Complete our Doctor of Pharmacy program prerequisites.

We encourage you to identify the quickest and most economical ways to complete the following prerequisites at any accredited college or university, in person or online. If you want to make sure that you have found a course that meets the criteria for a Temple University course prerequisite below, please send an email to rxadmis@temple.edu with the information on the course and college/university you have chosen.

Doctor of Pharmacy Program Prerequisite Course List

You must complete the courses outlined below prior to starting the Doctor of Pharmacy program. You must complete a minimum of 18 elective credits in the disciplines listed and must meet the minimal requirements defined. Students taking a course for English as a second language (ESL) are required to take an additional English course which may be counted as a humanities elective course.

You are not required to earn an undergraduate - associate's or bachelor's - degree or take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT). 

If your school uses a quarter system instead of a semester system, you can multiply the number of credits you have by 0.66 to translate them into semester hours. Round partial credits of 0.5 and above up to the next semester hour; round credits of 0.4 and below down.

Prerequisite Courses for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program

Discipline

Course

Credit Hours

Math

Calculus I

4

Science

General Chemistry I

3

Science

General Chemistry I Lab

1

Science

Biology I*

3

Science

Biology I Lab

1

Science

General Chemistry II

3

Science

General Chemistry II Lab

1

Science

Biology II*

3

Science

Biology II Lab

1

Science

Organic Chemistry I

3

Science

Organic Chemistry I Lab

1

Science

Organic Chemistry II

3

Science

Organic Chemistry II Lab

1

Science

Physics I**

3

Science

Physics I Lab

1

Science

Anatomy/Physiology I***

3-4

Science

Anatomy/Physiology II***

3-4

English

Analytical Reading/Writing/English Composition

3-4

Electives

Students must complete a minimum of 18 elective credits in the following disciplines and must meet the minimal requirements defined.

Social Sciences

Accepted examples include: Anthropology, Criminal Justice, Geography, History, Political Sciences, Psychology, Religion, Sociology

Minimum 6 credits; Must take courses from at least two different departments

Humanities

Accepted examples include: Literature/Classics, Architecture, Fine Arts, Languages, Literature, Philosophy, Communication/Public Speaking

Minimum 6 credits; Must take courses from at least two different departments

Mathematics

Statistics

Recommended but not required

Total Credits Required

59-62

*Biology I must be equivalent to Biology 1111 and Biology II must be equivalent to Biology 1112 or 2112 at
Temple University.
**A non-calculus based physics course is acceptable.
***An Anatomy and Physiology Lab is not required.

For more details, refer to the Temple University Undergraduate Bulletin.