University College

Important general information

Students interested in the pre-pharmacy advising track must complete the necessary prerequisites for pharmacy school (a total minimum of 90 credit hours). Many students earn a baccalaureate degree before entering the program. Students interested in pharmacy school should consult with a pre-health academic adviser to learn about requirements that are specific to the schools of pharmacy to which they hope to apply.

Admission to and completion of a pre-pharmacy program does not constitute admission to VCU’s School of Pharmacy. Students must apply separately to the pharmacy school of their choice at the appropriate time.

Students with an interest in preparing for pharmacy school must declare an academic major while also indicating a pre-pharmacy advising track. Students do not earn a pre-pharmacy degree. Students unsure of their academic majors initially should clarify their academic interests through regular conversations with their advisers. Pre-pharmacy students are encouraged to major in fields of greatest interest to them.

Prerequisites for pharmacy school
Students need to complete their bachelor’s degree and the required science courses before being eligible to start the Pharm. D. program at VCU. Students are also required to complete the Pharmacy College Admission Test. The PCAT is taken prior to students applying to pharmacy school and results are weighed heavily in admissions decisions. Students preparing for the PCAT are strongly advised to take courses to build competency in these areas prior to taking the PCAT exam. It is not necessary to have completed all prerequisite course work or to have taken the PCAT prior to submitting your application to pharmacy school. However, you must complete all prerequisite courses and take the PCAT before entering VCU’s pharmacy program.

Science and non-science courses required for pharmacy school
General biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, human anatomy, human physiology, microbiology and biochemistry are required science prerequisites for admission to pharmacy school.

English composition, calculus, statistics and speech are non-science prerequisites required for pharmacy school.

Other courses, including cell biology, genetics and immunology, human physiology lab and medical microbiology lab, though not required, are strongly recommended for pre-pharmacy students.

VCU’s School of Pharmacy also requires the completion of elective credits which can be taken as part of the general education and major requirements in the selected degree program. Due to the importance of a strong biomedical science foundation for success in the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program, some or all of the courses listed below are highly recommended: genetics or molecular biology, immunology, and cell biology. Any of these three courses will count toward elective credit. Other highly recommended electives are anthropology, computer science, economics, history, foreign languages, philosophy, political science, psychology, religious studies and sociology.

The following prerequisite courses must be completed prior to admission for students entering in the fall semester. Courses earned by examination, e.g. Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Cambridge International Examinations or College Level Examination Program, will not be accepted to fulfill prerequisite science and math courses. However, the content area covered by the examination need not be repeated, rather electives in related areas may be substituted for the needed credits. For example, if a student has credit for IB Calculus I, the next level math course can be taken in order to fulfill the math requirement for pharmacy school, i.e., Calculus II.