2023-2024
Pre-Pharmacy (Advising Track)
VCU
Community college:
Associate of Science: Life Science (Richard Bland College of William and Mary)
Associate degree
Program description
Students interested in the pre-pharmacy advising track must complete the necessary prerequisites for pharmacy school. The minimum credit requirement varies for each pharmacy school. Students interested in pharmacy school should consult with a pre-professional health (PPH) and STEM career adviser to learn about requirements that are specific to the schools of pharmacy to which they hope to apply.
Declaration of the pre-pharmacy advising track through the VCU Career Services PPH and STEM advising team does not constitute admission to the VCU School of Pharmacy. Students must apply separately to the pharmacy school of their choice at the appropriate time.
Students with an interest in preparing for pharmacy school must declare an academic major and should declare and maintain their pre-pharmacy advising track. Students do not earn a pre-pharmacy degree. Those unsure of their academic majors initially should clarify their academic interests through regular conversations with their advisers. Pre-pharmacy students are encouraged to major in fields of greatest interest to them. To declare a pre-pharmacy advising track, please see our office’s Canvas PPH Hub.
Career opportunities
Major changes in health care have created many opportunities for pharmacists beyond the commonly available positions established in pharmacy practice. Career specialties community practice, institutional placement, medical consulting, regulatory work, academia, legal or judicial advisement, or insurance.
Graduate and professional level job titles
- Healthcare Researcher
- Pharmacist
- Professor
Contact information
Telephone: (804) 827-1349
Email: transferinfo@vcu.edu
VCCS Transfer Planning Checklist
Telephone: (804) 828-1222 or (800) 841-3638
Email: ugrad@vcu.edu
Apply Here.
Degree requirements in Bulletin
Plan of study in Bulletin
Requirements
Highest level of math required
- MATH 200
- STAT 210
Science required
- 5+ additional science courses
Foreign language requirements
- No
Additional tuition/fees
- No
GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)
- A minimum GPA of 2.7 is required to apply to become a pre-professional health student and to stay on the pre-professional health advising track.
VCU Major Maps
Transfer major map
2023-2024
Pre-Pharmacy (Advising Track)
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Life Science)
| MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING | GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY | DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY | EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS | PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE | ||
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| Explore | Year 1 |
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| Experience | Year 2 |
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Explore
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Attend RBC Orientation.
- Schedule an appointment with your Learner Mentor to discuss your degree and class plan.
- A stellar GPA is vital to being a competitive student. Use tutoring resources to get ahead.
- Review the resources on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website, especially the Pre-Pharmacy Advising Guide.
- Explore GRASP financial aid resources and submit the FAFSA on time.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Review admission requirements for the VCU Pharm.D. program.
- Learn about the transfer admission process for VCU.
- Get involved with student clubs and organizations.
- Cultivate relationships with your professors.
- Review volunteer and shadowing opportunities on the VCU Healthcare Pathways website.
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Attend VCU's annual Intercultural Festival or another community intercultural event.
- Make friends with people with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
- Attend cultural events at RBC and/or VCU and celebrate diversity.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Explore possible career opportunities for pre-pharmacy students.
- Build a LinkedIn profile.
- Assess your preparation for a career by completing a Gap Analysis.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Take advantage of free Financial Aid counseling.
- Familiarize yourself with the career services offered at RBC and VCU and explore career pathways on the VCU Career Services website.
- Develop personal and career goals and create SMART steps for 2-3 "dream jobs."
Experience
MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING
- Submit the FAFSA on time.
- Submit a transfer advising request to the VCU Transfer Center.
- Maintain a high GPA. Use tutoring resources to get ahead. Be prepared to earn good grades at VCU.
- Explore your eligibility for the Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
- Be prepared for academic challenges by meeting with your Learner Mentor and understanding RBC Student Support available.
GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY
- Participate in the STEM Transitions: Transfer Success Program after you’re admitted to VCU.
- Volunteer for service learning or community service projects.
- Visit the VCU campus and attend a transfer admission session.
- Consider applying to the Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP).
DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY
- Consider learning a foreign language.
- Volunteer with a vulnerable, under-represented and/or underserved community. Reflect on the challenges these populations might face with their healthcare.
- Learn about short-term, semester and year-long study abroad options.
- Become familiar with OMSA at VCU.
EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS
- Attend Career & Internship Fairs at RBC or VCU to explore your interests.
- Find healthcare experience that’s paid, volunteer or shadowing experience - answer the question, "is this really what I want to do?"
- Search for a summer science opportunity.
- Find out about VCU REAL and learn about REAL graduation requirement.
PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
- Using LinkedIn, connect to at least 10 people. Check out the VCU alumni page in My Network.
- Consider who you would like to have serve as professional and academic references for future letters of recommendation.
- Use the cost calculator to estimate your tuition/fees as an upperclassman at VCU.
- Explore the types of aid available at VCU.
- Review resources of the AACP.
Recommended courses
2023-2024
Pre-Pharmacy (Advising Track)
Richard Bland College of William and Mary (Associate of Science: Life Science)
| Course | Title | Equivalent course | Credits | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students who earn this associate degree before enrolling at VCU will be eligible for a waiver of VCU's general education requirements. | ||||
| ENGL 101 | Rhetoric and Research I Note: students with credit for AP English Language and Composition will only receive credit for UNIV 111 at VCU and should take ENGL 102 to fulfill the VCU composition requirement. | UNIV 111-112 | 3 | General education (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| ENGL 102 | Rhetoric and Research II | UNIV 200 | 3 | General education (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| MATH 251 | Calculus I | MATH 200 | 4 | General education (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| MATH 217 | Statistics | STAT 210 | 3 | Elective (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| BIO 151 + Lab | Biological Science I + Lab | BIOL/Z 151 | 4 | General education (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| BIO 152 + Lab | Biological Science II + Lab | BIOL/Z 152 | 4 | Elective (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| BIO 205 + BIO 206 | Human Anatomy and Physiology (both courses must be taken to be equivalent to VCU’s courses) | BIOL 205 + PHIS/Z 206 | 8 | Elective (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| CHEM 101 + Lab | General Chemistry I + Lab | CHEM/Z 101 | 4 | General education (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| CHEM 102 + Lab | General Chemistry II + Lab | CHEM/Z 102 | 4 | Elective (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| PHIL 203 | Introduction to Ethics | PHIL 201 | 3 | General education (Pre-pharmacy recommendation) |
| PSY 210 | Survey of Psychology | PSYC 101 | 3 | General education (Pre-pharmacy recommendation) |
| SOC 201 | General Sociology | SOCY 101 | 3 | General education (Pre-pharmacy recommendation) |
| ECON 201 or ECON 202 | Macroeconomics or Microeconomics | ECON 210 or ECON 211 | 3 | General education (Pre-pharmacy recommendation) |
| Complete general education and elective requirements for associate degree | VCU equivalents | 11 | General education | |
| Richard Bland credits transferred to VCU | 60 | |||
| The Pharmacy College Admission Test is not required for admission into the VCU Pharm.D. program. The exam is optional and only recommended to students under certain circumstances. If students have any questions about whether or not they should take the PCAT, they should contact vcupharm@vcu.edu. | ||||
| Course | Title | Credits | Requirements |
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| Your GPA Doesn't Transfer With You Although you worked hard to earn your grades at your current institution, they will only be considered by VCU for an admission decision. Once you enroll at VCU, your GPA will reset to 0.0, and your new GPA will be determined by your level of success in your classes at VCU. | |||
| The courses listed below are required or recommended for pre-pharmacy students. Students must also select a VCU major and complete the major requirements. The minimum number of credits required for a bachelor's degree at VCU is 120 credits. | |||
| BIOL 303 | Microbiology | 3 | Elective (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| BIOZ 303 | Microbiology Laboratory | 2 | Elective (Pre-pharmacy recommendation) |
| CHEM/Z 301 | Organic Chemistry I and Laboratory | 5 | Elective (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| CHEM/Z 302 | Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory | 5 | Elective (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| CHEM 403 | Biochemistry I | 3 | Elective (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| PHYS 201 or PHYS 207 | General Physics I or University Physics I | 4 to 5 | Elective (Pre-pharmacy requirement) |
| Courses required for VCU major and electives Due to the importance of a strong biomedical science foundation in the Pharm.D. program, some or all of these courses are highly recommended: genetics, molecular biology, immunology and cell biology. Recommended elective choices are computer science, economics, business, history, foreign languages, philosophy, political science and sociology. | 34 | Major | |
| REAL | The REAL requirement may be satisfied by successfully completing a 300-level (or higher) course that has received a REAL attribute of Level 2, 3 or 4 or through an approved “REAL” co-curricular experience that has received a REAL attribute of Level 3 or 4. See VCU advisor for options. | 0 | Major |
| Minimum number of credits completed at VCU | 60 | ||
| Minimum number of credits required for a bachelor's degree | 120 | ||