Pre-Pharmacy

Pre-Pharmacy Roadmap

Start your journey to becoming a healthcare professional.

Pharmacists are primarily responsible for drug therapy, drug monitoring, drug distribution, health promotion, and patient counseling. Pharmacists may also be involved in basic and clinical research, working in collaboration with other researchers, physicians, and pharmacists. They apply scientific and technical knowledge to evaluate drug therapy for each individual patient. Pharmacists use skills in personal relations when working with patients and other health professionals.

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Pre- Pharmacy Roadmap at UNL

Pharmacy Prerequisite Classes

Depending on the school you plan to attend, you may need additional prerequisite courses. Meet with an advisor for more information.

 

Typical Pharmacy School Requirements

General Chemistry - 2 semesters

Organic Chemistry - 2 semesters

Calculus, Quantitative Chemical Analysis, or Physics – 1-2 semesters (depends on school)

Biology – 1-2 semesters

Physiology – 1 semester (UNMC Only)

Anatomy – 1 semester

Psychology – 1 semester (Creighton Only)

English – 2 semesters (Creighton Only)

Speech – 1 semester (Creighton Only)

Statistics/Biostatistics – 1 semester (UNMC Only)

Economics – 1 semester (Creighton Only)

General electives – 6-7 courses

What to Take at University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Some classes require prerequisites. Meet with an advisor for help planning your courses as UNMC and Creighton have different requirements.

 

General Chemistry – CHEM 109A/L & 110A/L, or 113A/L, 114, & 221L

Organic Chemistry – CHEM 251/253 & 252/254 or CHEM 261/263 & 262/264

Calculus, Quantitative Chemical Analysis, or Physics – MATH 106, CHEM 221, or PHYS 141 or PHYS 211/221

Biology – BIOS 101/101L, 110/110L, BIOS 111, LIFE 120/120L, or LIFE 121/121L (depends on school)

Physiology – BIOS 213/213L

Anatomy – BIOS 214

Psychology – PSYC 181

English – ENGL 150, 151, 254, or 354

Speech – COMM 101, 209, or 286

Statistics/Biostatistics – STAT 218, STAT 380, EDPS 459, ECON 215, or PSYC 350

Economics – ECON 200, 211, or 212

General Electives - see below for a list of options. Talk to an advisor for specific course recommendations.

General Education

NOTE: UNMC requires a minimum of 21 semester hours of general education electives, with suggested areas listed below. Creighton requires 9 semester hours in the humanities or behavior or social sciences and 9 hours of electives. Choose classes from at least two areas in these suggested subjects:

 

Accounting

Economics

Logic

Business Admin

Education

Management

Critical Thinking

 

Ethics

Philosophy

Gerontology

Fine Arts

Political Science

History

Foreign Language

 

Sociology

Humanities

Biology

Literature

Biochemistry

Chemistry

Physics

Suggested Science Sequencing

Semester 1
Chemistry I with lab
Calculus I

Semester 2
Chemistry II with lab
Biological Sciences I with lab

Semester 3
Organic Chemistry I with lab
Biological Sciences II with lab

Semester 4
Organic Chemistry II with lab

Semester 5
CHEM 221 or Physics I

Semester 6
Statistics
BIOS 213/213L

Semester 7
 

Semester 8
BIOS 214
 

*Sequence may vary from above depending on declared major requirements

Application and Admission

Application: Applications to Creighton, UNMC, and many other pharmacy schools is made through PharmCAS. PharmCAS.org has information on which schools participate in PharmCAS.

Entrance exam: The PCAT was discontinued in 2024. There are no other exam requirements for pharmacy programs.

Additional admission requirements: Letters of recommendation and a supplemental (secondary) application may also be required.

The above coursework recommendations fulfill the entrance requirements for pharmacy programs at Creighton University and UNMC. Students who are considering other pharmacy schools are encouraged to contact those schools directly for a list of entrance requirements. 

Other Notes: 

  • GPA: For both Creighton and UNMC, grades below C are not accepted for prerequisite requirements.
  • AP/IB Credit: Both Creighton and UNMC will accept AP credit toward prerequisite requirements if listed on a transcript from the undergraduate institution. UNMC will accept maximum 24 CLEP credit hours (not including organic chemistry, 4 credits of biology, or general chemistry).

Plan Your Path to Pharmacy School

View Health School Application Timeline

  1. Meet with a Pre-Health advisor to create a comprehensive academic and co-curricular plan
  2. Research application requirements
    • See specific school websites for any specific application requirements which may vary by dental school
    • Meet with a representative of the dental school for specific questions and guidance
  3. Apply to pharmacy schools
    • Most schools use PharmCAS
    • Schools that don’t use PharmCAS will accept application directly to their program
  4. Complete required prerequisite courses
  5. Attend Pharmacy school (4 years)

Suggested Academic Preparation

  • Bachelor’s degree – highly suggested by programs and any UNL major is a great option
  • Completion of pre-requisite courses
  • Competitive academic record
    • GPA in both science and non-science courses

Current Students

Current students: Meet with a Pre-Health advisor to talk more about your Pre-Health goals.

Schedule a Meeting

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