Download Pharmacy School Admissions Guide as a printable PDF
Pharmacy is the branch of health sciences that deals with the preparation, dispensing, and proper utilization of drugs. A pharmacist is a health care professional who is licensed to prepare and sell or dispose of drugs and compounds and can make up prescriptions. Most pharmacy schools do not require you to complete an undergraduate major, though you may be more competitive for admission with a degree. Each school varies in its expectations of successful applicants, so the best places to check for the latest information are the websites of the schools in which you are most interested, and the admissions officers at those schools. The UA Health Professions Advising Office can assist you as well.
Prerequisites
It is critical to be aware of the pharmacy school admission requirements early on in college so that you can arrange your coursework appropriately. Unlike many other health professional schools, each pharmacy school varies considerably in what courses it expects of its applicants. The undergraduate requirements at the two Alabama pharmacy schools, The McWhorter School of Pharmacy at Samford University and the Harrison School of Pharmacy at Auburn University, for example:
| Subject Area | Recommended Courses |
|---|---|
| General Biology: | BSC 114 and 115 (lab) and BSC 116 and 117 (lab) or honors equivalent |
| Biochemistry: | BSC 450 (BSC 300 is the prerequisite) or CH 461 (prerequisites are CH 223) |
| Microbiology: | BSC 310 and 312 (requirement of the lab is based on the program) |
| General Chemistry | CH 101 and 102 or honors equivalent |
| Organic Chemistry | CH 231, CH 232, and CH 237(lab) |
| Anatomy and Physiology | BSC 215 and BSC 216 (or BSC 400, BSC 424, and BSC 425) |
| Mathematics: | MATH 125 |
| Statistics | PY 211 Recommended |
| English: | EN 101 and EN 102 or EN 103 or AP credit |
| Social and Behavioral Science | PY 101 or SOC 101 |
| Highly Recommended: | COM 123 KIN 199 |
Exam & Grade Point Average (GPA)
The Pharmacy School Admissions Test (PCAT) is no longer required for pharmacy school admissions. Students will be evaluated for admission based on a holistic review of their applications including their activities and academic performance.
Minimum GPA requirements vary from program to program, but MOST programs have a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement, but competitive GPAs are closer to a 3.3 GPA. Both your GPA in your science and math courses as well as your overall GPA are reviewed.
Timeline
Freshman Year
- Get to know your Health Professions Advisors.
- Make an appointment.
- Start taking basic sciences (See chart on first page)
- Visit your professors during office hours.
- Decide if you are non-degree seeking or if you will pursue a 4-year degree here at UA.
- Begin getting involved with volunteer and service opportunities (campus and community).
- Join student organizations (Pre-Pharmacy Society, AED, etc.)
- Start pharmacy-related experience (pharmacy tech, shadowing, etc.).
Sophomore Year
- Continue with the next sequence of courses.
- Stay involved in extracurricular activities (shadowing, volunteering, etc.).
- Consider leadership positions in your organizations.
- Visit your professors during office hours.
- Meet with a Health Professions Advisor to begin to assess competitiveness.
- Decide if you are non-degree seeking or if you will pursue a 4-year degree here at UA.
- Identify Pharmacy programs that you may want to apply to.
- Complete mock assessment interview with a Health Professions Advisor.
Junior Year
- Fall
- Talk to Health Professions Advising about competitiveness.
- Apply to pharmacy programs if not getting undergraduate degree.
- Work on your personal statement.
- Obtain 3 Letters of Recommendation.
- Spring and Summer
- Schedule a mock interview with the Career Center.
- Continue engaging in activities.
Senior Year
- Fall
- Complete and submit PharmCAS application.
- Wait to be contacted for an interview by pharmacy programs.
- Continue with activities and service commitments.
- Spring and Summer
- Talk with a Health Professions Advisor about Plan B (if necessary).
- Finish degree requirements
- Graduate.