Pre-Pharmacy

It is especially important that the pre-pharmacy student consult with Dr. Pomeroy-Black early and frequently, in addition to their primary advisors, as pharmacy schools have many pre-requisites, some of which are not within a science major.  The pre-pharmacy student should select a major as soon as possible and seek the B.S. degree.  While the admission requirements will vary between schools, the minimum requirements set by most schools of pharmacy are:

  • A minimum GPA of 2.5
  • Ethos courses with a global and/or cultural diversity focus, where applicable
  • Completion of the following courses, with a "C" or better in each course:
    • Principles of Biology, with lab (8 semester hours)
    • Advanced Biological Science (12 semester hours), including Anatomy and Physiology I and II and Microbiology
    • General Chemistry, with lab (8 semester hours)
    • Organic Chemistry, with lab (8 semester hours)
    • Biochemistry (3 semester hours)
    • Introductory Physics, with lab (4 semester hours)
    • Math (6 semester hours), including Statistics and Calculus I

Pharmacy schools expect students to have experience in a pharmacy setting.  Students should keep records of dates, duration, and types of experience when participating in shadowing, volunteer, or paid work in a pharmacy or clinical setting.

Students should take the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test) after completing Organic Chemistry and Microbiology.  Most schools require a minimum PCAT score in the 50th percentile.  Early admission applications are encouraged.