Pre-pharmacy
Choosing a Major
- Pre-pharmacy students must choose a major (pre-pharmacy is not a major).
- Commonly chosen majors include biology, biochemistry, and chemistry.
- Any major is acceptable, so long as the student completes all pre-pharmacy requirements.
- Consult the pre-professional health advisor – Francie Renschler,
Recommended Attributes of Pharmacy School Applicants
- Competitive GPA of 3.0 or higher (average usually is 3.5), especially in science courses
- High score on PCAT exam (if required)
- Strong letters of recommendation from professors
- Active in volunteer or work experience and leadership in extracurricular activities
- Recommend showing firsthand knowledge about various pharmacy practice environments
Common Pre-requisites for Admission to Pharmacy School
Biology
- BIOL 107 or BIOL 118, 119 (General Biology or Introduction to Biology - Molecular Perspectives)
- BIOL 120 (Introduction to Organismal Diversity)
- BIOL 110 (Clinical Microbiology)
- BIOL 442 (Immunology)
- BIOL/EXSS 112 (Human Anatomy and Physiology I)
- BIOL/EXSS 113 (Human Anatomy and Physiology II)
Chemistry
- CHEM 118 (Principles of Chemistry)
- CHEM 240 (Organic Chemistry I)
- CHEM 280 (Inorganic Chemistry I)
- CHEM 341 (Organic Chemistry II)
- CHEM 370/371 (Biochemistry & lab)
Physics
- PHYS 121 (Algebra Physics I)
Mathematics
- MATH 221 (Calculus I)
- MATH 222 (Calculus II)
Other
- COMM 210 (Professional Speaking)
- QM 227 (Introduction to Statistics)
- FYS 112 (First-Year Seminar)
- ECON 102 (Principles of Microeconomics)
- One Social Science course
Course requirements for pharmacy schools may vary, please check the website for your school of interest.
AP/Dual Credit
Most pharmacy schools will accept AP or Dual Credit, but may limit the number of AP credit hours accepted. Check with individual schools for their policy.
Admissions Timeline
- Register for the PCAT exam in March of junior year for summer testing dates.
- Complete application through PharmCAS starting mid July.
- Interviews conducted each fall through winter months.
Academic Advising
All pre-pharmacy students must meet with an academic advisor in their major department in addition to meeting with the pre-professional health advisor during time of registration each semester!
