Rigorous laboratory-based science classes are key to pharmacy school admission. All pharmacy schools require two semesters each of general chemistry and organic chemistry. Biology and physics are also common requirements. Other required science courses could be anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, microbiology or immunology.
Many pharmacy schools also will require you to take courses such as psychology and sociology. Since many schools require you to obtain a bachelor's degree before entering their doctor of pharmacy programs, you likely will have already taken many social sciences electives. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, for example, requires 15 semester hours of humanities or social sciences, while the University of Pittsburgh requires six hours of social sciences. Due to the variances, you should check your transcripts and check with specific schools to confirm that you have met all the requirements.
Pharmacy schools require varying numbers of semester hours in the humanities. The humanities may include history, philosophy, religion and the arts. Prospective pharmacy students should check with each school for specific humanities requirements.
Pharmacy schools also require courses in English and sometimes additional writing courses. Public speaking is another possible requirement. You should expect to take at least one course in calculus, as it is a common requirement for pharmacy school admission. Some schools also may require economics and statistics.