Pharmacy Studies (Pre-Pharmacy, Pre-Professional)

Summary

Traditional Undergraduate Programs

Preparing for a Career in Pharmacy

Traditional undergraduate students are offered several pre-pharmacy options that provide preparation for entrance into a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program. Pharmacists are health care professionals who provide complementary expertise to medical care practitioners. Their knowledge and skills are utilized in a wide range of practice settings, including but not limited to community pharmacies, health care organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, pharmacy education, managed care, and governmental agencies. With the growing need for more healthcare professionals as the population ages, and with continuing sophistication of medications, pharmacists have become important members of the healthcare team.

The Doctor of Pharmacy degree, conferred by schools of pharmacy, is the entry point into a career in pharmacy. To prepare for admission to pharmacy school, students take a core curriculum including courses in the sciences, mathematics, social sciences, and humanities.

The Pre-pharmacy Program Coordinators will assist traditional undergraduate students in identifying the appropriate course curriculum that will prepare them for entrance into a Pharm.D. program, including the School of Pharmacy at Notre Dame. There are a number of avenues to this end, including successfully completing the necessary undergraduate prerequisites, then applying to a school of pharmacy, or completing an appropriately configured undergraduate degree, followed by application to a school of pharmacy. (The undergraduate degree is typically earned in a science-related field.) An accelerated B.A Pharm.D. track (3 + 4 undergraduate/professional curriculum) is available to qualified traditional undergraduate students through the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Pharmacy.

Pre-Pharmacy Program

In the Pre-pharmacy Program Option, a student follows a curriculum (approximately 74 credits) to complete specific courses in Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, Physics and Liberal Arts. Students should indicate their intent to participate in the Pre-pharmacy Program by noting this on their application for admission and subsequently on the Declaration of Major form. Each student should contact her advisor or the pre-pharmacy program coordinator in order to plan her Program of Study and learn about program requirements; this must be done prior to registration.

During the Program of Study, students may need to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) and will apply for admission to a particular pharmacy school. They follow all application guidelines presented by the school of pharmacy regarding application procedures, deadlines, recommendation letters and interviews. Each school of pharmacy determines its own admission standards. Students are responsible for determining the unique prerequisite courses that are required by the school of pharmacy to which they will apply.

The Pre-pharmacy Program of Study for students at Notre Dame is shown below. It must be noted that study in summer and Winterim may be needed to complete the program in a timely manner. All students who are interested in the Program should consult their advisors and the Pre-pharmacy Program Coordinator for specific advice and course approval. Representatives from Notre Dame's School of Pharmacy are also available to students for consultation.

Courses in the Pre-pharmacy Curriculum

Notre Dame of Maryland University reserves the right to revise the curriculum at any time when deemed necessary and to apply such revisions to registered and accepted students and to new admissions.

Requirement of 74 credits are as follows:

       ENG-101 College Writing (3) 
       English Literature Course (3) 
       COM-106 or 206 Oral Communication/Public Speaking (3)
       PHL-330 or 339 Ethics/Medical Ethics (3)
       ECO-211 or 212 Micro- or Macroeconomics (3) 
       MAT-211 or 212 Calculus I or II* (4) 
       MAT-215 Basic Statistics (3)
       CHM-110,111 General Chemistry (8) 
       CHM-210, 211 Organic Chemistry (8) 
       BIO-111 Fundamentals of Biology (4) 
       BIO-201, 202 Human Anatomy and Physiology I, II (8) 
       BIO-340 Microbiology (4) 
       BIO-239 Genetics (4) 
       PHY-101 or 102 General Physics I or II* (4) 
       Social Sciences (6) 
       NDMU-100 First-Year Seminar (3)

Plus three elective credits (3) from religious studies, fine arts, humanities, languages, business or interdisciplinary studies, excluding science, mathematics, physical education or health care courses. See Below.

* MAT-212 and PHY-102 are required to complete the Chemistry Major.

Note: Transfer students intending to apply to Notre Dame School of Pharmacy should check with the Notre Dame School of Pharmacy office of admissions to determine if science courses taken at community colleges will meet prerequisite requirements.

Recommended Elective Courses in the Pre-pharmacy Curriculum

       COM-201 Interpersonal & Team Communication (3)
       COM-303 Intercultural Communication (3)
       COM-515 Cross-Cultural Communication (3)
       ENG-103 Writing Well (3)
       PHL-302 Philosophy of Human Nature (3)
       PHL -330 or 339 Ethics or Medical Ethics (3)
       PHL-334 Business Ethics (3)
       POL-202 American Politics in Comparative Perspectives (3)
       POL-217 Civic Participation and Leadership (3)
       POL-401 Political & Economic Globalization (3)
       POL-440 Global Issues (3)
       PSY-208 Multicultural Psychology (3)
       PSY-209 Social Psychology (3)
       PSY-233 Human Growth & Development (3)
       RST-306 Christian Bioethics (3)
       RST-311 World Religions (3)
       RST-331 Comparative Religious Ethics (3)
       RST-450 Judaism, Christianity and Islam (3)
       RST-452 Buddhism and Christianity (3)
       RST-347 Introduction to Spirituality (3)
       RST-409 Death & Dying (3)

Earning a BA in Preparation for a Pharm.D. Degree

Students may decide to complete a degree in Chemistry or Biology and then apply to pharmacy school to pursue a Pharm.D. degree (appropriate pharmacy admission prerequisites are taken). This option allows the student to present a strong application and provides a second degree. Many applicants to Pharm.D. programs hold an undergraduate degree—students may improve their prospects for admission by using this option and it provides additional career paths. To complete an undergraduate degree in Chemistry or Biology, students should complete the following courses in the first semester: BIO-111, CHM-110, ENG-101, NDMU-100, MAT-211. See the Chemistry and Biology department sections for other information and options.

Program Entrance, Standing, Admission to the School of Pharmacy, and Granting of the BA Degree

Applying to the BA-Pharm.D. Program of Study is a two step process—one application is filed for admission to the University and a supplemental application for acceptance into the accelerated program. 

A student is eligible for application to the BA-Pharm.D. program if she:

1. Is an incoming first year student or a first year NDMU student in their fall semester (no transfer students accepted),
2. Scored a minimum of 550 each on the Critical Reading and Mathematics portions of the SAT, or earned a minimum ACT score of 24, and,
3. Submits a copy of high school transcripts, NDMU midterm grades (if applicable), and essay to the B.A.-Pharm.D. Program Committee.

Prospective traditional undergraduate students should apply to the Program via the Notre Dame undergraduate admission procedure. They can indicate their interest in the Program on their application and present the required application materials. Qualified students are admitted to the Program prior to their first year of study or during the fall semester of their 1st year.

While in the Program, each student must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 and a science GPA of 3.0 while meeting course grade requirements. The Pre-pharmacy Program Coordinator oversees student progress with the assistance of the Pre-pharmacy Program Committee. If a student’s grades fall below minimum standards for the Program, the student will be placed on probation for a period of one semester and will be removed from the Program if she does not return to the specified GPA requirements. Students dismissed from the Program will be allowed to continue in the traditional Pre-pharmacy Studies undergraduate program at Notre Dame (provided the student meets the academic standards.)

Admission requirements to the School of Pharmacy are set and administered by the School of Pharmacy. Each student enrolled in the B.A.-Pharm.D. program will complete the application for admission to the School of Pharmacy, and will be granted a guaranteed seat if the following criteria are met and process followed:

1. Complete an application to the School of Pharmacy through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) by the deadline indicated in the SOP admissions information.
2. Earn a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a science GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).
3. Complete an interview with a favorable outcome and fulfillment of other specified requirements.

Students entering the School of Pharmacy will be subject to all policies and procedures of the Program outlined in the School of Pharmacy Handbook and Catalog. Students in the B.A.-Pharm.D. program who have successfully completed 37 credits in the School of Pharmacy first-year professional curriculum will be granted their Bachelor of Arts in Biology or Chemistry upon completion of the following courses: