The basic requirement for pharmacists to be consiered for registration is an undergraduate or postgraduate Pharmacy degree from a recognized university. In most countries this involves a four- or five-year course to attain a Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) degree. However, in the United States, to become a registered pharmacist, students graduating after Jan 1, 2003, must complete a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, which requires completion of four years at an accredited college of pharmacy (most students applying for admission into a college of pharmacy already have an undergraduate degree, however, many schools admit students after completion of 2 years of undergraduate pharmacy prerequisites or directly from highschool into a six-year accelerated program). In the United States, a Bachelor of Science (BPharm) degree in Pharmacy will not be sufficient to become a licensed or registered pharmacist in any state. Any college graduate who has graduated on or prior to Jan 1, 2003, is grandfathered and can register; however, new students after Jan 1, 2003, must complete the Doctor of Pharmacy program or PharmD. Typically it takes 183 credits to graduate in the United States as a Doctor of Pharmacy in most accredited colleges of pharmacy.