How to Take the Right Pharmacy School Prerequisites

A bachelor's degree is preferred but not required by most Pharm.D programs.

Pharmacy school prerequisites vary from school to school. One school may require microbiology while another will allow you to substitute a related course. The doctor of pharmacy degree (Pharm.D) is a professional degree not a graduate degree, according to Purdue University. You'll need to narrow down the schools you want to apply to so you can verify the required courses prior to application.

Instructions

1. Browse through the Pharmacy College Application Service or the American Association of Pharmacy Colleges list of universities (see Resources) and requirements.

2. Verify that courses you are taking or have already taken will be accepted at the pharmacy school where you are applying. For example, an upper division "Biochemistry" course may not be accepted by some pharmacy schools because they only allow you to use an "Intro Biochemistry" as a prerequisite. Find course equivalencies by typing "[Pharmacy School Name] course equivalencies" into a search engine.

3. Contact the admissions department of each pharmacy school. Ask for a list of prerequisites. Ask to submit your current courses for review to see if they meet or will substitute for any prerequisites. Also request information on how to appeal for a class to be accepted by that institution.

Tips & Warnings

• PharmApplicants.com offers admissions stats on scores of students accepted to pharmacy schools across the United States.

References

• AACP: 2010-11 Summary of Pre-professional Course Requirements by Pharmacy Degree Institution
• AACP: Pharm.D. Degree Programs Anticipated for 2011–12
• AACP: Pharmacy School Admission Requirements
• Purdue University: Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Resources

• PharmCAS Pharmacy School List - Requirements
• AACP's Chart of Prerequisite Courses for Every Pharmacy School
• PharmApplicants.com: Pharmacy School Admission Statistics