Prepharmacy Requirements
The doctor of pharmacy, or PharmD, program is four years in length. Students are admitted to the program in the Fall semester only.
Admission Requirements
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. (The Fall semester is the only time students are admitted to the PharmD program.) Prepharmacy courses may be completed at any accredited college, university or community college in the United States.
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 course with lab is also required.
The Admissions Committee invites candidates to interview for admission to the college based upon:
- a competitive science GPA,
- PCAT score,
- at least 50 hours of work or volunteer experience in a pharmacy setting,
- three 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.
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.
International Students
Although international students may be admitted to the college to pursue a PharmD degree (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.)
