in that course maximum by 10 days after the final examination day and that should be declared to the college’s department of education. Note: After the announcement of final scores by the department of education each student can submit his/her written objection to the same department for further inspection maximum by 3days after the announcement. Article 29) Department of education of the college or related organ in any university is bound to officially hand in the final scores maximum by two weeks after the examination day of each semester and after objections have been reconsidered and possible lapses have been overcame. Note: Scores will not be changed after they have been handed in to the department of education office. Article 30) At the end of each semester total average score in that semester and the total average score of the whole course up to that semester will be calculated and at the end of each course the total average score of the student will be put in the score record. Note1: To calculate the average score, the number of units in that course or section will be multiplied by that course’s score and the sum of multiplied results will be divided into total unit numbers that the student has achieved passing or failing score. Note 2: Summer term will not be accounted as a semester since the scores obtained in the summer term will only affect the total average of the whole related stage. Article 31) The average scores of the student should not grow less than 12 in any of the semesters of stage one and less than 14 for the second stage of medical education. Otherwise, registration for the next semester will be under conditions. Note 1: In cases which the number of units offered by the university is less than 12, that semester will not be accounted as the educational years of the student. But if the average grow below the stated amount that semester will be accounted as a conditional one. In cases which the number of units grows less than 12 due to the students’ problems in any of the educational pharmaceutical stages, that semester will be accounted as the educational years of the student and if the average grows low that semester will be considered a conditional one. Note 2: University is bound to inform the student and his/her parents about the conditional status of the student in written form and one copy of that should be kept in the student’s records. This way no default will be on the warning from the university. Article 32) A student who registers under conditions, even in the last semester of each of pharmacy training, is not allowed to take more than 14 units in that semester. Note: In special cases, deciding on whether or not to provide the conditional student with more than 14 units in the last semester of each of pharmacy training stages to the qualified student based on Article 33will be upon the educational council of university. In either scenario, this number should never exceed 20. Article 33) A student who fails for three consecutive semesters or four alternate semesters will be excluded from continuing studying. . If the average of passed units is at least 10, that student can change the course of study to one of integrated or disintegrated B.Sc. levels, or Associate degree according to the instructions mentioned in Note 2 of Article 11. Article 34) The total average of student in the end the first stage should not grow less than 12 and the total average score of student in the end of the second stage should not grow less than 14. Students who obtain lower scores than the aforementioned limits can retake those courses which were below 12 or 14 provided that their allowed time of education in that stage is not expired. Otherwise, they will not be allowed to proceed to the next stage or even graduate. Obviously, the scores for the retaken courses will be put in the score record of the student and will be calculated in the total average scores. Note: If a student does not want or like to use the aforementioned opportunity or uses the opportunity but fails in compensating his/her total average and his/her total average is at least 10 can change his/her course of study to other levels of education (regarding Associates degree and integrated or disintegrated B.Sc. based on terms of Note 2 of Article 12). Article 35) The student who is excluded from continuing education can submit to start studying in all fields of study except the previous one and can register in his/her interested major if admitted. The new university can accept the already-passed units and adapt all or some of them to the program of that university. Chapter Seven - Educational Leave and Withdrawal from Study Article 36) Students can benefit from educational leave after passing one semester during the training stages of pharmacy course up to two consecutive or alternative semesters. Note 1: Accepting the educational leave request in the first semester will be upon educational council of university’s campus. Note 2: The period for educational leave will be considered among the maximum allotted time of every student’s education. Note 3: The student should use one month off in the internship stage. Article 37) The request for educational leave should be in written and it should be handed at least two weeks before the beginning of registration for each semester. The written request, therefore, should be delivered to the department of education by the student. Note 1: If the aforementioned request is delivered out of the set time, making decisions will be upon the education council of university. Note 2: The educational department of university is bound to announce its approval or disapproval about the leave request of the student in written before the end of registration period and after investigating the related university. Note 3: The aftermath brought after the educational leave is upon the student. Article 38) pregnant students can benefit from one semester off without being accounted as their educational years by observing other regulations and laws. Article 39) Students whose excused medical reasons have been approved by the council of medicine and council of education can benefit from maximum one semester off without being accounted as their educational years. Article 40) Students who are eager to withdraw from study should hand their withdrawal request to the department of education of university in person. In this situation such students are allowed to retake their request only once and up to maximum one month before the end of that semester. After the expiration date, the mandate for his/her withdrawal from study will be issued and the student will not be permitted to continue studies in that field thereafter. Chapter Eight - Changing Major Article 41) Student of doctor of pharmacy can change his/her major by having the approval of university and bearing the following conditions: 41-1- Based on the educational regulations there should be no boundaries for continuing studies 41-2 The student should have passed minimum one sixth and maximum one third of the whole number of units in that major 41-3- The student should have to be able to pass the required units in the new major based on the maximum allowed time of education. Note 1: Changing major for students who are excluded from studying in the doctor of pharmacy will be according to the instructions mentioned in Note 2 of Article 12. Note 2: A student can change his/her major only once during his/her educational period except those who are mentioned in Note 1 of this very Article. Article 42) Changing major must be done in the equal levels of education. Otherwise the student can only descend from higher levels to lower levels following terms mentioned in Article 61. Article 43) If the request for changing major is approved the student is bound to register and take units for the new course in the first semester. After the registration the student will not be permitted to return to the previous major. Note 1: Students should obey the rules of the previous course until s/he registers in the new major. Note 2: Not proceeding to register in the new major in the set time will be accounted as withdrawal from changing major and s/he will not be allowed to change major until the end of that course. Article 44) Units which have been passed in the previous major will be equalized in the department of education of the new major. The only units that will be accepted are those which have at least 80% of content equation and the score for them should not grow less than 12. Note 1: Approved units will be put in the score record of the student and will be calculated in the total average but score of the unapproved units will be left in the score record without affecting the average. In this case, if the total average of unapproved units is below 12 then the educational council of the university will decide to consider one conditional semester in the student’s score record for the new major. Note 2: If the number of unapproved units of a student is so high that will hinder the possibility of passing the necessary units of the new major in set time then the request for changing course will be rejected. Article 45) The applicant for major changing should hand his/her request along with the necessary documents to the department of education of university minimum by 6 weeks before the beginning of the semester. Article 46) If the student faces an accident or some illness that the medical council of university and educational department approve that the student cannot continue the course or cannot use the result of that, then the student will not be permitted to continue the doctor of pharmacy and can change to another major. That entrance examination’s obtained score of that course should be the closest to that of left major. In this situation obeying the rules mentioned in Article 61 will not be necessary (except Note 1). Note: In cases which the student faces psychological and behavioral disorders or physical illnesses and maimed organs in a way that s/he will no longer be able to continue studying in any of the related majors then that student can change to another major after the agreement of the target university and the medical and educational department of university. Chapter Nine - Accepting Units Article 47) Equalizing and accepting courses which have been passed by the admitted in other universities or educational levels will be allowed with the following conditions: 47-1- The former university and its degrees should be confirmed by the Ministry of Health and Medical Education or Ministry of Science and Research 47-2- Educational process which the student had gone through should be in accordance with the appointed schedule of great council of Ministry of Health and Medical Education or the Ministry of Sciences and Research. 47-3- The content of the passed units should share at least 80% of the units of the new major. The score for each course should not grow less than 12. Note 1: Equalizing the specialized courses will be possible in equal levels or from higher levels to lower levels. Note 2: Equalizing and accepting courses will be progressed by the educational department of the acceptor university. Article 48) The approved units’ score will not be calculated in the average of the semester but they will be calculated in the total average of that student. Note: One semester will be decreased from the student’s maximum allotted time of education for every 20 approved units. Chapter Ten - Dissertation Article 49) Dissertation is one of the sections of the doctor of pharmacy in which the student is obliged to do research about a related subject to the course under the directions of supervisor. Article 50) Students of doctor of pharmacy should choose and submit their dissertation’s subject within 1 year after 140 units have been passed. Note: if the dissertation’s subject is not submitted in set time the student will not be permitted to take units. Article 51) Supervisor will be determined by the suggestion of student, approval of supervisor and the related department of education and the research council of the related college. Note 1: The minimum academic rank for a supervisor is assistant professor. In special cases, with the approval of research council of the college, lecturer faculty members can also be used as supervisor. Note 2: In special cases, to perform intersectional researches a student can have more than one supervisor following the approval of research council of the college. Article 52) One of the faculty members or specialists and noted researchers will be determined as the advisor with the supervisor’s suggestion after the approval of the research council of the university, if necessary. Note: The maximum number of doctor of pharmacy dissertations which are led simultaneously by each of the supervisors will be calculated by dividing the total number of entry students in each academic year into the total number of faculty members of the related college multiplied by 2. Colleges in which the number of faculty members is high and the number of ascribed dissertations to the faculty members is low with the aforementioned formula, each of the faculty members can lead maximum 3 dissertations of students with the same entry year simultaneously following the approval of the research council of the college. Article 53) Choosing the subject of dissertation must be done by the guidance of the supervisor. Article 54) Dissertation’s subject must not be repetitive. This means that there should be no dissertation in the related university with similar or different topic but similar content within the past 5 years. Note: In special cases and with the supervision of research council, choosing an identical topic will be of no problem in subjects which may need more research within less than the aforementioned time. Article 55) Each student should choose one subject for dissertation. Note: Choosing the topic of dissertation by a group of students (maximum 3) will be permitted after the approval of supervisor and research council of the related college. To do so, following steps should be accomplished: a: Size and importance of research subject should be proportionate to the number of students. b: Segmenting the subject of dissertation should be in a way that each of the related students be able to do a separate part of that. Article 56) To submit the subject of dissertation the following steps should be taken: a: Choosing the dissertation’s subject with the guidance of supervisor b: Inspecting whether or not the dissertation’s subject is repetitive by the research administration of the college c: Finalizing the suggested plan for the subject of the dissertation by the related department of education. d: Giving the suggested plan of dissertation from the department to the research administration of the college to be approved in the research council of the college. e: Providing the supervisor with the approved notification of the research council to start the dissertation Note: The time between submitting the dissertation’s subject and defending that should not grow less than one year. Article 57) Each dissertation should have the following parts: a: Abstract in Farsi and English (aim and background, method and instrumentation, results, and conclusion) b: Introduction (reasons of significance, general information about research and goals of research) c: Context analysis d: Methodology (type of research, environment and instruments of research, size and sample and sampling technique, data collection technique, data analysis method, and types of statistical tests and process) e: Results (using statistical tests, tables, diagrams and result interpretation) f: Discussion and conclusion (investigating the results, comparing the results with those of other studies, analyzing the reason of different result with those of other studies, investigating the defects and delimitations of research, final conclusion and suggestions for further studies) g: Resources Article 58) Composing the dissertation in English is of no boundaries but it is necessary to have abstract not just in English but also in Farsi. Article 59) The jury who is responsible for making the final decision about dissertations is made of the following members: 1- Supervisor 2- Advisor (if included) 3- Representative of the research council of college 4- Representative of the department of education related to the dissertation 5- A member of faculty members or specialists and noted researchers chosen by the related department of education Note: Academic rank of supervisor and faculty members should be at least assistant professor. In special cases after the approval of research council of college, the rank can be lecturer. About specialists, researches, and noted experts bearing PhD is obligatory. Article 60) The jury’s evaluation of the dissertation is in a numerical scale from zero to twenty. According to the obtained scores they will be categorized into 4 scales as follows: Excellent dissertation scores of 19 to 20 Very good dissertation scores of 17 to 18/99 Good dissertation scores of 14 to 16/99 Unacceptable dissertation scores of less than 14 Note: Only those dissertations can obtain “excellent” which were investigative (done by research) or were printed or took the privilege of copy in one of the authentic scientific journals of Iran or foreign countries. Obviously, providing the jury with article or privilege of being copied in a journal should be before defending the dissertation and scoring session. Article 61) All the students are bound to defend their dissertation in the last semester and if a student could not defend his/her dissertation within the set schedule of educational year or could not obtain passing score that student will be expelled even though s/he had passed all the units. Article 62) The number of units and score of dissertations 1 and 2 of students of doctor of pharmacy for the semester which units have been taken along with the score of dissertation 3 in the final semester will be put in the score record. The student can disobey the “maximum number of allowed unit” rule in the final semester. Article 63) A student is considered graduate when all the units are passed including dissertation (any of them earliest) Article 64) All the rights gained from dissertations belong to university. Article 65) A copy of every dissertation’s summary should be sent to the deputy of research and technology of the related ministry for utilization and informing other centers. |
