May I take a prerequisite course as pass/fail?
No. Prerequisites cannot be taken as pass/fail if there is there is an option to receive a numeric or letter grade. In response to changes made by many schools in response to COVID-19, exceptions will be granted for prerequisite courses taken pass/fail or credit/no credit during any term impacted by COVID-19. All coursework taken before the winter 2020 term or after spring 2021 must have a letter or numerical grade. Please contact the School of Pharmacy admissions team at uwpharmd@uw.edu for any additional questions.
How do I know if my courses will count towards your prerequisites?
We can accept courses which cover all topics listed in our course descriptions for the prerequisites. You can search our School Prerequisite Courses page by state and institution type to see if we have a course list for your college or university. If your college or university is not listed, please direct any questions about course acceptability to uwpharmd@uw.edu.
Must I complete all my prerequisites before I apply?
No. Students who have not completed the prerequisites may apply, provided they will complete all remaining prerequisites by the end of Spring term prior to their matriculation into the program.
I will only have one prerequisite left when the pharmacy program begins in the fall. May I take this course after I start the Pharm.D. program?
No. ALL prerequisite coursework must be completed by the end of Spring term before matriculation into the PharmD. program. Please note that we cannot accept any prerequisite courses taken over the Summer quarter before matriculation.
Are the prerequisites accepted if they are from a combination of two schools?
The Admissions Committee highly recommends that sequence courses (General Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry) be completed at one institution. You may take your prerequisites at different schools. If you begin a science series at one school and finish at another, it is possible that all of the required components of the course descriptions may not be met with the result of not satisfying the prerequisite. If you have questions about course sequence completion, please contact the School of Pharmacy Office of Academic and Student Programs.
What courses may I count to satisfy my Humanities or Social Sciences Electives?
Please review our Prerequisite Info page for details. For students holding an Associate’s degree from a Washington community college which has a transfer agreement with the UW, the distribution category used to satisfy the community college’s requirement will be honored. Please visit the UW Equivalency Guide for more information.
I took my courses ten years ago. Does this matter?
The Admissions Committee strongly recommends completion of mathematics and science courses within the last five years. Upon transcript review, you may be advised to retake courses completed more than five years ago.
Can I use online courses for prerequisites?
Online courses taken at regionally accredited colleges and universities may be used for prerequisite requirements pending approval by the UW School of Pharmacy. Course syllabi or other materials may be requested in order to deem online courses acceptable.
Please note that any course taken for a UW School of Pharmacy prerequisite must appear on a college/university transcript that includes a course grade and number of credits earned. Certificates of completion will not be sufficient to demonstrate successful completion of a prerequisite course.
If I have a Bachelor’s Degree, do I have special consideration?
Yes. Increasingly, students have completed a substantial amount of coursework in excess of the minimum prepharmacy requirements. Applicants who have completed more than the minimum coursework may be competitive, however, a prior degree is not the sole determinant of a successful applicant. Applicants must complete 90 quarter or 60 semester credits of specific pre-pharmacy courses before matriculating into the program. On average, 90-95% of admitted students have earned a Bachelor’s Degree or higher before beginning the PharmD program.
What type of major do you suggest before entering into the program?
There is no specific major that we suggest. Students should make the most of their undergraduate education while completing their prerequisites and choose a major they enjoy.