Pre-Professional Prerequisite Coursework

All undergraduate students are required to complete a series of pre-professional courses as a foundation for the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program. This coursework includes general education that will encourage the broadening of intellectual powers and interests. The pre-professional background will facilitate the development of professional practitioners capable of understanding their role as health care providers in a culturally diverse society. The pre-professional pharmacy requirements will provide students with the coursework necessary for successful completion of the Pharm.D. curriculum. When combined with the Pharm.D. curriculum, it will provide students with an excellent education. Applicants for admission to the Pharm.D. program must complete a minimum of 60 semester hours.

While the minimum number of semester hours required for entry into the Pharm.D. program at NEOMED is 60 hours, it has been identified that, in certain areas, additional areas of study and/or specific areas of focus within the pre-requisite course options available to you will help you prepare for the rigor of the Pharm.D. program. Therefore, please utilize the guide below to work with your pre-health advisor when selecting classes that will help you prepare to enter the Pharm.D. program at NEOMED.

Please note all of the conditions related to prerequisites:

• You may successfully apply to NEOMED before you complete all of your prerequisites. We encourage you to apply as early is the cycle as is practical.
• You may be invited to interview at NEOMED before you complete all of your prerequisites.
• You may be offered admission to NEOMED before you complete all of your prerequisites contingent upon successful completion of all of your remaining prerequisites prior to matriculation.
• You may deposit and accept an offer of admission to NEOMED before you complete all of your prerequisites contingent upon successful completion of all of your remaining prerequisites prior to matriculation.
• You may not begin orientation or classes at NEOMED until evidence of successful completion of all of your remaining prerequisites.

NEOMED uses your verified academic record in PharmCAS as our source of reference for all academic information, including prerequisite progress. Please take advantage of the academic update periods available in PharmCAS and keep your academic record and prerequisite progress current.

Pre-Professional Prerequisite Coursework & Guide

Anatomy & Physiology Course

Semester Hours Required: 3
Guidance: Students should seek out a one-semester comprehensive anatomy and physiology course of at least 3 credit hours. If a student’s school only has a two-semester sequence for A&P, we recommend taking both to obtain coverage of all body systems. However, one would fill the requirement.

Human anatomy is preferable to physiology if the courses are separate. The Human Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathophysiology yearlong course in the first year of pharmacy school at NEOMED will use anatomy as a foundation to introduce students to the physiology and pathophysiology necessary for success in pharmacy school.

Microbiology Course

Semester Hours Required: 3
Guidance: Students should seek to complete a one-semester microbiology course of at least 3 credit hours.  A laboratory component is encouraged, but not required.

If your institution offers a microbiology course for health science students, that should be sufficient to meet our requirements, as long as it has an appropriate level of depth. To succeed at NEOMED, students should have foundational microbiology knowledge, including organism identification techniques and details about common environmental organisms. This includes knowing where these organisms are found, how they enter and are transmitted in the body, how and where they replicate, how they damage the body and immune system, infection outcomes, and prevention and treatment strategies.

Biology & Other Life Sciences Sequence (courses with labs)

Semester Hours Required: 8
Guidance: Students should take two courses in sequence, with an accompanying lab that may or may not be included with a course. Select from coursework required by science majors and students preparing for professional clinical schools (e.g. pre-med). Avoid selecting courses intended for applied allied health majors, non-science majors or nursing majors.

Note: If your curriculum does not offer or require a second biology course in a sequence for your program of study, please contact us to discuss options for an advanced biology substitution for the second course.

Inorganic (General) Chemistry Sequence (courses with labs)

Semester Hours Required: 8
Guidance: Students should select the two courses that are required in the sequence. A lab is required with all courses and may or may not be included with the course. It is expected that students will select from coursework required of science majors or professional clinical school preparation such as pre-medicine study. Furthermore, we discourage students from selecting courses designed for specialized applied allied health majors, non-science majors, or nursing majors.

Organic Chemistry Sequence (courses with labs)

Semester Hours Required: 8
Guidance: Students should select the two courses that are required in the sequence. A lab is required with all courses and may or may not be included with the course. It is expected that students will select from coursework required of science majors or professional clinical school preparation such as pre-medicine study. Furthermore, we discourage students from selecting courses designed for specialized applied allied health majors, non-science majors, or nursing majors.

General Physics course

Semester Hours Required: 3
Guidance: Students may select either an algebra-based physics or calculus-based physics course. It is expected that students will select from coursework required of science majors or professional clinical school preparation such as pre-medicine study. Non-mathematics-based physics survey courses for non-science majors will not fulfill this competency. Furthermore, we discourage students from selecting courses designed for specialized applied allied health majors, non-science majors, or nursing majors.

Biochemistry course

Semester Hours Required: 3
Guidance: While a 1 semester Biochemistry course will fulfill the pre-requisite requirements, it is recommended that students complete a 2 semester Biochemistry course (3 credit hours per semester). It is expected that students will select the Biochemistry course that requires Organic Chemistry I and II as a prerequisite. We discourage students from selecting courses like Introductory Biochemistry designed for specialized applied allied health majors, non-science majors, or nursing majors.

Calculus or College Algebra course

Semester Hours Required: 3
Guidance: There is no specific level of calculus course required. Any course listed in the Calculus area of study higher than pre-calculus will suffice. This may include Calculus for mathematics majors, business majors, engineering majors, etc. Calculus placement assumes a high-level mastery of college algebra content, essential to pharmacy success.

New: Effective for students entering the Pharm.D. program in 2024, a college algebra / college algebra-trigonometry course may be used to fulfil this prerequisite.

Statistics course

Semester Hours Required: 3
Guidance: Students should complete a statistics course that focuses on the basic understanding of descriptive statistics, statistical methods and how to perform and interpret basic statistic procedures. We discourage students from choosing a statistic course that is math-based but would encourage a biostatistics course related to the health field.

English Composition Sequence

Semester Hours Required: 6
Guidance: In preparation for a career as a professional heath practitioner, all candidates must demonstrate excellent proficiency in all forms of English language-based communication, both verbal and written as evidenced by successful completion of an English composition one and two sequence.

Literature courses that are not composition-based will not be accepted for this requirement, though they can still be used to fulfill the General Education requirement.

Candidates for whom English may be a second language are encouraged to elect coursework in advanced composition, technical writing or medical terminology and explore advanced ESL instruction for professional/graduate school preparation.

Note: If your degree program employs a “writing-across-the-curriculum” approach and does not offer English composition courses, please contact us to discuss a substitution for this requirement in a writing-intensive field such literature or another humanities discipline.  

General Education and/or Additional Science

Semester Hours Required: 12
Guidance: Any coursework not used to meet another prerequisite may suffice. Students may elect to complete additional science coursework in the areas that have been identified as helpful for entering the Pharm.D. program at NEOMED (Biochemistry II, full-year sequence of Anatomy & Physiology, Immunology).

Furthermore, in preparation for a career in pharmacy, candidates are encouraged to elect coursework in areas of study such as interpersonal communication, economics, psychology, and sociology.

Note: the 15-hour requirement is reduced to 12 effective for the 2022 P1 class. 

Total Hours: 60

A course can be used to fulfill a prerequisite only once. If, for example, a student takes a four-credit hour Communications course to fulfill the three-credit hour Communications requirement, the extra one-credit hour may be carried to fulfill the General Education requirement.

Quarter hours: If your college uses quarter hours rather than semester hours, multiply your quarter hours by 2/3 (0.66) to convert to semester hours to estimate completion. NEOMED will refer to PharmCAS calculations in the admission decision.

MORE

• Pre-Pharmacy Programs, including a summer camp, our Pre-Pharmacy Club and more
• Pharmacy admissions
• How to apply
• Multiple ways you can become a pharmacist by attending NEOMED
• Visit NEOMED