PharmSci Advising FAQs

There is no “right” major for pre-med students. You may choose any major of interest, as long as you complete the specific science and math courses that are required for medical school admission. That being said, the BSPS degree is a great option for pre-med students. In addition to providing the background in biology, chemistry, and physiology that is required for medical school admission, the major coursework will also provide you with a unique expertise that the typical medical school applicant will likely not have. Beginning medical school with a solid understanding of pharmacology and current drug therapies may be a real advantage in your career.

Most courses required for medical school are included in the BSPS major, although different medical schools may have additional requirements.  Your BSPS academic advisor can help you incorporate those courses into your degree plan.

You must earn a Doctorate of Pharmacy (PharmD) and pass a state board licensing exam in order to become a licensed pharmacist. The PharmD is a four-year professional degree, generally completed after the bachelor’s degree. The BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences is an ideal undergraduate major for students who are planning to continue into a PharmD program. The BSPS curriculum includes all but two of the courses required for PharmD admission: statistics and a two-semester physiology sequence (as opposed to the one-semester PSIO course required for the major. By electing to take the two-course PSIO sequence, you will meet the requirements for the BSPS and for Pharmacy School admission.)

Students in all majors are eligible to apply to pharmacy school; however, there are several advantages to choosing the Pharmaceutical Sciences major.  The primary advantage comes in the form of preparation.  Pharmaceutical Sciences major courses introduce topics that will come up again in pharmacy school at a far more advanced level, giving students a stronger foundation in pharmacy concepts. 

In addition to academic preparation, students who complete the BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) receive two advantage in the UArizona PharmD admission process:

• Guaranteed PharmD interview for all applicants who have completed UA's BSPS degree within the last three years, or who are on track to complete the degree prior to beginning the PharmD program.
• Preferential consideration in the PharmD Admissions review process, in acknowledgement of the outstanding PharmD preparation acheived in BSPS courses.

Although an internship is not required for the BSPS, it is highly recommended. Students are encouraged to pursue internships in the summer after the junior year; at that point, you will have a solid foundation in pharmaceutical sciences from your junior-level major courses.

If you did not pass a course on your first attempt, or if you need a higher grade (PharmD admission requires grades of C or better in all required science classes!), you may be able to repeat it. According to university policy, you may attempt the same course at the UA no more than two times. (See Course Repeat Policies for details about what classifies as an “attempt” and other restrictions.)

If you are retaking a course, you may also explore the possibility of using Grade Replacement Opportunity (GRO) on that course. GRO is a policy that allows you to retake a course and have only the second attempt factored into your UA GPA. Several restrictions and deadlines apply to GRO, and there may be reasons that you would choose not to GRO a course. You can find GRO details in the catalog.

Options for “double-dipping” courses between majors/minors vary from department to department. In order to double dip a course, both departments must agree to allow it.  Pharmaceutical Sciences allows double-dipping; you can find other departments' policies on the Advising Resource Center Website.

The first step is to identify a research opportunity that can be overseen by a faculty member.  In most cases, students find these opportunities by directly approaching professors whose research of interest.  You may ask to join an ongoing project, or you may ask for advising/mentorship for a project of your own.  In either case, it is a one-on-one relationship between you and the professor with whom you'll be working.

If you are able to agree on a research arrangement, the two of you will then decide whether it is appropriate for you to earn research credit based on the work you are doing.  Registration requires completion and submission of a Research Credit Registration Form, generally no later than the third week of the semester in which you are hoping to register.  Per university policy, you must work a minimum of 45 hours for each credit earned.  You must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher in order to enroll in research credit through the College of Pharmacy.  

This seemingly simple question is actually really complicated. The question of how to drop a class depends on many factors, including what you’re trying to drop and when you’re trying to do it. There are multiple deadlines for adding and dropping courses, which can be found on the UArizona Registration Dates & Deadlines Calendar. In addition to checking the deadlines to see if you CAN drop a class, you are strongly encouraged to talk to your academic advisor before dropping any classes. They will be able to advise you on the drop process, but also on any implications such as falling behind in your major, falling out of compliance with scholarships or financial aid, etc.

Students need special permission from their college in order to enroll in more than 19 units in any given semester. These decisions are considered on a case-by-case basis and will depend on factors such as your overall workload, current GPA, success with a heavy course load in previous semesters, and extenuating circumstances.  Students should have a GPA of at least 3.0 to be considered for a credit override, but GPA alone does not guarantee approval.  First-year semester will not be permitted to enroll in more than 19 units.    Students may petition to take up to (but not to exceed) 22 units.

Students may request a registration override by submitting a College of Pharmacy Petition to Increase Maximum Units.  Any questions about the petition process or override policies should be directed to Rebecca Field.

The Mid-Career Writing Assessment (MCWA) is a demonstration of your proficiency in English composition. You will automatically fulfill the MCWA by earning a grade of A or B in your second-semester composition course (ENGL 102, 108, or 109H). Students earning less than a B grade in their second semester composition course must take one or more additional steps to improve their composition skills so they can meet the writing standards of their major department. If you did not earn a grade of A or B in your second semester English composition course, see your major academic advisor to find out how you can satisfy the MCWA requirement.

Students who complete their undergraduate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher will graduate with Academic Distinction; either Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, or Cum Laude.  Graduating "with Honors" is a separate distinction, awarded to students who were enrolled in the UArizona Honors College and completed all Honors College requirements (including completion of an honors thesis).

Students may also be awarded Academic Distinction or Highest Academic Distinction in any academic year in which they completed at least 30 graded units with a GPA of 3.5 or higher.  Academic Distinction is noted on the transript, and many colleges also acknowledge this achievement during Honors Convocation each fall.  Effective in Fall 2021, the College of Pharmacy provides an honors cord to all continuing students who achieved Academic Distinction in the previous year.  Students are encouraged to save these cords and wear them at their undergraduate graduation ceremony.  (Cords are not retoractively provided to students who achieved Academic Distinction prior to this practice being instated in Fall 2021, nor are cords provided at graduation to students who did not pick their cords up at the time they were initially awarded.)

Students have an assigned advisor for every major and minor they have declared.  You can see your current advisors and link to their appointment calendars via your UAccess Student Services page.  Go to the Advising tab and "View Advisors."  You can find contact information for all advisors on campus through the Advising Resource Center Directory.    

You can schedule an appointment with the a Pharmaceutical Sciences academic advisor in order to declare. Any student with a GPA of 2.0 or higher may declare the major.

You will need to connect with an advisor from the department whose major/minor you want to declare. Every department has a different process. Go to the Advising Resource Resource Center website to find the advisor for your program of interest, and to find details about the declaration process.

Students are classified as freshman, sophomore, junior or senior based on the number of units completed, not the number of years you have been at UA. Transfer and AP/IB/CLEP units are counted toward your class standing. Students with zero to 29 completed units are considered freshmen, 30 to 59 units are sophomore, 60 to 89 units are junior, and 90+ units are senior.

Priority registration is the designated time period in which students register for the next semester’s courses. Priority registration for spring classes generally begins in November, and priority registration for fall classes generally begins in April. Every student is assigned a priority registration date, which is based on your current class standing and any special designations you might have (including if you are an honors student, GI Bill recipient, or student athlete.) You can find your exact priority registration time on your UAccess home page, in the “Enrollment Dates” section on the right side of the screen. Be sure to check YOUR time; don’t just assume you are registering at the same time as your friends. 

UA email is the university’s official method of communication. You can reach your advisors and instructors via their UA email address. Remember that you are also required to check your email account regularly, as this is the way that your advisors and instructors will try to contact you. When emailing faculty and staff, be sure to be professional. Start your message by saying “Dear Professor…,” give some context to explain who you are and why you’re writing, and sign with your full name and student id number. Messages that are unprofessional or confusing may not receive a response.

An Advisement Report is an official university document that shows your progress toward completion of degree requirements.  It shows everything required for your degree, what you've completed so far, and what still needs to be done.  It is a great tool for tracking degree process and planning for cousre registration.  You can generate a personalized Advisement Report at any time through your UAccess Student Center.  Just go to Advising and then Advisement Report.  The document can be quite long and admittedly challenging to read, but you can review this Advisement Report Help Sheet for guidance.  

The College of Pharmacy offers two awards to graduating PharmSci students:  The Outstanding Senior Award and the Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award.  Eligible students are invited to apply in the spring of their senior year.