Pre-Pharmacy

Pharmacy as a Career

Many pharmacy schools will consider students for admission without having completed a bachelor's degree. Admitted students complete a four-year Pharm.D. (Doctorate of Pharmacy) program.  For more information, see Explore Health Careers.org: Pharmacist.

University Course Work

• Meet with your pre-health adviser at least one time each semester and add your name to the “pre-pharmacy email distribution list.”
• Choose a college major that you enjoy and that provides a good “back-up plan” and career path in case you change your mind about pharmacy. Common majors include chemistry, biochemistry and biology.
• Carefully check admission requirements at pharmacy schools of most interest and take the required coursework.  In general, most pharmacy schools require at a minimum:
  • A year of general chemistry (Chem 111 and 112) with labs
  • A year of organic chemistry (Chem 277 and 372) with labs
  • A year of biology (Bio 115 and 116) with labs
  • Common additional prerequisites or strongly recommended courses include anatomy, physiology, microbiology, biochemistry, physics, statistics, etc.
  • Pharmacy School Admission Requirements
  • Pharmacy School Directory
• Maintain a competitive GPA.

School (Your Time at University)

• Get shadowing and clinical experience and maintain a formal log (Professional Development Activities Log (Word)).  Find out firsthand what the profession is like, decide if it is right for you, explore different areas of the field and in different settings, and be sure to meet clinical experience requirements of your preferred schools. 
• Develop strong relationships with faculty mentors, pharmacy professionals, and others who will be writing letters of reference
• Get involved in extracurricular, leadership, and volunteer activities

Applying to Pharmacy School

• The application process commonly consists of taking the Pharmacy College Aptitude Test (PCAT), applying through the Pharmacy College Application Service for those schools who use the service, submitting college transcripts and letters of reference, and participating in invited interviews.  See specific schools for application details.