Pharmacy is a doctoral health profession in which licensed professionals provide information about medications to patients and health care professionals. As ‘medication experts,’ pharmacists are concerned with safeguarding the public’s health in matters relating to medication distribution and use and disease state management. (Learn more from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy).
Prerequisites
Check individual schools as requirements vary.
Often include:
- General Chemistry with lab (2 semesters)
- Organic Chemistry with lab (2 semesters)
- Introductory Biology with lab (2 semesters)
- Anatomy & Physiology with lab (2 semesters)
- Physics with lab (2 semesters)
- Calculus (1-2 semesters)
- English (1-2 semesters)
Sometimes include:
- Biochemistry
- Microbiology
- Economics or other Social Sciences
Application logistics
- Apply in the summer, about 14 months before intended entry.
- The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) is the required standardized test for entry. The PCAT comprises five sections: Biological Processes; Chemical Processes; Critical Reading; Quantitative Reasoning; and Writing.
- Apply through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS). Application opens in July.
- Pharmacy programs do not require a committee letter of recommendation. Program requirements vary, but expect to have at least three letters of recommendation. HPA can store copies of letters of recommendation, but recommenders will ultimately send references through the PharmCAS eLOR system.
Find a program
For more information
- HPA Career of the Month: Pharmacy (pdf, April 2021)
- HPA Career of the Month: Pharmaceutical Science (Google Slides, February 2020)
- American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Student Resources
Princeton does not have a pharmacy program. We share this information for Princeton students and alumni who may be interested in becoming pharmacists.