Applicants to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program can complete their pre-pharmacy work at Washington State University or at any other accredited college or university

If you'll be transferring credits earned elsewhere, check the WSU transfer credit equivalency website to see if they match the pharmacy prerequisites.

A three-year pre-pharmacy program, including the prerequisites below, must be completed before beginning a Pharm.D. professional program. Most Pharm.D. programs don't require a completed bachelor's degree for admission. However, the majority of successful applicants — about 70% of students admitted to the WSU College of Pharmacy — have completed their bachelor's degree, so you should plan for four years of pre-pharmacy study.

As a pre-pharmacy student, you can major in anything you want. Your academic advisor and the pre-pharmacy specialist in the Health Professions Student Center will help you integrate the pharmacy prerequisites with your major and prepare to apply to Pharm.D. programs.

Pre-pharmacy requirements

Here's a quick overview of the WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences prerequisite courses.

Requirements may vary from school to school; be sure to check the specific requirements for the pharmacy program you'll be applying to.

Verify the current WSU pre-pharmacy requirements before you plan your courses.

• English Writing – 2 semesters, 3 credits each
• Philosophy – One course in Logic, Critical Thinking, or Ethics – 3 credits
• ECON 101 – Microeconomics – 3 credits
• PSYCH 105 – Introductory Psychology – 3 credits
• MATH 140 or 171 or 202 – Calculus – 4 credits
• STAT 212 – Statistics – 4 credits
• BIOL 106 and 107 – Introductory Biology – 8 credits
• CHEM 105 and 106 – Principles of Chemistry – 8 credits
• CHEM 345 and 348 – Organic Chemistry – 8 credits
• MBIOS 304 and 305 – Microbiology and Microbiology Lab – 6 credits
• BIOL 315 – Human Anatomy with lab – 4 credits
• Physiology – BIOL 353 or NEURO 425 & 426 –  4 credits
• MBIOS 303 – Biochemistry – 4 credits

The WSU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences considers several factors in admission. Learn more about the pre-pharmacy requirements, recommended courses, and applying for the Pharm.D. program at the WSU College of Pharmacy website.

Graduation requirements

See the WSU Catalog for degree requirements and talk with your academic advisor about planning and scheduling your courses. All students must meet requirements as outlined in the catalog in order to graduate.

A variety of state, federal, and university-sponsored programs are available to help students with educational costs.

For all students at WSU

Washington State University awards millions of dollars in financial aid and scholarships to students every year based on financial need, academic merit, or a combination of the two.

To get all the financial help WSU can provide, you'll need to do these two things:

• Complete the University's general scholarship application so you can be eligible for scholarship consideration, including departmental awards.
• Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) so WSU can consider you for aid (scholarships, grants, loans, etc.) based on financial need. Get started here.

Click here for more info about about WSU scholarships and financial aid

For pre-health students

Students in pre-health tracks are eligible for scholarships curated by the Health Professions Student Center. Visit their scholarship page for more information.

If your strengths and interests are similar to these — or if you can develop them — pharmacy could be a good goal for you.

• Compassion for people who are ill or injured
• Interest in how the body works
• Desire to help others
• Good verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
• Scientific aptitude, especially chemistry and biology
• Commitment to leadership, community service, and activism

Preparation for pre-pharmacy study should include:

• High school studies in algebra I and II, geometry, trigonometry, chemistry, biology, physics, and health.
• Pharmacy experience — you may be able to work part-time as a pharmacy assistant, which will let you see how pharmacies are run and what pharmacists do on the job.
• Community service — volunteering with hospitals or community organizations can give you valuable leadership and service experience.

Pharmacy careers

Pharmacists work in many different settings. You could see patients at the drug store counter, in hospitals, clinics, senior living centers, mental health facilities, home health care, managed care, or nuclear pharmacies. Pharmacists also work at pharmaceutical companies and at universities teaching and doing research.

It's a highly rewarding profession: for more than a decade, pharmacists have ranked at the top in the Gallup Poll of the most trusted professionals.

Salaries

Newly graduated pharmacy students with a doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree can expect to earn annual salaries starting between $93,000 and $104,000 in Washington state.

The job market in this field is excellent, as there is a projected need for more pharmacists in the United States.