Doctor of Pharmacy Program > Pre-Pharmacy Requirements

2012 Pharm.D. Application Guide
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High School Preparation

High school students who are interested in a pharmacy career are welcome to contact the Office of Pharmacy Student Affairs for additional information. No specific high school subjects are required but a college preparatory plan should be followed.

Sufficient mathematics leading to enrollment in calculus as a college freshman and upper-level sciences are recommended. It is advantageous to gain as much experience as possible in writing, verbal communication, computer skills, and the sciences.

It is also never too early to begin gaining pharmacy experience whether it’s through volunteer or job shadowing opportunities or a paid position.

Pre-pharmacy Counseling

Interested students are invited to contact the Office of Pharmacy Student Affairs to speak with a counselor or arrange a visit to either campus. These visits can be useful for applicants when preparing the strongest application possible.

Participation in the Pre-Pharmacy Association on the OU-Norman Campus is encouraged. For information on the OU-Norman Pre-Pharmacy Association, please contact Jennifer Richardson at jennifer-richardson@ouhsc.edu. Students at other institutions may benefit from participating in pre-health professions clubs on their current campus.

Pre-pharmacy Curriculum

Prerequisites Worksheet
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Admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program requires a minimum of 2 years of pre-professional university study and completion of approximately 64 semester hours of approved pre-pharmacy courses. Applicants must meet the pre-requisites listed below admission by June 1 of the year they plan to enter. Applicants can be in the process of completing requirements during the application process.

Equivalent courses are available at most colleges and universities. The sequence of pre-pharmacy courses and total number of credits may vary between institutions depending upon the specific prerequisites and sequencing of courses, course structure, and laboratory experiences. All students are encouraged to contact the Office of Pharmacy Student Affairs (OUPharmD@ouhsc.edu) for assistance in planning an appropriate pre-pharmacy program of study.

Students entering the College of Pharmacy curriculum are also expected to have computer proficiency at or above the level of basic word processing skills. A course emphasizing basic business or professional computing skills or equivalent experience is recommended.

Applicants must complete all pre-requisite courses below with a grade of "C" or above, be in good standing at the last institution attended, and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale to be considered for admission. The pre-requisites listed below are effective for admission for all applicants.

Prerequisite Courses

*These are minimum requirements. A preference will be given to applicants who have successfully completed a biochemistry course, upper-level sciences, both human anatomy and physiology and/or have received a bachelor’s degree.

**In order to be best prepared for pharmacy school and the PCAT, it is highly recommended that applicants complete zoology or general biology, microbiology (required), and at least either human anatomy or human physiology.

*Electives can be chosen from these subject areas: Fine Arts (non-performance based), History, Political Science, Anthropology, Humanities, Geography, Philosophy, Literature, Social Science, Behavioral Science, Foreign Language, Communications, English. A maximum of six hours in statistics, business or computer science may be counted in the elective hours. Students are expected to have a computer proficiency level at or above basic word processing skills. Students are encouraged to select a diverse set of courses as preference is given to those with a broad-based educational background that includes a diversity component.

Students with Pharmacy Degrees from Foreign Colleges of Pharmacy

Pharmacy licensure in Oklahoma and most other states requires a professional pharmacy degree from an Amercian Council on Pharmaceutical Education(ACPE) accredited program in the United States. Foreign graduates must complete the entire professional core curriculum. We cannot accept transfer students from foreign pharmacy schools. Additionally, foreign coursework must be evaluated by World Education Services (www.wes.org) and a course-by-course evaluation submitted as part of the application process. Foreign coursework may be used to satisfy pre-requisite course requirements if it is equivalent to U.S. college or university coursework. However, the six hours of English must be completed at a U.S. college or university. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact the Office of Pharmacy Student Affairs (OUPharmD@ouhsc.edu) prior to application to determine any pre-requisite courses that may need to be completed.