Health Field Overview: Pharmacy

Find your path to a career as a pharmacist with the help of the Department of Natural Sciences’ Pre-Health Advising program.

A woman in a lab coat examines the contents of a flask

Pharmacy Overview

Pharmacists provide information about medication to consumers and professionals. They are concerned with safeguarding the public’s health in matters relating to medication distribution and use, and disease state management. An education in pharmacy can lead you to a career in:

  • Community Pharmacy
  • Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology
  • Academia
  • Hospital Pharmacy
  • Health Insurance Industry/Pharmacy Benefits Management
  • Government Agencies

Schooling

Pharmacy students go to school for an average of four years to obtain a Doctorate of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree.

Getting Information

The Pharmacy School Admissions Requirements (PSAR) publication is available for free online.

Pharmacy (PhamD) Prerequisites

Common Prerequisite Courses

  • General Chemistry with lab (2 semesters): CHEM 14L, CHEM 15L
  • Organic Chemistry with lab (2 semesters): CHEM 116L, CHEM 117L
  • Biochemistry (1 semester): BIOL177
  • Biology with lab (2 semesters): BIOL 43L, BIOL 44L
  • Physics (lab requirements depends on program) (1-2 semesters, depends on program): PHYS 30L, PHYS 31L
  • Human Physiology (1 semester)
  • Microbiology with lab (1-2 semesters, depends on program): BIOL 168L
  • Calculus (1 semester): MATH 30 or higher
  • Statistics (1 semester)
  • English (2 semesters)
  • Speech/Public Speaking (1 semester)

Recommended Prerequisite Courses

  • Psychology (1 semester)
  • Economics (Micro or Macro) (1 semester)