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Dec 05, 2025
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2025-2026 Undergraduate Catalog
Pre-Pharmacy
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A pharmacist is a graduate of a college of pharmacy and has a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) after a minimum of 6 years of study. This independent healthcare professional dispenses medication prescribed by the appropriate healthcare provider (physician, physician assistant) in a variety of settings including community retail, hospital, or online. The pharmacist plays a consultative role with other healthcare providers and informs patients about medications, their uses, possible adverse reactions, and possible drug interactions. In addition, the pharmacist may make recommendations about non-prescription drugs, home medical equipment, and other health care supplies.
The pre-pharmacy curriculum includes coursework in biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, mathematics, and statistics as well as English, humanities, and social science disciplines. The pre-pharmacy student should contact the individual college of pharmacy about requirements specific for that college. The student should consult with an advisor to help plan a course of study that complies with the requirements for admission to the college of pharmacy of the student’s choice. Some colleges of pharmacy require the applicant to take the Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) and participate in the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS).
For more information about pharmacy contact: The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (http://www.aacp.org); The Academic & Career Planning Center, 605-658-3600; or the Health Professions Advisor, 605-658-6334.
Brittany Schultz
Department of Public Health and Health Sciences
Professional Academic Advisor
Center for Health Education Room 226
605.658.6334
Brittany.Schultz@usd.edu
Amy Nelson
Department of Public Health and Health Sciences
Program Director
Center for Health Education Room 224
605.658.5951
Amy.M.Nelson@usd.edu
Pre-Pharmacy Suggested Subjects and Courses
Students who complete pharmacy school will earn a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. Students interested in pharmacy school should research the individual program/s to which they plan to apply for specific admissions requirements. Pre-pharmacy students at USD may use the following list of classes as a guide in completing pharmacy prerequisites. Students may pursue any major of interest.
*Required prerequisites
SUGGESTED COURSES
BIOLOGY (with lab) - BIOL 151 - General Biology I (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] (Fall only)
- BIOL 151L - General Biology I Lab (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] (Fall only)
- BIOL 153 - General Biology II (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] (Spring only)
- BIOL 153L - General Biology II Lab (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] (Spring only)
GENERAL CHEMISTRY (with lab) - CHEM 112 - General Chemistry I (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] (Fall only) *completion of MATH 114 or placement in 115, 120, or 123
- CHEM 112L - General Chemistry I Laboratory (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] (Fall only) *completion of MATH 114 or placement in 115, 120, or 123
Select one of the following: - CHEM 114 - General Chemistry II (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] (Spring only) *CHEM 112/L
- CHEM 114L - General Chemistry II Laboratory (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] (Spring only) *CHEM 112/L
or - CHEM 116 - Honors Principles of Chemistry [SGR #6, HSDC] *placement by exam
- CHEM 116L - Honors Principles of Chemistry Laboratory [SGR #6, HSDC] *placement by exam
ORGANIC CHEMISTRY (with lab) - CHEM 326 - Organic Chemistry I (C) (Fall only) *CHEM 114/L or CHEM 116/L
- CHEM 326L - Organic Chemistry I Laboratory (C) (Fall only) *CHEM 114/L or CHEM 116/L
- CHEM 328 - Organic Chemistry II (C) (Spring only) *CHEM 326/L
- CHEM 328L - Organic Chemistry II Laboratory (C) (Spring only) *CHEM 326/L
ANATOMY and PHYSIOLOGY (with lab) - PHGY 220 - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology I [SGR #6, HSDC] (Spring only) *one collegiate CHEM course with a grade of C or higher
- PHGY 220L - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology Laboratory I [SGR #6, HSDC] (Spring only) *one collegiate CHEM course with a grade of C or higher
- PHGY 230 - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology II [SGR #6, HSDC] (Fall only) *PHGY 220/L
- PHGY 230L - Human Anatomy and Integrated Physiology II Laboratory [SGR #6, HSDC] (Fall only) *PHGY 220/L
or - PHGY 420 - Advanced Human Physiology I (Fall only) *BIOL 428, 433, or 456 + one collegiate CHEM course
- ANAT 411 - Human Gross Anatomy (Spring only) *junior class standing and a minimum 3.0 GPA
MICROBIOLOGY (with lab) - MICR 420 - Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (Spring only) *BIOC 310, BIOC 430 or BIOL 475
- MICR 422 - Microbiology and Infectious Disease Laboratory (Spring only) *BIOC 310, BIOC 430 or BIOL 475
PHYSICS (with lab) - PHYS 111 - Introduction to Physics I (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] (Fall only) *MATH 114, 115, 120, 121, 123, 125
- PHYS 111L - Introduction to Physics I Laboratory (C) [SGR #6, HSDC] (Fall only) *MATH 114, 115, 120, 121, 123, 125
CALCULUS - MATH 123 - Calculus I (C) [SGR #5, HSDC] *MATH 115 or MATH 120 or by placement exam
STATISTICS - STAT 281 - Introduction to Statistics (C) [SGR #5, HSDC] *MATH 103, 104, 114, 115, 120, 121, 123, or 125
or - BIOL 420 - Introduction to Biostatistics & Computational Biology (C) *BIOL 151/L + 153/L
- BIOL 420L - Introduction to Biostatistics & Computational Biology Laboratory (C) *BIOL 151/L + 153/L
ENGLISH - ENGL 101 - Composition I (C) [SGR #1, HSDC]
- ENGL 201 - Composition II (C) [SGR #1, HSDC] *ENGL 101
SPEECH - CMST 101 - Foundations of Communication (C) [SGR #2, HSDC]
GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY - PSYC 101 - General Psychology (C) [SGR #3, HSDC]
ECONOMICS (choose one) - ECON 201 - Principles of Microeconomics (C) [SGR #3, HSDC] (preferred or required for most programs)
- ECON 202 - Principles of Macroeconomics (C) [SGR #3, HSDC]
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Students may enroll exclusively in courses that fulfill the prerequisites for pharmacy programs, or they may pursue a bachelor’s degree. It is advisable to obtain a bachelor’s degree, as admission to a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program is not guaranteed. The Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) is a requisite for the pharmacy school application process via PharmCAS. Pharmacy schools value relevant pharmacy experience, which may include shadowing, volunteering, or paid positions such as pharmacy technician. Some institutions mandate a minimum of eight hours of shadowing experience prior to application. Due to the diverse nature of Pharm.D. programs, pre-admission requirements can vary significantly among schools. Students are strongly encouraged to select the institutions to which they wish to apply and collaborate with an advisor to develop an appropriate pre-pharmacy curriculum.
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