Pre-Pharmacy Education

The Pre-Pharmacy curriculum consists of a total of 72 semester hours, including at least 15 semester hours of elective courses. The curriculum prepares students for entry into the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Pre-Pharmacy coursework must be completed before beginning the PharmD program and all coursework must be completed within the last seven years.

Pre-Pharmacy courses cannot be taken on a pass/fail basis and must have a grade of "C" or better. Pre-requisite courses in which a grade of "C-" or below was earned are not acceptable. All or part of the Pre-Pharmacy curriculum can be completed at the University of Cincinnati or at another accredited college or university. 

Students who are not completing the Pre-Pharmacy curriculum at the University of Cincinnati are encouraged to consult the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy (pharmacy@uc.edu) for guidance on what courses to take. Students completing the Pre-Pharmacy curriculum at select colleges or universities in Ohio or Kentucky can use the u.select Web site to determine which courses are equivalent to UC's Pre-Pharmacy curriculum.

Required Courses

Courses
UC Course Number Course Credits
ENGL 1001 English Composition 3 credits
ENGL 2089 Intermediate Composition 3 credits
MATH 1044, 1045 Applied Calculus I & II 4-6 credits
CHEM 1040, 1041 General Chemistry I & II 8 credits
CHEM 1040L, 1041L General Chemistry I & II Lab 2 credits
BIOL 1081 Biology I 3 credits
BIOL 1081L Biology I Lab 1 credit
CHEM 2040, 2041 Organic Chemistry I & II 8 credits
CHEM 2040L, 2041L Organic Chemistry I & II Lab 2 credits
PHYS 1051 General Physics I  4 credits
     
STAT 1034 or 1034 Statistics 3 credits
BIOL 2031C Microbiology 4 credits
BIOL 2001C, 2002C Anatomy & Physiology I & II 8 credits
CHEM 3040 Biochemistry 3 credits
  General Education Electives
(See descriptions for required courses below)
15 credits

Elective Courses

A minimum of 15 semester hours of general education elective courses are required as part of the Pre-Pharmacy curriculum. At least 3 hours of elective coursework must focus on diversity and culture or social and ethical issues. These courses prepare graduates to contribute and thrive in a global, diverse, and technological society.

Arts & Humanities

At least 6 semester hours must be completed in the Arts & Humanities. Humanities & Arts Examples include but are not limited to classics, literature, foreign languages, philosophy, linguistics, rhetoric, dance, drama, music, visual arts, and history.

Behavioral & Social Science

At least 6 semester hours must be completed in the Behavioral & Social Sciences. Examples include but are not limited to communication, cultural anthropology, economics, human geography, planning, political science, psychology, and sociology.

Advanced Placement (AP) Credit

Students who have earned an acceptable score on an AP exam may receive credit for Pre-Pharmacy requirements. View UC's AP exam score requirements and the course equivalencies.

Students should contact the College to be advised on which pre-pharmacy courses may be exempt from AP exam scores, and which courses should be repeated even if an acceptable score is achieved.

Experiences and Opportunities

Opportunities for interested students:

 

Walk-in hours on main campus: 

None currently scheduled