Laura Berlinsky-Schine July 7, 2021 4 11th Grade,12th Grade,Majors and Minors

List of All U.S. Colleges with a Pharmacy Major

What’s Covered:

• Is Pre-Pharmacy a Major?
• What Does the Pharmacy Major Cover?
• What Can You Do With a Pharmacy Major?
• What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

Pharmacists play a critical role in healthcare. They’re tasked with providing prescription medication to help patients manage acute and chronic diseases and illnesses, as well as educating people on how to use these drugs.

The road to becoming a pharmacist is a long one, but the journey is well worth the reward. There are several routes you can take to get there, including majoring in pharmacy. Only a small number of schools have the program, but it will offer ample preparation for pharmacy school — as well as your future career. This post will cover all you need to know about majoring in pharmacy and a list of all U.S. schools with a pharmacy major. 

Is Pre-Pharmacy a Major?

Pre-pharmacy is not usually a major but a track, much like pre-med. That means there is a set of courses students will take in preparation for pharmacy school. You can major in practically anything, as long as you complete the requirements of the pre-pharmacy track to get into a PharmD program — you don’t actually need to major in pharmacy.

While biology and other STEM majors are some of the most common pre-pharmacy majors, Pharmacy Times suggests that an English major provides the best preparation for the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), which is often required for admission to PharmD programs, and the application process.

Pharmacy itself is a major only at a handful of schools, which we will cover in a later section below. 

What Does the Pharmacy Major Cover?

A pharmacy major addresses all the requirements typically found in a pre-pharmacy track, including:

• Anatomy and physiology
• Biochemistry
• Biology
• Calculus
• Chemistry
• Communications
• Ethics
• Microbiology
• Pharmacokinetics
• Physics
• Psychology and/or sociology
• Statistics

In a pharmacy major, you’ll take even more courses directly related to pharmacy, although the requirements vary by program and school.

For example, in order to earn a BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Michigan, you’ll complete coursework in STEM topics like biology, chemistry, physiology, and statistics. You’ll also complete general education requirements, including first-year writing, humanities, and social sciences courses. But core requirements are specific to preparing you for pharmacy school, covering topics like:

• Science of Medicines
• Molecules to Drugs and Products
• Contemporary Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Biopharmaceutics and Biology of Drug Delivery
• Principles of Drug Action
• Clinical and Research Ethics
• Pharmaceutics of Drug Products and Biotechnology

What Can You Do With a Pharmacy Major?

Most people who major in pharmacy or pharmaceutical sciences go on to attend pharmacy school to become pharmacists, so that they can work in settings like retail stores, hospitals, clinics, research laboratories, and more.

After earning an undergraduate degree, you’ll need to earn a Doctor of Pharmacy degree (PharmD) from a school accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, which usually takes four years to complete. From there, many PharmDs complete a two-year residency, before obtaining a state license, required to practice. Then, you are officially a pharmacist. 

However, there are some jobs you can land with just a bachelor’s degree. This is true of clinical research associates (CRAs). CRAs act as monitors for clinical trials, performing responsibilities like ensuring the implementation proper protocols, facilitating communication between the testing site and trial sponsor, overseeing data collection, and surveilling the trial’s progress.

Another path for students with a pharmacy BS is that of a pharmaceutical sales representative. Working on behalf of pharmaceutical manufacturers, sales reps meet with healthcare professionals to promote medications and educate them about these drugs. Your background in pharmaceutical sciences will serve you well in this role.

Forensic science is another option. These professionals play a critical role in criminal investigations, collecting, analyzing, and interpreting evidence. 

List of All U.S. Colleges with a Pharmacy Major

What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?

Want to earn a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy? Find out your odds of getting into these and other schools using our free chancing engine. 

When choosing a college, there are other factors to consider, too — size, location, selectivity, financial aid, and more. With CollegeVine’s school search tool, you can filter by program (including pharmacy majors) to find the best fit or fits for you.