The School will consider for admission those applicants who possess the academic and professional promise necessary to become outstanding members of the pharmacy profession. The admissions process is highly selective. An applicant must submit an application via the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS).
Evaluation of completed applications (PharmCAS) will begin in September 2024 and continue until all seats in the class are filled. This initial evaluation will determine which applicants are eligible for an on-campus interview; a final evaluation will determine which applicants are eligible for acceptance. Given the competitive admissions environment, multiple criteria are used to select the most qualified candidates. Grade point averages, letters of recommendation, professional preparedness and motivation, personal qualities, communication skills, ability to be a team player and decision making will all be considered when reviewing an applicant’s file.
For more information, contact Norah Moturi, director of admissions for the School of Pharmacy, at 410-532-5597 or e-mail nmoturi@ndm.edu
Requirements for Applicants Seeking Admission for Fall 2025
To be considered for admission to the School of Pharmacy, an applicant must:
- Have completed or be in the process of completing 52 semester hours (68 quarter hours) or equivalent hours of non-remedial, prerequisite coursework from a regionally accredited U.S. university. The student must earn a grade of C (not C minus) or better in each prerequisite course.
- International applicants must complete a minimum of 30 semester hours of nonremedial prerequisite coursework from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States. Of the 30 semester hours, 15 hours must be in the sciences, six hours in non-remedial English composition, and three hours in speech/public speaking. These additional requirements are waived for applicants who completed their prerequisite coursework at a post-secondary Canadian institution that uses English as its primary language of instruction and documentation.
- All pre-pharmacy coursework requirements must be completed by the end of summer session II prior to matriculation to the School of Pharmacy.
- Earn, preferably, a cumulative grade point average and science grade point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale. PharmCAS calculates the overall and science grade point average. Grades from all non-remedial courses completed post-high school are used to calculate the grade point average.
- Possess a people/service orientation as demonstrated through community service or extracurricular activities.
- Possess the proper motivation for and commitment to the pharmacy profession as demonstrated by previous work, volunteer, or other life experiences.
- Complete the School of Pharmacy’s on-campus interview process (by invitation only).
Prerequisite Courses for students completing coursework at other colleges or universities of higher learning.
| Course | Semester Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| English | 6 |
| Speech/Public Speaking | 3 |
| Calculus | 3 |
| Statistics | 3 |
| General Chemistry with Lab | 8 |
| Organic Chemistry with Lab | 8 |
| General Biology with Lab | 8 |
| Microbiology with Lab | 4 |
| Anatomy & Physiology | 6 |
| Physics | 3 |
Recommended Pre-Pharmacy Curriculum completed at Notre Dame of Maryland University
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.
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| ENG-101 College Writing | 3 |
| ENG Literature Course | 3 |
| COM-106 or COM-206 Fundamentals of Oral Communication/Speaking in Professional Settings | 3 |
| PHL339 Medical Ethics | 3 |
| ECO-211 or ECO-212 Macro-or-Microeconomics | 3 |
| MAT-211 or MAT-212 Calculus I or II | 4 |
| MAT-215 Basic Statistics | 3 |
| CHEM-110, CHEM-111 General Chemistry | 8 |
| CHM-210, CHEM-211 Organic Chemistry | 8 |
| BIO-111 Fundamentals of Biology | 4 |
| BIO-201, BIO-202 Human Anatomy and Physiology I, II * | 8 |
| BIO-340 Microbiology | 4 |
| BIO-239 Genetics | 4 |
| PHY-101 or PHY-102 General Physics I or II | 4 |
| Social Sciences | 6 |
| NDMU-100 First Year Seminar | 3 |
| Elective credits from religious studies, fine arts, humanities, languages, business or interdisciplinary studies, excluding science, mathematics, physical education or health care courses. | 3 |
| Total Credits | 74 |
Technical Standards for Admission & Continued Matriculation
Notre Dame of Maryland University School of Pharmacy must evaluate not only the scholastic aptitude of each and every student, but also must consider students’ current ability to safely apply their knowledge and skills to effectively interact with patients and others in educational and healthcare settings. Graduates of the School of Pharmacy are eligible to become pharmacists without restrictions on their practice; therefore, the curriculum requires students to successfully complete all components of the program. Depending on the circumstances, some reasonable accommodation may be possible and made available to students with disabilities in accordance with University policy, state, and federal laws. However, a student must be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner. Upon request of the student, the University will make good faith efforts in providing reasonable accommodation as required by law.
The School of Pharmacy engages in an interactive process with applicants and students with disabilities and complies with all state and federal laws regarding reasonable accommodation. The School of Pharmacy adheres to the highest ethical and professional standards of the pharmacy profession. While the School of Pharmacy will attempt to identify ways of opening the curriculum to competitive, qualified disabled students, the School must maintain the integrity of its curriculum and preserve those elements deemed essential to educating a pharmacist. As such, the School of Pharmacy reserves the right deny admission or dismiss any student who, upon completion of the interactive process, is unable to meet these technical standards with reasonable accommodations and/or would be deemed to pose a threat to patients and others in the educational and healthcare environment.
The following technical standards, although not exhaustive, describe the basic-non-academic qualifications required in addition to academic achievements, which the School of Pharmacy considers essential for admission and successful completion of the educational objectives of its curriculum.
A student must have abilities and skills in five areas: 1) observation; 2) communication; 3) motor; 4) intellectual, conceptual, integrative, and quantitative; and 5) behavioral and social. Technological compensation can be made for some limitation in certain of these areas, but a candidate should be able to perform in a reasonably independent manner.
- Observation: The student must be able to accurately make observations at a distance and close at hand. Observation necessitates the functional use of the sense of vision and somatic sensation and is enhanced by the functional use of all of the other senses.
- Communication: The student must be able to communicate effectively, efficiently and sensitively in both oral and written form and be able to perceive nonverbal communication. Students must be able to read, write, speak and comprehend English with sufficient mastery to accomplish didactic, clinical and laboratory curricular requirements in a timely, high-quality professional and accurate manner.
- Sensory and Motor: Students must be able to coordinate both gross and fine muscular movements, maintain equilibrium and have functional use of the senses of touch and vision. The student must possess sufficient postural control, neuromuscular control and eye-to-hand coordination to perform profession-specific skills and tasks.
- Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: The student must be able to problem solve, calculate, reason, analyze, record and synthesize large amounts of information in a timely manner. The student must be able to comprehend three-dimensional relationships and understand spatial relationships. Students must be able to learn in various conditions and environments including the classroom, laboratory, small groups, experiential settings and independent study.
- Behavioral and Social Attributes: Students must demonstrate maturity, integrity, compassion and respect for others. The student must possess the emotional and mental health required for full utilization of his/her intellectual abilities, the exercise of good judgment and the consistent, prompt completion of all responsibilities and the development of mature, sensitive and effective relationships. The student must have the capability to recognize and show respect for differences in culture, values and ethics among people. Students must be able to tolerate physically, mentally and emotionally taxing workloads, function effectively under stress, and must display appropriate coping responses. The student must be able to adapt to changing environments, to display flexibility, and to learn to function in the face of uncertainties. Compassion, integrity, concern for others, effective interpersonal skills, willingness and ability to function as an effective team player, interest and motivation to learn are all personal qualities required during the educational process.
An individual with a diagnosed psychiatric disorder may function as a pharmacy student as long as the condition is under sufficient control to allow accomplishment of the above goals with or without reasonable accommodation. He or she must exhibit behavior and intellectual functioning that does not differ from acceptable standards. In the event of deteriorating emotional function, it is essential that a pharmacy student be willing to acknowledge the disability and accept professional help before the condition poses danger to self, patient, and colleagues.
Candidates must provide certification that they understand the technical standards upon their acceptance. Candidates who may not meet the technical standards are encouraged to contact the Director of Admissions to discuss and identify what accommodations, if any, the School of Pharmacy would need to make in order that the candidate might be able to meet the standards.
Professionalism
Pharmacy applicants are expected to act professionally in all of their dealings with admissions office staff and School personnel. Applicants are expected to follow instructions properly and meet deadlines and abide by the Code of Conduct on the PharmCAS website. Responsible behavior, respect for others, good judgment and cooperation are qualities valued by the pharmacy profession. Applicants should demonstrate these qualities beginning with the application process