Requirements
All prerequisite courses completed as outlined below in the “Prerequisite Courses” section
60 semester hours or 90 quarter hours of coursework from a regionally accredited U.S. institution at the time of application
Preferred overall and science GPA of 2.50
Although not required, pharmacy experience (volunteer work) is strongly recommended
Preference is given to those who have earned a Bachelor’s Degree (in any field), but is not required
Access to a computer meeting the minimum technical standards
Proof of Legal US Residency – If Required
- International applicants, or any other applicants who are not U.S. citizens and who are living in the U.S., must provide proof of legal U.S. residency prior to matriculation.
Test of English language proficiency – If Required
Required for all applicants submitting coursework from foreign schools.TOEFL scores are valid for two years and must be submitted by June 1, prior to matriculation.
- Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) minimum score
- Internet-Based test (IBT) minimum score: 79
- Computer Based test minimum score: 213
- The test of English language proficiency will be waived if you meet one of the following criteria:
- You are a permanent and temporary residents of the United States and have completed the English and Speech prerequisite from an accredited U.S. institution
- English courses taken from foreign countries whose native language is English will be accepted (e.g. Canada, Australia, Great Britain)
ALERT: If you have a pre-requisite laboratory that was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please notify your admissions counselor immediately.
Non-science prerequisites and electives will be waived with a confirmed U.S. baccalaureate degree at the time of application (does not include Calculus).
Required: 1 semester
College English
- May not be an English as a Second Language (ESL) course or Literature course
- Must be taken from the English Department
- May be taken outside the U.S. in countries whose native language is English (e.g. Canada, Australia, Great Britain)
English Composition
- May not be an English as a Second Language (ESL) course or Literature course
- Must be taken from the English Department
- May be taken outside the U.S. in countries who’s native language is English (e.g. Canada, Australia, Great Britain)
Speech Communication
- Must be a public speaking course
- May not be an interpersonal communication course
Calculus
- Must have two (2) or more quarter courses if taken in the quarter system
Required: 1 semester
May not be introductory courses
Human Physiology with lab (lab optional)
- If anatomy and physiology are combined we will accept a minimum of five (5) semester units
- Must be taken out of the Anatomy & Physiology, Anatomy, Physiology, Biology or Zoology Department
General Biology (lab optional)
Required: 2 semester
May not be introductory courses
General Chemistry with Lab
- Must be a full year sequence of lecture and lab
Organic Chemistry with Lab
- Must be a full year sequence of lecture and lab
Required: 2 semesters
No two electives can be taken from the same department
Elective 1 (1 must be completed from this category): Economics, Anatomy, Statistics, Physics, or other Upper Science Division courses
Elective 2 (1 must be completed from this category): Public Speaking or Social Sciences courses
ALL PREREQUISITES:
- Must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. institution (exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis) or its equivalent abroad
- It is preferred to have all Science courses and AP Credit Test Scores completed no more than ten years prior to planned date of matriculation
- Must be completed with a grade of “C” or better (a grade of “C-” or lower is not acceptable)
- Must be completed by the end of the spring term (May/June)prior to matriculation
- Will not be substituted or waived regardless of your educational level
- May not be taken on a pass/no pass or credit/no credit basis
- Transfer of credit, CLEP and credit for experiential learning will not be accepted
- AP credit must be reported by subject and credit, and must be received directly from your institution or testing service
- Pre-pharmacy courses taken from vocational or technical schools are not accepted
- A baccalaureate degree obtained from an educational institution that confers degrees solely based on acquiring prior community or other college credits (or a majority thereof) may not be accepted
- All coursework taken from non-US institutions (including Canada) must be submitted to an approved service for evaluation
Not sure if your course qualifies? If you’d like to find out whether the courses you’ve taken or plan to take will satisfy WesternU’s PharmD prerequisites you may:
- Search the prerequisite database by institution
- If you don’t see your courses listed in the database and you have a few courses in question, you may submit a prerequisite verification form
- If your courses are not listed in the database and you have numerous in question, or simply wish to lay out your coursework, you may instead print and submit an academic worksheet. Note: academic worksheets are reviewed May 1st through September 30th
Step 1: Prerequisites And Application Requirement
The first step in the admissions process is to ensure you are on track to complete both the course prerequisites and application requirements in time to apply for your preferred year of entry.
International Students: We do not require a separate application or fee, and you should be prepared to meet all of the prerequisite and application requirements as outlined. If you need assistance with immigration (I-20 form, F-1 visa, SEVIS, etc.), our International Student Services (ISS) staff are available to help you. Visit the ISS website to learn more.
Step 2: Make Yourself A Competitive Candidate
Admission to the program is competitive so you should strive to not only meet, but exceed the minimum requirements. To get a feel for the competitiveness of the applicant pool we recommend that you view our class statistics page.
Step 3: Preparing And Submitting Your Application
The apply now page will provide you with step-by-step instructions as well as an application checklist. There are a number of supporting materials that make up your completed application and it is essential that you print and carefully follow the checklist to ensure that you properly submit these pieces by the deadline.
Frequently Asked Questions
We’ve compiled a list of frequently asked questions to help you navigate through the application process, and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have additional questions