Pre-Pharmacy

Overview

Pre-pharmacy programs prepare people to attend pharmacy school.

Pre-pharmacy programs include topics such as:

Biology
Chemistry
Zoology
Anatomy
Physiology
Microbiology
Organic chemistry
Calculus
Statistics

Schools

Community colleges and other two-year schools offer associate degree programs in pre-pharmacy. An associate degree usually takes two years to complete. After earning an associate degree students can transfer to a college or university for further study.

Many colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in pre-pharmacy. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

Typically, students enroll in the pre-pharmacy program with the intention of staying at that school to earn a PharmD.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

Related Careers

Careers Directly Related to this Program of Study

Pharmacists

Other Careers Related to this Program of Study

Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

For this program, schools recommend that you know how to use a computer and the Internet. In addition, it's a good idea to gain work or volunteer experience at pharmacies or drug companies.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

Advanced Biology courses
Advanced Chemistry courses
Anatomy and Physiology
Calculus

Typical Course Work

This undergraduate program typically includes courses in the following subjects:

Biology
Calculus
Cellular Biology
General Chemistry
Human Anatomy and Physiology
Introduction to Pharmaceutical Science
Medical Terminology
Organic Chemistry
Physics
Psychology
Statistics
Vertebrate Physiology

Things to Know

Although you only need approximately two years of undergraduate course work to be admitted to pharmacy programs, many people choose to finish their bachelor's degree first. Or, many programs award a bachelor's degree in pharmaceutical sciences (BSPS) while you pursue your PharmD.

Most schools encourage you to enroll in the pre-pharmacy program early. This allows you to fulfill your school's general education requirements while also taking pre-professional math and science courses required by the pharmacy program.