Prepharmacy Requirements
The doctor of pharmacy or PharmD program is four years in length. To qualify for admission to the PharmD program at The University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, an applicant for Fall admissions must complete 71 units/credits of specific prepharmacy courses. Prepharmacy courses can be completed at any accredited college, university or community college in the United States.
Once admitted to the College of Pharmacy, admission to The University of Arizona is through the Graduate School. For admission to the Graduate School, the student must have 72 units of college coursework completed by June 1 of the admission year. Students must also have a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Although international students may be admitted to the college to pursue a PharmD (doctor of pharmacy to become a practicing pharmacist), all prerequisite coursework necessary for admission must be from an accredited college or university in the United States. (Coursework completed outside of the United States may meet requirements for international students applying for admission to master's and PhD programs within the College of Pharmacy; see MS/PhD pages.)
Prepharmacy requirements include a full academic year of coursework in English composition, general chemistry, general biology, anatomy and physiology, humanities (called Traditions & Culture at UA), social and behavioral sciences (called Individuals & Societies at UA), and organic chemistry.
Also required is at least one course in each of the following: calculus, microbiology, physics, micro or macro economics, and fine arts or literature. An additional 3-4 unit science with lab is also required.
Below is a course guide for prepharmacy students using course numbers and credits from the UA undergraduate catalog. While all requirements must be met, courses do not have to be taken in this order. The Admissions Committee invites candidates to interview for admission to the college based upon:
- a competitive science GPA,
- PCAT score,
- work or volunteer experience in a pharmacy setting,
- 3 strong letters of recommendation and
- community involvement.
Competition for admission to colleges of pharmacies has increased nationwide; therefore, we no longer suggest trying to complete prepharmacy prerequisite coursework in a two-year time period. Class Statistics for admitted students are updated in September.
If you have questions about courses that will meet requirements or ones that can be used for admission, contact Marty Baker (520) 626-4311 or Anna Hernandez (520) 626-0674. We can be found in the Office of Student Services, Drachman B107.
| The University of Arizona Prepharmacy Course Guide | |
|---|---|
| Course | Units |
| ENGL 101 - Freshman Composition | 3 |
| ENGL 102 - Freshman Composition | 3 |
| MATH 113 (or 124, 125) - Math (Calculus) | 3 |
| TRAD - Traditions and Cultures option* | 3 |
| TRAD - Traditions and Cultures option* | 3 |
| INDV - Individuals and Societies option** | 3 |
| INDV - Individuals and Societies option** | 3 |
| ECON 200, 201A or 201B - Economics | 3 |
| Fine Arts or Literature option | 3 |
| CHEM 151 - General Chemistry 1 | 4 |
| CHEM 152 - General Chemistry 2 | 4 |
| CHEM 241A and 243A - Lectures in Organic Chemistry & Lab | 4 |
| CHEM 241B and 243B - Lectures in Organic Chemistry & Lab | 4 |
| MCB 181R and 181L - Introductory General Biology 1 & Lab | 4 |
| ECOL 182 R and 182L - Introductory General Biology 2 & Lab | 4 |
| MICR 205A and 205L - General Microbiology & Lab | 4 |
| PHYS 102, 181 - Introductory Physics I & Lab | 4 |
| PSIO 201 - Human Anatomy and Physiology 1 (lab included) | 4 |
| PSIO 202 - Human Anatomy and Physiology 2 (lab included) | 4 |
| Additional Science with lab*** | 3-4 |
***Science with lab: Select a course with lab ABOVE what is already required from the following: Chemistry, Biology (courses above 182) ECOL, MCB, MIC, VET SCI (zoology), PL S (botany) Physics, Physiology, or Nutritional Sciences. Bios 156 or 160 at an AZ community college are NOT admissible as these are introductory courses. Biochemistry is not admissible as it is a required course in the first-year curriculum.
Examples of courses that will meet this requirement at UA: PHYS 103 &182, ECOL 183, 206, 302, 403R&L, 428R&L, 453R&L, PL S 240, 312, 329, MIC 328R&L,403R&L, 421 B, 427R&L, 428R&L, CHEM 322 & 323, & MCB 360 & 361, 421B, 453R & 453L, 473, NSC 351R&L (course open to Nutrition Science majors only)
*Some Examples of Traditions & Culture Option (TRAD) Traditions and Cultures are considered humanities, which are anthropology, history, philosophy and religious studies. Examples taken from Fall 2009 UA Course Descriptions.
TRAD 101: Non-Western Cultures and Civilizations- The Religion of Islam
- The Worlds of Buddhism
- African Diaspora: Religion and Culture
- Patterns in Prehistory
- Colonial Latin America
- Democracy in Theory and Practice: The Greek
- Humanities - Ancient Times to Renaissance
- Western Culture: The Italian Perspective
- Drama and Dance in Western Cultures: Origins to 1603
- Technology and Society: Introduction to Science, Technology and Society
- German Speaking World
- Books in Dialogue: Early Modern and American
- Architecture and Society
- The Making of American Cultures 1600-1877
TRAD 104: Topics in Culture and Civilization
- Human and Animal Interrelationships from Domestication to the Present
- Classical Mythology
- Christianity and Art
- Science and Inquiry
- Issues in Latin American Society and Popular Cultures
- Jewish Thought and Culture
**Some Examples of Individual & Societies Option (INDV) (social and behavioral sciences) Individuals and Societies are considered social and behavioral sciences, which are sociology, psychology, gender or ethnic studies, political science and communication. Two semesters of a spoken second language will fulfill one social science requirement. Examples taken from the Fall 2009 UA Course Descriptions
INDV 101: Mind, Self and Language- The Structure of Mind and Behavior
- Race, Ethnicity and the American Dream
- Language
- Philosophical Perspectives On The Individual
- Black & White: The Cause and Consequences
- Money, Consumer and the Family
- Eastern European Cinema in Social Context
- Business in Modern Society
- Current Issues in the Psychology of Gender
- Sport, Leisure and Consumer Culture
- What is Politics?
- The Role of Markets and Incentives
- An Economic Perspective
- Globalization and Global Governance
- Europe in the Modern World
Fine Arts or Literature requirements are met by any music, art, dance, theater, photography course or the study of any literary form class.