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University College

Pharmacy

Start your journey to becoming a pharmacist.

Advisors

Your Pharmacy Academic Experience

Make the Most of Your Time

  • Determine your top pharmacy school choices.

    Each pharmacy school will have specific course requirements you need to take as an undergraduate. Once you know those, it’ll be easier to plan your Illinois State academic schedule.

  • Take any prerequisites.

    Illinois State offers the classes you need to apply for pharmacy school. Before you get to that level, you might have to take a handful of other classes to get ready.

  • Talk to us.

    There’s a lot of coordination and planning that needs to happen to make sure you do everything you need before pharmacy school. You don’t have to do it alone. We’re here to help.

Get guaranteed admission.

Our partnership University of Illinois-Chicago College of Pharmacy provides high-performing students with guaranteed admission into their Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program. See what it takes to qualify

Classes

Your pharmacy school will have specific class requirements, but here are some common ones.

Typical Pharmacy School Requirements

  • General Chemistry - 2 semesters

  • Organic Chemistry - 2 semesters

  • Biochemistry - 1 semester

  • Biology - 2 semesters

  • Microbiology - 1 semester

  • Physics - 2 semesters

  • Anatomy and Physiology - 2 semesters

  • Math - 2 semesters

  • Economics - 1 semester

  • Communication - 1 semester

  • English - 2 semesters

  • Psychology - 1 semester

What to Take at Illinois State

Some classes require prerequisites.

  • General Chemistry CHE 140 and then 141

  • Organic Chemistry CHE 230/231 and CHE 232/233

  • Biochemistry CHE 342

  • Biology BSC 196 and BSC 197

  • Microbiology BSC 260

  • Physics PHY 108 and PHY 109

  • Anatomy and Physiology BSC 181 and then BSC 182

  • Math MAT 145 with PSY 138 or MAT 150

  • Economics ECO 101 or ECO 102

  • Communications COM 110

  • English ENG 101 and then ENG 145

  • Psychology PSY 110

Our recommendations for classes

  • Chemistry: It takes five semesters to complete the chemistry sequence for pharmacy school. Complete your Biochemistry requirement before you prepare for the pharmacy school exam (PCAT).

  • Biology: Take more than the minimum required Biology courses. Pharmacy schools value this. Genetics, Cell Biology, Immunology, and Microbiology are good additional courses to take.

Course Finder gives you descriptions for all your classes and any prerequisites you need.

Launch Course Finder

A Little Advice

  • Work hard. Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs are competitive. Keep your GPA at 3.5 and even higher for science and math grades. This helps you compete for your top choice with the best of them.

  • Check your Advanced Placement (AP) credit. Some schools don’t accept AP credit for any prerequisite course. Others limit the number of courses earned via AP credit. Explore your pharmacy school’s specific policies.

Applying to Pharmacy School

Most students apply to pharmacy school the fall of senior year.

Before you apply, you’ll need to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT).

Your courses at Illinois State will help prepare you to take the PCAT with confidence.

Learn more about the MCAT from the The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy