CANTON -- An agreement with the State University of New York at Buffalo’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, St. Lawrence University students now have a chance to earn both an undergraduate degree and a professional health degree.

The agreement will create a three-plus-four undergraduate and professional school education, where students will take three years of classes at St. Lawrence and four years at the University of Buffalo. The combination will lead to students earning both a bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence and a doctor of pharmacy degree from Buffalo.

“We do have a lot of students that come to St. Lawrence who are interested in the health professions,” said David Hornung, professor of biology and a member of the Health Careers Committee. “It’s usually once they complete biochemistry that they decide whether or not they’re really interested in pursuing a professional health degree.”

St. Lawrence students who are interested in participating will need to hold an overall 3.3 grade point average as well as a minimum of 3.3 GPA in math and science courses.

Students must also major in biology, chemistry, biochemistry or neuroscience, have taken a variety of prerequisite courses, and must take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test. A St. Lawrence students can apply to Buffalo’s pharmaceutical program during the fall of their junior year.

St. Lawrence already has agreements with Buffalo’s doctor of dental surgery program as well as Clarkson University’s physical therapy and physicians assistant programs, and New York University’s nursing program.

Students who are interested in learning more about professional health career options at St. Lawrence University can visit www.stlawu.edu/biology/health-careers.

For more information, contact the Department of Biology at 315-229-5294.