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Students interested in attending pharmacy school most often complete a chemistry or biology major, though there is no required major. Most pharmacy schools prefer students with a broad undergraduate education that includes a number of required and recommended courses.
Typical Required Coursework:
- Two semesters of general chemistry (CHEM113 General Chemistry I and Lab)
- Two semesters of organic chemistry (CHEM215 Organic Chemistry I and Lab)
- One semester of general biochemistry (CHEM323 General Biochemistry and Lab)
- Two semesters of general biology (BIOL151 General Biology I and Lab)
- One semester of anatomy (BIOL221 Human Anatomy and Lab)
- One semester of physiology (BIOL222 Human Physiology and Lab)
- One semester of microbiology (BIOL360 Microbiology and Lab)
- One semester of statistics (MATH120 Introduction to Statistics)
- One semester of calculus (MATH151 Calculus I)
- One semester of physics (PHYS213 General Physics I and Lab)
- Two courses in social and behavioral sciences
- One course in advanced composition (ENGL210 College Writing II or 213)
- One course in ethics or philosophy
Recommended:
- Genetics (BIOL340 Genetics and Lab)
- Cell biology (BIOL350 Cell Biology and Lab)
- Immunology (BIOL352 Immunology)
- Human gross anatomy (BIOL491 Introduction to Human Gross Anatomy)
It is suggested that students finish the required coursework by their junior year so they are prepared to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) before their senior year.