A Global Comparison of Internationalization Support Characteristics Available on College of Pharmacy Websites

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2019

Authors

Nunes da Cunha, I (Author) Other; Martinez, FM (Author) Other; Fernandez Llimos, F (Author) Other

Journal

Title: American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education

Vol. 83

Final page: 6592

ISSN: 0002-9459

Publisher: American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 3 Citations

Scopus - 3 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00Q-JM6

DOI: 10.5688/ajpe6592

Abstract (EN): Objective. To compare the information regarding entry-level pharmacy degree programs available on college websites worldwide from the perspective of international students. Methods. Data on pharmacy colleges and schools were extracted from the Official World List of Pharmacy Schools on the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) website. The website of each pharmacy college was accessed and the content was analyzed. A scoring method was created to compare the websites. Results. Of the 1839 pharmacy colleges listed worldwide, 246 had no website. Approximately half of pharmacy colleges with websites did not have a complete English version of their site. Academic information considered important by students, including the course syllabi, admission requirements, program costs, and a faculty directory, was not available on 73%, 44%, 65% and 43% of the websites, respectively. The websites of pharmacy colleges in Oceania, North America, and Europe provided the best information for international students, with these regions scoring an average of 9.2, 8.8, and 6.7, respectively out of 12 points. In comparison, pharmacy colleges in Central Asia and East and Southeast Asia scored an average of only 0.2 and 1.5 points, respectively. Conclusion. There are still a high proportion of global colleges of pharmacy without websites. Also, the quality of pharmacy colleges' websites is unevenly distributed around the world. To fulfill the information needs of international students, pharmacy colleges should provide an English version of the website and include at least a complete syllabus of all the courses, financial information (costs and grants), a complete faculty directory, and all the administrative requirements for application and enrollment.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 8