About
School of Pharmacy &
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Training innovative and unique pharmacists with the highest professional standards to deliver quality pharmaceutical care — for Ghana, Africa, and the world.
Who We Are
The School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences (SoPPS) is one of six Schools within the College of Health and Allied Sciences (CoHAS) at the University of Cape Coast. The School was established in August 2018 with a clear mandate: to train students to obtain the Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD) and expand Ghana's healthcare delivery team of professionals.
SoPPS offers both an undergraduate professional (first degree) programme and a postgraduate programme. Since its establishment, the School has admitted a significant and growing number of students into the PharmD programme, each cohort contributing to the expanding community of pharmacists serving Ghana and beyond.
The School has a total of forty (40) staff, comprising twenty-two (22) academic staff and eighteen (18) non-academic staff. It operates through five specialist departments, each contributing distinct expertise to the curriculum: Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacognosy & Herbal Medicine, and Pharmacotherapeutics & Pharmacy Practice.
"The School is strategically positioned in the University of Cape Coast for the academic and professional development of not only professional pharmacists, but the capacity building of future generations of academics and scholars in the field of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences."
— SoPPS Mission StatementMilestones & Growth
SoPPS is a young and dynamic institution, yet its impact on pharmaceutical education in Ghana has been immediate and far-reaching. From its founding to the present day, the School has consistently expanded its capacity, faculty, and reach.
The School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences was officially established within the College of Health and Allied Sciences (CoHAS) at the University of Cape Coast. The founding of SoPPS answered a critical national need: expanding Ghana's pharmaceutical education capacity to support a growing and increasingly complex healthcare system.
The accredited Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) six-year professional degree programme admitted its first cohort of students. The programme was designed from the outset to meet the highest standards of pharmaceutical education, preparing graduates for clinical, industrial, community, and research environments alike. The inaugural cohort marked the beginning of a new era in pharmacy education at UCC.
The School grew to full operational capacity with five specialist departments which are Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacognosy & Herbal Medicine, and Pharmacotherapeutics & Pharmacy Practice , each staffed by dedicated academic professionals with national and international expertise.
SoPPS has continued to build an expanding network of local and international collaborators. These partnerships enrich the learning experience, expose students to global pharmacy practice environments, and reinforce the School's commitment to producing graduates who are competitive on both the national and international stage.
Vision, Mission & Goal
The strategic direction of SoPPS is anchored in three guiding statements that define who we are, what we do, and where we are going. These statements inform everything from curriculum design to staff recruitment and student development.
Our Vision
A School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences with global recognition known for its excellence in education, research, and the provision of quality pharmaceutical services to communities and healthcare systems.
Our Mission
To train innovative and unique pharmacists with the highest professional standards to deliver quality pharmaceutical care to individuals, communities, and health institutions across Ghana and the wider African region.
Our Goal
To facilitate the training of students to acquire clinical, industrial, and community-based experience in pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences preparing them to contribute meaningfully to every dimension of the health system.
Core Values
The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programme is guided by four core values that shape the character of every student, inform the conduct of every staff member, and define the identity of SoPPS as an institution. These values are not aspirational slogans, they are embedded in every aspect of how we teach, research, and serve.
Excellence
Committing to the highest academic and professional standards in everything we teach, research, and practise. Excellence is not an event. it is a daily discipline we instil in every student from year one.
Professionalism
Cultivating ethical conduct, integrity, punctuality, and respect for patients, colleagues, and the pharmacy profession at all times. Our graduates carry the name of SoPPS into every workplace they enter.
Innovation
Encouraging creative thinking, original research, and the adoption of forward-looking approaches in pharmacy education and clinical practice. We train pharmacists to solve tomorrow's problems, not just today's.
Service
Prioritising the health, well-being, and dignity of every patient and community we serve. Pharmacy is fundamentally a service profession and that spirit of service runs through everything SoPPS stands for.
The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) is a six-year entry-level professional degree programme. It is the primary degree offered by SoPPS and represents the gold standard of pharmacy education in Ghana. The programme is designed not merely to produce graduates who can dispense medications, but to produce clinicians, researchers, industry leaders, and public health professionals — pharmacists equipped for every setting of contemporary healthcare.
The curriculum is designed to prepare future practitioners to provide patient-oriented pharmaceutical care in contemporary settings, including:
- Community pharmacy practice
- Hospital environments
- Industrial pharmacy practice
- Manufacturing pharmaceutical companies
- Academia & research institutions
- Regulatory agencies
- Long-term care facilities
- Public health organisations
SoPPS also offers postgraduate programmes for graduates seeking to specialise further or research in specific areas of Pharmaceutical Technology and Cosmetic Science.
Our Five Departments
The PharmD curriculum is delivered across five specialist departments, each led by dedicated academic staff with expertise in their respective fields. Together, these departments provide the comprehensive disciplinary coverage that a well-rounded pharmacy education requires.
- D1 Pharmaceutical Chemistry
- D2 Pharmaceutical Microbiology
- D3 Pharmaceutics
- D4 Pharmacognosy & Herbal Medicine
- D5 Pharmacotherapeutics & Pharmacy Practice
Our Teaching
At SoPPS, we believe that the quality of a pharmacy graduate is directly determined by the quality of their education. That is why we have invested deeply in building a learning environment that challenges students, supports their growth, and prepares them for the complexities of real-world pharmacy practice.
To meet the demands of the modern pharmacy curriculum, UCC-SoPPS uses innovative teaching and learning methodologies that go beyond passive instruction. Our approach is experiential, problem-centred, and community- engaged because pharmacists are not trained in lecture halls alone.
High Calibre & Committed Teaching Staff
SoPPS is staffed by highly qualified academics who bring both scholarly depth and real-world pharmacy experience to the classroom. Our lecturers are not only teachers ,they are researchers, practitioners, and mentors committed to the success of every student they teach.
Conducive Classroom & Laboratory Environment
Learning happens best in environments that are purposefully designed for it. SoPPS provides students with well-equipped classrooms, modern laboratories, and practical facilities that reflect the professional environments in which they will eventually work. A conducive environment is not a luxury. it is a prerequisite for quality pharmacy education.
Highly Effective Teaching & Learning Methods
We deploy evidence-based, highly effective pedagogical strategies that actively engage students in the learning process. Rather than relying solely on lectures, SoPPS integrates interactive seminars, case discussions, simulation exercises, and structured clinical encounters into the teaching programme.
Practice-Oriented & Student-Centred Curriculum
The curriculum at SoPPS is deliberately designed around the needs of students and the demands of pharmacy practice. Every module, every rotation, and every assessment is tied to a concrete professional competency. Students are not passive recipients of knowledge, they are active participants in their own professional formation.
Adequate Mix of Theoretical, Practical & Experiential Learning
A pharmacy graduate must be able to think critically, act safely, and communicate effectively skills that only develop through the right balance of theory, practical work, and real-world experience. SoPPS ensures students receive an adequate and well-sequenced mix of all three, building competence progressively across the six years of the programme.
Our Innovative Teaching Methodologies
To produce pharmacists equipped to serve society, SoPPS employs four core experiential methodologies that place students directly in the environments where pharmacy is practised:
SoPPS in Video
See SoPPS in action. The videos below offer an inside look at the School's facilities, teaching environment, student life, and the people who make SoPPS what it is. Click the yellow play button to watch.
Welcome to SoPPS
An introduction to the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Cape Coast . Our facilities, faculty, departments, and the PharmD programme that is shaping the next generation of pharmacists.
Student Life at SoPPS
Hear directly from SoPPS students about their academic journey from lectures and laboratory sessions to community placements and the experiences that are preparing them for careers in pharmacy.
Life at SoPPS
A glimpse into the daily life, facilities, and community of the School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Our Collaborators
No school trains world-class pharmacists in isolation. SoPPS has built a growing network of local and international collaborators who enrich the educational experience of our students, contribute to our research agenda, and provide real-world exposure that extends far beyond the lecture hall.
These partnerships allow SoPPS students to benefit from international exchange programmes, joint research projects, industry placements, and exposure to pharmacy practice in different healthcare contexts — all of which contribute to the rounded, globally competitive graduate that SoPPS is committed to producing.
UCC-SoPPS has several local and international collaborators who assist in producing the next generation pharmacists. These partnerships support student mobility, faculty development, joint research initiatives, and the continuous improvement of our curriculum in line with global pharmacy education standards.
Ready to Join SoPPS?
Applications for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programme are open to qualified candidates. Visit the University of Cape Coast admissions portal to begin your application, or contact the School directly for guidance.