Area of Concentration (ARCO) programs provide an opportunity for students to pursue in depth an area of personal interest during their four years of pharmacy school. There are eight areas of concentration. They are Community Leadership, Innovation, and Practice; Geriatrics and Palliative Care; Global Health; Pediatrics; PharmacoAnalytics; Pharmacotherapy Scholars Program; Pharmacy Business Administration; and Research.

ARCO PHARMACOTHERAPY SCHOLARS PROGRAM APPLICATION – Deadline October 13

ARCO APPLICATION – January 31 Deadline

Community Leadership, Innovation, and Practice – The Area of Concentration in Community Leadership, Innovation, and Practice (ARCO-CLIP) provides students with mentoring and learning experiences to cultivate advanced patient care, develop health service innovations, acquire leadership and management skills, and enhance community health.  Students completing the ARCO-CLIP will be well prepared to enter leadership and patient care roles in community practice and will be highly competitive for residencies and other advanced practice training opportunities. ARCO-Community Leadership, Innovation and Practice Overview

Geriatrics and Palliative Care – The purpose of the Area of Concentration in Geriatrics and Palliative Care (ARCO-GPC) is to allow students to pursue an area of emphasis with geriatrics and palliative care consistent with their professional interests during their Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) education.  The ARCO-GPC is intended to give students an in-depth exposure to geriatrics and palliative care pharmacy practice. ARCO-Geriatrics and Palliative Care Overview

Global Health – The purpose of the Area of Concentration in Global Health (ARCO-GH) is to allow students to pursue an area of emphasis within global health consistent with their professional interests and while completing their PharmD degree. The ARCO-GH is intended to give students an in-depth exposure to global health pharmacy practice.  ARCO-Global Health Overview

Pediatrics – The purpose of the Area of Concentration in Pediatrics (ARCO-PED) is to allow students to pursue an area of emphasis in pediatric pharmacy practice so as to prepare them to better meet the specialization of pediatric pharmacy while completing the PharmD degree. ARCO-Pediatrics Overview

PharmacoAnalytics – The purpose of the Area of Concentration in Pharmacoanalytics (ARCO-PA) in the School of Pharmacy is to allow students to learn and implement data analysis techniques while completing their PharmD degree. The ARCO-PA is designed to help students utilize data and technology to enhance pharmaceutical use, operations, and outcomes and drive better quality patient care while also providing pharmacists with the tools and knowledge necessary to analyze trends from large data sets and then interpret these trends in a way that allows them to improve their daily practice. Students will become acquainted with big data sources, managing data, data analytic techniques from experience with statistical and analytics software to apply towards decision-making processes in the pharmacy field, including drug development, drug pricing and acquisition, and patient care outcomes.  ARCO-Pharmacoanalytics Overview

Pharmacotherapy Scholars Program – The purpose of the Area of Concentration – Pharmacotherapy Scholars Program (ARCO-PT) is to prepare pharmacy students to become highly proficient patient care providers and for a successful transition into competitive post-graduate residency training programs.  ARCO-Pharmacotherapy Scholars Overview

Pharmacy Business Administration – The purpose of the Area of Concentration in Pharmacy Business Administration (ARCO-PBA) is to allow students to pursue an area of emphasis within management consistent with their professional interests and expose students to an area of pharmacy practice that may best suit their interests. Student leaders and informal organizers may discover that pharmacy leadership provides an energizing career path. ARCO-PBA Overview

Research – The purpose of the Area of Concentration in Research (ARCO-RES) in the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program is to provide students exposure to research fundamentals, cultivate an appreciation for clinical and translational research, and to help position students as highly competitive candidates for formal post-PharmD research education and training. ARCO-Research Overview ARCO- Research Overview