Pre-Pharmacy

It is especially important that the pre-pharmacy student consult with Dr. Pomeroy-Black early and frequently, in addition to their primary advisors, as pharmacy schools have many pre-requisites, some of which are not within a science major.  The pre-pharmacy student should select a major as soon as possible and seek the B.S. degree.  While the admission requirements will vary between schools, the minimum requirements set by most schools of pharmacy are:

  • A minimum GPA of 2.5-3.5, depending on the pharmacy school.  The average GPA is 3.2-3.5. 
  • Ethos courses with a global and/or cultural diversity focus, where applicable
  • Completion of the following courses, with a "C" or better in each course:
    • Principles of Biology, with lab (8 semester hours)
    • Advanced Biological Science (12 semester hours)
    • General Chemistry, with lab (8 semester hours)
    • Organic Chemistry, with lab (8 semester hours)
    • Biochemistry (3 semester hours)
    • Math (6 semester hours), including Statistics and Calculus
    • Economics (3 semester hours), for only the University of Georgia

Pharmacy schools expect students to have experience in a pharmacy setting.  Students should keep records of dates, duration, and types of experience when participating in shadowing, volunteer, or paid work in a pharmacy or clinical setting.

Recommended science courses include Genetics, Cell Physiology, Molecular Biology, Embryology, Immunology, Histology, and Virology.

Students should take the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test) after completing Organic Chemistry and Microbiology.  Most schools require a minimum PCAT score in the 50th percentile.  Early admission applications are encouraged.