The UT Martin Pre-Pharmacy Plan is designed to prepare students for application to pharmacy school. By following the Pre-Pharmacy Plan recommendations, students will be eligible for admission into most Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) programs; however, the undergraduate courses required for admission vary substantially from one institution to the next. The courses listed below are intended only as a guideline and students are strongly encouraged to review the requirements for their school(s) of choice as they vary from school to school. Additionally, the Pre-Pharmacy Plan is not a major and does not fulfill the requirements for a baccalaureate degree at UT Martin. The courses listed below are recommendations and are not required for degree completion unless also listed under the student’s chosen major.
Most Pharm.D. programs do not require applicants to earn a baccalaureate degree before matriculation into the professional program; however, students who have earned a baccalaureate degree are often viewed as more competitive than those who have not. The Biology-Cellular and Molecular Biology Concentration as well as the Bachelor of Science in Chemistry (B.S.Ch.) majors include many of the courses listed below; however, students may choose to major in any subject area they wish as long as they also complete the courses required by their chosen Pharm.D. program(s).
Beginning Fall 2019, the University of Tennessee at Martin has entered into a 3+1 agreement with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center’s (UTHSC) College of Pharmacy whereby students who have completed UT Martin’s general education requirements, UTHSC’s prerequisite courses, and have gained acceptance into their Pharm D program will be eligible to receive a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin. For more information, please contact the HSPP Coordinator.
For most Pharm.D. programs:
- Students are eligible to apply after completing a minimum number of semester hours (varying from 50 hours to 60 hours) of course work; however, preference may be given to applicants who have earned a bachelor’s degree
- Applicants must demonstrate that all required course work will be completed with a grade of C or better prior to admission.
- Applicants must meet the technical skills as defined by the professional school.
- Applicants are encouraged to have some knowledge of the field from direct observations as part of their pre-professional experiences.
- Applications should be submitted directly to each pharmacy school or through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) in the summer or fall of the year preceding the desired admission date.
At a minimum, most pharmacy schools require:
- 8 hours of biology
- 8 hours of chemistry
- 8 hours of organic chemistry
- 4 hours of microbiology
- 4 hours of physics
- 8 hours of anatomy and physiology
- 3 hours of communications
- 6 hours of English
- 3 hours of calculus
- 3 hours of statistics
- 6 hours of social science–Recommended electives: sociology, psychology, political science, and economics
- 6 hours of humanities–Recommended electives: fine arts, English, history, foreign language, and philosophy
In addition to the courses listed above, students will need enough general electives to meet the minimum number of semester hours required by the pharmacy school(s). The requirements for those general electives vary widely. Students should check with their school(s) of choice to determine how many general elective hours are required and if there are any courses that are suggested and/or do not count as general electives. For example, many schools suggest students take additional microbiology, anatomy and physiology, and upper level chemistry classes. Additionally, many schools will not count ROTC, participatory physical activity/sports, or musical performance courses such as choir or band toward general elective hours.
While not an exhaustive list, the following courses are strongly recommended for students considering applying to pharmacy school. As noted above, the requirements for the different pharmacy schools vary widely. Students should always check with their adviser and/or school(s) of choice before deciding which classes to take.