Information for Accepted Graduate Students

Students must again log in to the Application Status Portal and submit the PHAR Reply to Offer of Admission form no later than April 15.

If offered admission after April 15, submit the PHAR Reply to Offer of Admission form within one week (7 days) from the date of the offer of admission.

>> Join Us for Accepted Student Events

UB email is the official method of communication between students and the university. Students must check it regularly to receive important messages and updates!

• Students can login to UBmail, MyUB, UB Learns, campus Wi-Fi (eduroam), etc. using their UBITName.
• Single use password and instructions will be emailed beginning March prior to fall matriculation (check spam folder).
• Visit buffalo.edu/ubit/new for information to learn more about IT tools and services at UB. 
  

Note for International Students: Visit Activate your UBIT Name

International students (including Canadians) must provide the following materials as electronic uploads.

• Photocopy of passport (photo page) to the portal application checklist
• Copy of current I-20 and visa
  If currently studying in the United States, upload a copy of current I-20 and visa to the application checklist.
• International Applicant Financial Form and Bank Documents (not required for PhD applicants)
  Submit the Financial Form and bank documents showing funding for the first year of academic study (minus any scholarships). Check I-20 status through the portal.
  For MS, the I-20 has the program/major as "51.2010 Pharmaceutical Sciences" for MS Pharmacometrics & Personalized Pharmacotherapy or "26.1099 Pharmacology and Toxicology, Other" for MS Pharmaceutical Sciences. 
• As the Fall Semester approaches, we request that you update us on your Visa Appointments and Travel Plans. This will allow us to plan for your arrival better. Remember to start the New International Student Check-In process with ISS on UB Global.

Immunizations
In accordance with New York State Public Health Law, UB requires that all students submit a University’s Health Background Form.  Students cannot register for classes until proof of immunizations are submitted. Continuing UB students have already satisfied this requirement.

Meningitis Information
All students must receive information about meningococcal disease and make an informed decision about whether to receive immunization against the disease. Review Immunization and Meningitis Requirements.

Continuing UB Students: Annual Immunization Review (AIR) Form
Continuing UB students must complete the Annual Immunization Review Form by November 1.

COVID-19 Vaccinations
UB requires students to demonstrate proof of receiving primary series COVID-19 vaccine or receive approval for a medical or religious exemption before they can register for classes. Students who receive approved medical or religious exemptions should be aware that some clinical placements may have stricter vaccination requirements than the university and do not accept UB’s exemptions. In these instances, students who receive UB-approved medical or religious exemptions may not be able to complete their degree. See COVID-19 Immunization Requirements.

Health Insurance
UB requires all qualifying full-time domestic students and all international students to have health insurance coverage. See Health Insurance.

Exceptions for Teaching, Research and Graduate Assistants:
Students with assistantship funding will be eligible for UB employer-subsidized health insurance.  

• Watch online orientation videos by August 1. We will let you know when the videos become available.
• International students will also particpate in the International Orientation and Welcome Series
  

Billing

• Login to MyUB for billing, financial aid and course registration transactions.
  International students will obtain access to MyUB at the International Student Welcome Series.
  
• Tuition e-bill notifications will be e-mailed to your buffalo.edu account.
• Direct deposit of refunds

Cost of Attendance/Tuition

• UB Tuition and Fees
  • Financial Aid Cost of Attendance
  • PharmD: Students are considered Pharmacy/Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) for tuition and fees.
  • MS: Students are considered graduate for tuition and fees.
  • BS/MS: Students will still be considered an undergraduate for tuition and fees for this upcoming spring semester. Starting next fall semester, students will be considered a graduate student. When submitting the FAFSA by the March 1 priority deadline, students must indicate their graduate status. This change permits eligibility for graduate student loans. Students will *not* receive TAP, NYS aid, or other undergraduate financial aid packages once a graduate student. 
  • Non New York residents may seek to establish New York State residency for tuition. See New York State Residency Requirements for Tuition Purposes for more information. 

• Verifying New York State Residency
  
  • In order to qualify for the in-state residency tuition rate, admitted students are required to provide residency documentation indicating you have lived in New York State (NYS) 12 months prior to your semester start date.
  • If you indicated on your application that you are a New York State resident, and you are not a continuing UB student, you will be required to upload three documents to verify your residency and obtain the in-state tuition rate. See Verifying New York State Residency for more information. Upload documents to your application portal checklist as “NYS Residency Materials.”
  • All admitted students will be deemed an out-of-state resident for tuition billing purposes until sufficient documentation is provided to verify New York State residency in advance of class registration. 

Financial Aid
Financial aid information is available post-acceptance and during orientation. Financial aid advisors are available for students to discuss their financial aid award summary and/or for questions about loan options. Call 716-645-8232 or email ubfa@buffalo.edu. We also offer walk-in appointments at 1Capen on North Campus. Financial Aid begins sending out award notices in February/March.

Loans
Graduate students will qualify for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. Students may also apply for a Graduate PLUS loan. Additionally, students can apply for a private loan (see Alternative/Private Loans).

FAFSA
The FAFSA is an application for student aid that collects the basic information needed to determine your eligibility for all of the financial aid programs sponsored by the federal government. U.S. citizens should apply for financial aid by filling out a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online (school code 002837). Students can begin the FAFSA application process in October and we encourage prior to March 1 (late submissions may still qualify). 

With the exception of degrees earned at UB, all newly enrolled students must submit all final official transcripts* and proof of bachelor’s degree conferral to verify any scanned, unofficial transcripts submitted during the application process sent directly to UB SPPS from a national clearinghouse to pharm-admit@buffalo.edu. Electronic transcripts received from a student are not official. Students with graduate degrees must also provide final official transcripts from their graduate institution(s). Recent graduates should check with their institution to make sure that the official transcript is final and will have their degree conferred on it before it is sent. During the summer, international students receive a portal link to upload final, official academic documents to UB’s Office of International Admissions. Students must use this form to submit documents even if already submitted to SPPS. Documents will only be accepted electronically via this form; paper documents are not required and will not be accepted.

*Any offer of admission is provisional pending receipt of all official transcripts and proof of completion of an earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university by the date of intended enrollment.

Advising Appointment:
Students in these programs must schedule an academic advisement meeting by emailing Dr. Robert Bies, Director of Graduate Studies. Email after March 1. Students only need to meet once prior to Orientation in August.
MS and PhD Pharmaceutical Sciences
MS Pharmacokinetics and Personalized Pharmacotherapy
PharmD/MS students

Service Indicators/Holds:
Students will not be able to register if there is a service indicator on their account (view holds). Holds include immunization records - see Step 4 above. International students will submit their U.S Visa Stamp via the New International Student Check-In to resolve the international student hold. 

Continuous Registration:
Students must register each semester or else submit a leave of absence until they confer. Under some circumstances, the continuous registration requirement may be waived for the semester immediately prior to degree conferral. See Policy Library for exemptions.   

Resigning Courses:
Students should not resign from courses after the add/drop deadline without discussing the underlying reasons with the Director of Graduate Studies. Resignations can affect the visa status of international students.

Registering for Classes:
Students will be registered for required fall courses and will receive advisement for additional course selection. To learn UB’s student system (HUB), visit MyUB and see UB's Web Registration Tutorial.

Curriculum:
> PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences Curriculum
> MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences Curriculum
> MS in Pharmacometrics and Personalized Pharmacotherapy Curriculum
> BS/MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences Curriculum
> MS in Clinical and Translational Therapeutics Curriculum

Advisors:
- PhD and MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences or Pharmacometrics: Dr. Robert Bies, Director of Graduate Studies
- BS/MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Sara Robinson, Director of Undergraduate Advisement
- MS in Clinical and Translational Therapeutics Courses: Dr. Brian Tsuji, Professor and Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Sciences

UB Card
Students use the UB Card across campus. Students should obtain their UB Card before orientation. The UB Card office is located in 1Diefendorf (Room 114) on South Campus (limited hours) and 1Capen on North Campus.

On-Campus Housing

The on-campus housing applications open late January and are due early May. See: Application Information for New Students. A UBITName and Password is needed to submit an application. Students can apply for housing through the waitlist application after the deadline.

Housing is assigned on a first come, first served basis. Campus Living provides application deadlines, deposits, live chat support and apartment locations.

Students are eligible for an early arrival waiver one day before Orientation. Submit the early arrival application when available (early August). Early arrival charges will be reversed after check-in. Students may move in earlier, but fees apply.

Off-Campus Housing

Students may rent off-campus with roommates, reside in villages such as Collegiate Village or Axis 360, Auden Buffalo, and in other houses/apartments in the surrounding areas. Also, try searching Roomsurf College Roommate Finder and Apartment Finder.

See Living Off-Campus for helpful tips.

Our Pharmaceutical Sciences students are invited to join the 'UB PHC Housing and Roommate Search' on GroupMe to find roommates.  

Technology Recommendations

• See UB Student Computer Standards for the University at Buffalo's minimum recommendations for student owned computers. 
• Find UB-licensed and UB-recommended software to download and install for free: UB CIT Software for Personally Owned Devices
• Also note:
  • A privacy screen is required
  • Beta operating systems are not supported

ExamSoft
Students enrolled at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences may use electronic testing software (currently ExamSoft/Examplify) for exams and assessments. Students should have either a laptop (PC or Mac) to bring and use in the examination room, for the purposes of assessment. Students are responsible for the maintenance of their personal computing devices; the school is unable to provide computing support. The minimum computer specifications to run ExamSoft/Examplify are listed below:

• Mac OS X Requirements [Click here for a full list of Mac requirements]
  • Only genuine OS devices are compatible
  • iPad tablets are not supported at UB SPPS.
  • For the best experience, we recommend that you take your exam on the same OS version that you have completed a recent successful mock exam.
• PC Requirements [Click here for a full list of PC requirements]
  • Only genuine, U.S.-English, French, Portuguese, Swedish, and British versions of Windows Operating Systems are supported
  • ExamSoft does not support Tablet devices other than Surface Pro as detailed below
• Other Operating Systems
  • Other operating systems, including Linux and Android, are not supported.

Best Practices for Students

• Installing and Registering
  You will receive an email that will provide information on how to install and register Examplify. It is recommended that you not use your UBIT password for your Examsoft password, as the password is visible to SPPS staff. The Institution identifier, which is necessary for initial registration, for UB SPPS is ubpharm.
• Disable antivirus prior to opening Examplify.
  
• UB CIT recommends Windows Defender Antivirus, built into the Windows 10 operating system. For macOS, UB’s Information Security Office recommends AVG Antivirus Free or Sophos Home Free. 
• More information on Examplify best practices.

• Academic Integrity
  All UB students are expected to uphold standards of academic integrity. As a result, students are responsible for knowing what constitutes an act of dishonesty, and a lack of awareness is not considered an excuse. See Academic Integrity Violations for what academic dishonesty includes.
  
• Harassment and Discrimination Policies
  Harassment creates a hostile or intimidating environment, which interferes significantly with an individual's work or adversely affects an individual's living conditions. Such an atmosphere can be created by verbal or physical conduct. Physical harassment constitutes unwelcome physical contact or verbal threats, menacing or otherwise. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome acts of a sexual nature including sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and/or other verbal or physical conduct, including written communications, of an intimidating, hostile or offensive nature, or action taken in retaliation for the reporting of such behavior.  This policy applies to all faculty, staff, administrators, and students on the university grounds or at university affiliated functions. Sexual harassment is prohibited by Title IV Civil Rights Act of 1964 and by title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.  See Sex Discrimination and Sexual Harassment.
• Non-Discrimination Policy
  UB SPPS is committed to a nondiscriminatory admission policy and philosophy. Review our Non-Discrimination Policy.
• Social Media Policy
  Ensuring all users have a positive and engaging social media experiences on official as well as affiliated channels is needed to achieve the school's goals. Understanding and supporting social media best practice policies are important for all University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences community members. Review Social Media Policy.