Prerequisite Coursework

Preprofessional Requirements

The School of Pharmacy offers a four-year, full-time professional program leading to the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree. All applicants are required to complete a minimum of 60-62 credits of defined academic prerequisites (typically two years of preprofessional study) before entering the professional program. Applicants may apply for admission while these courses are in progress.

All prerequisite math and science courses must be completed by the end of the spring term of the year of entry to the professional program. All remaining courses should be completed by the end of the spring and must be completed prior to the fall term of entry to the professional program.

All preprofessional courses must be taken at an accredited institution in the US or English-speaking Canadian institutions for a letter grade. Some prerequisites may also be met through Advanced Placement (AP) Tests offered through The College Board or International Baccalaureate courses. Dual enrollment and college in high school credits may also be considered to fulfill the preprofessional courses.

The following DO NOT meet prerequisite requirements unless otherwise specified:

  • Courses graded as Pass/fail
  • College Level Examination Program (CLEP) credits
  • Courses completed at institutions outside of the US or Canada (English-speaking institutions); WES evaluations are not accepted
  • Courses in which a letter grade lower than a C was earned

Overview of Academic Prerequisites:

The following outlines the required preprofessional prerequisite courses. Applicant coursework will be reviewed by the PharmD Admissions Committee for acceptability on a case-by-case basis. Course information details at the University of Pittsburgh are found in the undergraduate course catalog.

  • 8 credits General Biology – must include 1 year of lecture and lab
  • 8 credits General Chemistry – must include 1 year of lecture and lab
  • 8 credits Organic Chemistry – must include 1 year of lecture and lab
  • 3-4 credits Calculus – must be one (1) course covering derivative and integral functions of a single variable. Example course at Pitt: MATH 0220.
    • Business calculus will NOT be accepted unless accompanied by the Bridge to Calculus course (example course at Pitt: MATH 0205)
  • 3-4 credits Statistics – must be one (1) course in descriptive and inferential statistics. 
    • Example courses at Pitt: Basic Applied Statistics (STAT 0200), Statistics in the Modern World (STAT 0800), Applied Statistical Methods (STAT 1000), Statistics and Probability for Business Management (STAT 1100)
  • 6 credits English Composition – must be 2 English composition courses, excluding workshop, technical or ESL courses.
    • English writing (ENGWRT) courses are acceptable to meet this requirement.
    • Courses designated as "W" or writing intensive courses may be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
  • 24 credits of Electives in the Humanities and the Social Sciences.
    • Technical, professional, math, and science courses are NOT eligible to meet the requirements for electives in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
    • 3 Courses (at least 9 credits) Humanities from departments below:
      • Africana Studies
      • Classics
      • Communication
      • English
      • Film Studies
      • Foreign Language Departments
      • History of Art & Architecture
      • History and Philosophy of Science
      • Linguistics
      • Music
      • Philosophy
      • Public Service
      • Religious Studies
      • Studio Arts
      • Theatre Arts
    • 3 Courses (at least 9 credits) Social Sciences from departments below:
      • Anthropology
      • Economics
      • Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies
      • Geography
      • Global Health
      • History
      • Jewish Studies
      • Law, Criminal Justice, and Society
      • Legal Studies
      • Political Science
      • Psychology
      • Public Health
      • Sociology
      • Urban Studies
      • Neuroscience courses (Pitt only): Brain and Behavior, Drugs and Behavior
    • 2 Courses (at least 6 credits) Additional Elective Courses may include:
      • Social Sciences
      • Humanities
      • Natural Sciences
        • Astronomy
        • Biological Sciences
        • Chemistry (upper level)
        • Geology and Planetary Science
        • Math (upper level)
        • Neuroscience
        • Physics
        • Computer Science

NOTE: Anatomy Physiology and Biochemistry are part of the PharmD core Curriculum; therefore, they are NOT eligible to be use as prerequisites.

Transfer of 60-62 prerequisite credits (preprofessional course requirements): After acceptance into the PharmD Program, a student’s academic records (transcripts) and credits must be transferred directly to the School of Pharmacy. The prerequisite courses are included in the credit requirements for graduation from the PharmD Program.

These credits may be transferred from the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh Oakland campus, from a University of Pittsburgh regional campus, or from an accredited US or select English-speaking Canadian institutions to the School of Pharmacy. All prerequisite courses must be taken for a letter grade. Each grade earned must be C or better to be considered successfully completed and to be transferable from institutions other than the University of Pittsburgh.

Advanced Placement (AP/IB) Courses and Credit: The School of Pharmacy also accepts credits earned through Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate credits based on the criteria established at the primary institution where prerequisite courses were completed.

The complete list of AP/IB courses from the University of Pittsburgh are found at
(www.as.pitt.edu/undergraduate/advising/pdf/apcredit.pdf).