Pre-Pharmacy

Pharmacists provide and even develop medication in several different clinical settings. These health professionals provide medical care by being the bridge between physicians and patients. Most people think of a retail pharmacist when reflecting on the profession, but many specializations are available within this unique field, such as compounding, critical care, hospital, nuclear, psychiatric, and more.

In order to become a pharmacist, an individual must earn a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) degree from a four-year graduate pharmacy program. For specialized fields, a postgraduate residency is sometimes required or strongly preferred by employers. For more information on pharmacy residencies, please visit the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists website.

To be considered for admission, students must take the necessary prerequisites for each pharmacy school; a bachelor's degree is not required but will better prepare students for the pharmacy school curriculum.

Degrees and Coursework

Though a bachelor's degree is not required for admission to a pharmacy school, we strongly recommend completing a degree before entry, especially one in the sciences. In addition to completing the required prerequisites, students will be better prepared to handle the rigorous coursework they experience in pharmacy school.

Popular majors among pre-pharmacy students at UNT include:

Bachelor of Arts or Science in Biology, College of Science
Bachelor of Arts in Biology with the Reverse Articulation Agreement between UNT and the UNT Health Science Center's in Fort Worth Texas
Bachelor of Arts or Science in Chemistry, College of Science (Option III is best for pre-health students)
Bachelor of Arts or Science in Biochemistry, College of Science
Bachelor of Arts, Public Health, College of Health and Public Service

For more information about each major, please visit the UNT Catalog and select 'majors, minors, certificates' that is found beneath the link to ‘Catalog Home'.

Please refer to our Pre-Pharmacy Packet for a list of Texas pharmacy school prerequisites. To review schools outside of Texas, please visit the PharmCAS School Directory.

Applying to Pharmacy School

Applicants to pharmacy school should create a plan well in advance. Below you will find characteristics of a competitive application. Please contact our advisors in the UNT Office of Health Professions to further explore each characteristic and to create your pre-pharmacy plan.

Recommendations for a competitive application:

Overall and Math/Science GPAs - 3.25+ (average admitted GPA’s vary by school)
Pharmacy Experience - 100+ Hours of Shadowing and/or 6+ months working as a Pharmacy Technician or Trainee
Volunteering - 100+ Hours
Various Extracurricular Activities, On or Off Campus

Core Competencies for Healthcare

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) came up with a set of skills, knowledge, and personal characteristics that they believe are essential for future physicians called the pre-med core competencies. Because of its relevance to all healthcare professions, many other health professional schools have embraced the core competencies as well. Since many, if not most, health professional schools evaluate applicants based on these competencies, we recommend that students develop proficiency in them. More information on the AAMC Core Competencies can be found here.

Using this handout, your pre-health advisor can help you evaluate your progress on becoming a competitive applicant to pharmacy school.

Pharmacy schools in the United States use one online application service called PharmCAS (Pharmacy College Application Service). The application cycle opens in July of each year, accepting applications for entering a program the following year. Please note that there are fees associated with using this service.

Candidates must apply to pharmacy schools one year before entering a program. On the traditional four-year path, students will apply during the summer after their junior year of college, complete their bachelor's degree at the end of their senior year, and enter pharmacy school the following fall semester. However, each candidate’s timeline is different and your UNT Health Professions Advisor is committed to helping create a plan and timeline that accommodates your individual goals and circumstances.

The PCAT, Pharmacy College Admissions Test, used to be the primary entrance exam for pharmacy schools but the exam was discontinued. To find out if a specific pharmacy school requires an alternate entrance exam please see their program website.

Additional Resources for Students

Yes, pre-pharmacy students can apply for the following pre-health scholarship using the College of Science general scholarship application:

The Dr. Charles D. and Vernil Mitchell Endowed Scholarship
To be considered, a student must enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in any degree-granting major in the College of Science and be a graduate of any high school in Dallas ISD. For more information, please contact us at healthcareers@unt.edu.

You can find a list of health-related student organizations at UNT here. You can search for other student clubs and organizations on OrgSync.

If you are a current student, join our canvas course to receive important announcements and view resources related to your pre-pharmacy journey.

If you are a current student at UNT, we encourage you to schedule an appointment with one of our pre-health advisors using the following link: https://unt.navigate.eab.com/. If you are a prospective student, interested in enrolling at UNT in the future, and have any questions about "pre-pharmacy" at UNT, please feel free to contact us at healthcareers@unt.edu.