Coursework & Experience

The coursework below satisfies the required and recommended courses for admission to pharmacy school. Note this represents general guidelines and requirements may vary from one school to the next.

The prerequisites for grad schools in Washington:

• University of Washington School of Pharmacy
• Washington State University College of Pharmacy

Here is a full list of Pharmacy programs and their requirements.

Experience

It is important that you have a good understanding of the field of pharmacy prior to submitting your application. Admissions committees expect you to have researched the profession and know some of the issues facing pharmacists today, as well as the attributes, skills, and abilities necessary to provide care. Committees will want to know specifically why you want to be a pharmacist.

Volunteer or Work in a Health-Related Setting
One avenue by which you can gain experience in the pharmacy field is to seek volunteer or paid opportunities working with patients in a pharmacy or health-related setting (hospital, nursing home, etc.). In fact, ongoing work or volunteer experience in a pharmacy setting may be an important factor in the admissions process.  If you can work as a pharmacy technician prior to attempting entry into a pharmacy school, you will have an even greater advantage for getting into pharmacy school. A common requirement of some institutions is 60 hours shadowing or working as a pharmacy tech during your undergraduate years of study. If you’re unable to gain pharmacy experience, we encourage you to consult with several pharmacists regarding the profession (e.g., what it involves, career opportunities, current issues and challenges, etc.).

As a health professional, you will need not only to know the people you will serve, you must also demonstrate an interest in improving their lives. There is no better way to gain experience and show you care about others than through volunteer work. Thus, you should also plan on completing at least 50 hours of patient contact through volunteering or employment in a hospital, assisted care facility, clinic, or similar organization.

Community Involvement
Future health professionals need to be leaders in their professional and everyday communities. These experiences can be accomplished through participation in clubs, student government, and religious organizations. Pharmacy schools want to see that you are outgoing and able to work well with others.  Additionally, students who participate in extracurricular activities are exposed to diverse viewpoints, humanitarian perspectives, and leadership challenges. Experiences that requires you to coordinate and be closely involved with other people will develop and demonstrate maturity and commitment.

Academic Research
While not a requirement at every professional school, research can give you an academic edge. Research provides insight into how science works outside the classroom setting, and a pharmacist must be a researcher, able to gather information and draw conclusions. You will need to have experience writing research papers and participating in research conferences. In addition, your professors can get to know you better and thus be able to write meaningful letters of recommendation.  Students can conduct research at PLU during the academic year or can apply for our summer undergraduate research program.

When all is said and done, length of time invested, depth of the experience, and lessons learned are three key criteria for evaluating outside activities.