Pharmacists are health professionals who practice the science of pharmacy. A pharmacist must complete four years of graduate level training at a pharmacy school, usually after receiving a bachelor’s degree from an undergraduate institution, although some pharmacy schools only require two years of undergraduate education and the completion of a list of prerequisites.
Look to the Future
Hendrix students interested in pharmacy careers should take a series of courses that satisfy the prerequisites for admission to a pharmacy school. The requirements you need vary from program to program, but there are common prerequisites. These include core courses in mathematics, biology, chemistry, selective and general education non-core courses. In addition, the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) which covers biology, chemistry, mathematics, verbal ability and reading comprehension may be required. As the required prerequisites for individual schools may vary from these general recommendations, it is very important to review with the pre-pharmacy advisor the requirements for schools you may choose to attend in the future.
Questions?
For information, contact Dr. Andres Caro in the Chemistry Department.
Examples for Course Selection
As an example of the types of requirements pharmacy programs have, the requirements are listed below for the College of Pharmacy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). Again, requirements for other programs will vary.
Mathematics–3 hours depending upon placement (1 Hendrix courses)
MATH 120 Precalculus or MATH 130 Calculus I
Chemistry–16 hours (12 lecture, 4 lab) (4 Hendrix lab courses)
CHEM 110 General Chemistry I (w/Lab)
CHEM 120 General Chemistry II (w/Lab)
CHEM 240 Organic Chemistry I (w/Lab)
CHEM 250 Organic Chemistry II (w/Lab)
Biology–12 hours (9 lecture, 3 lab) (3 Hendrix lab courses)
BIOL 150 Cell Biology (w/Lab)
BIOL 220 Zoology (w/Lab)
BIOL 340 Microbiology (w/Lab)
Non Core Courses–Selectives–9 hours (3 Hendrix courses)
Choose from:
BIOL 250 Genetics (w/Lab)
BIOL 320 Animal Physiology (w/Lab)
BIOL 450 Advanced Cell Biology (w/Lab)
BIOL 205 or BIOL 215 Anatomy and Physiology (w/Lab) I or II
CHEM 320 Physical Chemistry II (w/Lab)
CHEM 330 Biological Chemistry (w/Lab)
MATH 130 Calculus I
Statistics MATH 215, PSYC 290, BUSI 250, or MATH 310
PHIL 245 Logic or PHIL 205 Critical Reasoning
Physics I PHYS 235
General Education–20 hours, to get to a total of 60 hours (6 or 7 additional Hendrix courses)
Choose from: Survey courses in Art, Music, Theater Arts, Literature, Philosophy, Religion, Foreign Language, Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology, History, or Politics
Courses may only be counted for one prerequisite. AP, IB, and CLEP credit will be accepted as long as credits appear on official transcripts. Online courses are accepted for all prerequisites including science course with labs.