/ Center for Community and Global Health/ Pharmacy

Pharmacy

Pre-Requisite Coursework for Pharmacy School

Interested to find out more about a career in pharmacy? Check out this website here.

Students can enter graduate programs in the health professions with any undergraduate major. However, many courses required for admission to health-professional schools are sequential, so good planning is key.

We have found that most Pharmacy programs require or recommend the below courses, however, pre-requisites can vary from school to school. It is a good idea to check directly with the schools you plan to apply to.

Pre-Requisite	LC Course
1-year of Biology w/ lab	BIO 202 (4 credits): Biological Core Concepts: Mechanisms (Pre-req: Bio 110 and Chem 120) and An upper-level Biology course with lab such as: BIO 361 (5 credits): Cell Biology (Pre-reqs: Bio 110, Bio 201, Bio 202, and Chem 120. Math 131, Math 255, or CS 171) or BIO 369 (5 credits): Developmental Biology (Pre-reqs: Bio 110, Bio 201, Bio 202, Chem 120. Math 131, Math 255, or CS 171)
1 semester Microbiology	BIO 343 (5 credits): Microbiology ((Pre-reqs: Bio 110, Bio 201, Bio 202, Chem 120, and either Math 131, 255, or CS 171)
1 semester Anatomy	Offered through the Oregon Alliance of Independent Colleges and Universities. See your pre-health advisor for options.
1 semester Physiology	BIO 375 (5 credits): Physiology (Pre-reqs: Bio 110 and Bio 202. Recommended pre-reqs: Math, 131, CS 171 or Phys 141)
1-year General Chemistry w/ lab	CHEM 110 (5 credits): General Chemistry I (Pre-req: QR 101) and CHEM 120 (5 credits): General Chemistry II (Pre-req: Chem 110)
1-year Organic Chemistry w/lab	CHEM 210 (5 credits): Organic Chemistry I (Pre-req: Chem 120) and CHEM 220 (5 credits): Organic Chemistry II (Pre-req: Chem 210)
1-year Introductory Physics w/ lab	PHYS 141 (5 credits): Introductory General Physics I (Pre-req: Math 131) and PHYS 142 (5 credits): Introductory General Physics II (Pre-req: Phys 141 or Phys 151, and Math 131)
1-semester Calculus	MATH 131 (4 credits): Calculus 1 (Pre-req: MATH 115)
1-semester Psychology or Sociology	PSY 100 (4 credits): Introduction to Psychology (Pre-req: None) or SOAN 100 (4 credits): Introduction to Sociology (Pre-req: None)
1 semester Statistics	ECON 103 (4 credits): Statistics (Pre-req: QR 101) or MATH 255 (4 credits): Statistical Concepts and Methods (Pre-req: Math 131) or PSY 200 (4 credits): Statistics I (Pre-req: None) or HEAL 200 (4 credits): Biostatistics (Pre-req: None)
1-semester Public Speaking	RHMS 210 (4 credits): Public Discourse (Pre-req: None)
1 semester English Composition	CORE 120 (4 credits): Words

Below is a list of experiences to make oneself a competitive applicant for pharmacy.

Other Experiences	Hours
Volunteering	50-100 hours recommended
Clinical Experience	Minimum of 100 hours recommended

Recommended Timeline for Pharmacy School

Here is a recommended timeline to help you navigate the application process for pharmacy school. Although student-classification years are listed, you can start working towards this program at any time – while this timeline is designed as a helpful template, it can be adjusted based on your personal journey.

Please note that all pharmacy programs are different and may have varying application cycles and requirements, so be sure to research each program you’re interested in.

Start researching programs	It’s important to pick four to five programs to focus on before tailoring your timeline, as each school has different requirements and deadlines
Complete prerequisite courses	Each program has unique requirements for courses and for the timeline of their completion Some may ask for those courses to be done before the start of the program, others may let you do them concurrently
Fall of Senior Year
August - October Apply to the programs	Applications will open at various times, but it is best to start the application as soon as it is available
Fall after Senior Year
August Start Pharmacy program