Pre-Pharmacy

Pre-Pharmacy Advisement Track

  • The Pre-Pharmacy concentration satisfies the course requirements for admission at most pharmacy schools.
  • Additional elective courses are recommended but not required, and can vary depending on the pharmacy program to which students intend to apply.
  • Students must consult SUNY Oneonta's current undergraduate catalog for descriptions of courses, course prerequisites, and time of year when courses are offered in order to plan properly in advance
  • Students have the responsibility to check entrance requirements for schools to which they intend to apply.

Pre-Pharmacy Advising Meetings can be scheduled using the Bookings App

NOTE: four digit course numbers reflect the new course numbers, effective Fall 2022, as developed via the College-wide Course Renumbering Project.

  • BIOL 133 / 1001: Investigative Biology Laboratory
  • BIOL 130 / 1002: Cellular Perspectives in Biology
  • BIOL 131 / 1004: Organismal Perspectives in Biology
  • BIOL 201 / 2000: Cell & Molecular Biology
  • BIOL 362 / 3106: Microbiology
  • CHEM 111 / 1111: General Chemistry I
  • CHEM 112 / 1121: General Chemistry II
  • CHEM 221 / 2212: Organic Chemistry I
  • CHEM 322 / 2222: Organic Chemistry II
  • COMM 110 / 1400: Public Speaking* (*Preferred) or COMM 110 / 1100: Introduction to Communication
  • COMP 100 / 1000: Composition
  • ECON 111 / 1111: Principles of Microeconomics or ECON 112 / 1112: Principles of Macroeconomics
  • LITR 100 / 1000: Themes in Literature
  • MATH 223 / 2230: Calculus I
  • Two Physics Courses (choose 1 set of courses from below)
    • PHYS 103 / 1030 & PHYS 104 / 1040 (General Physics I & II: Non-Calculus)
    • PHYS 203 / 2030 & PHYS 204 / 2040 (General Physics I & II: Calculus-based)
      • note: MATH 223 / 2230 & 224 / 2240 (Calculus I & II) are pre-/co-requisites for PHYS 203 / 2030 & PHYS 204 / 2040
  • PSYC 100 / 1000: Introductory Psychology or SOC 101 / 1001: Introduction to Sociology
  • STAT 101 / 1010: Introduction to Statistics

NOTE: Some pharmacy schools now require biochemistry (including University of Buffalo, Touro and PCOM, among others). Other courses recommended or required by some pharmacy schools include Anatomy & Physiology, Physical Chemistry, and Genetics.

NOTE: Pharmacy education programs may change course prerequisites at any time and may have additional requirements, preferences, or policies that are not reflected in this advising track course list. Programs may also allow applicants to substitute courses or choose different prerequisite tracks. Applicants should review the program-specific details available within the Pharm.D. Directory and contact programs directly to determine whether a particular course will fulfill a prerequisite.

The timeline for applying to pharmacy school varies among students and is dependent on a variety of factors, including successful completion of prerequisite coursework, competitive PCAT examination scores, and appropriate healthcare experience.

Many Pre-Pharmacy students are choosing to take at least one year after they graduate SUNY Oneonta to work in healthcare or pursue other academically or intellectually enriching experiences after they graduate.

In fact, across the United States many first-time applicants to pharmacy school apply after their senior year or later. Having a “Growth Year” between undergraduate studies and beginning pharmacy school is often beneficial for applicants and does not hurt your chances of admission as long as you continue to strengthen your application. It allows time to gain additional life experiences, continue volunteering or pursue non-academic interests.

If a student wishes to take a "growth year," or takes a different undergraduate path, students will need to adjust the course sequence plan accordingly, based on their personal planning needs. Individual student plans may vary depending on when the student hopes to enter dental school and what major is chosen, therefore each student should work with their Primary Major Advisor and their Pre-Health Concentration Advisor to establish their own personalized schedule.

Students should regularly review the Pharmacy School Admission Requirements.

Applicants are evaluated on:

  • letters of recommendation, which may include references from a Pharmacist and a Science Professor
  • leadership skills (on and off campus)
  • GPA
  • PCAT
  • Pharmacist Observation hours (paid and/or volunteer; hours for each program vary)

For more information about becoming a pharmacist, check out the AACP webpage.

Application to pharmacy school is made through the centralized application PharmCAS

The PCAT is required for admission to PharmD programs.

Students generally request up to four letters of recommendation to be submitted on their behalf for pharmacy school applications. Appropriate recommenders include science faculty, other course instructors, healthcare professionals, current or former employers, and professional references.

Pre-Pharmacy questions should be directed to Tami LaPilusa, M.S., Program Coordinator, Pre-Health Professions

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