At the University of Kentucky (UK), pre-professional programs are interest areas that students complete alongside their UK Core requirements and major curriculum. Students applying to the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy may complete necessary coursework in two or three years. Students may also pursue any major as long as pre-pharmacy prerequisite coursework is completed.
The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment offers support and guidance to students throughout the college interested in applying to pharmacy school. In addition to outlining necessary coursework and guiding students through application processes, the college’s pre-professional advisor also directs students to University programs, such as UK Education Abroad or the Center for Community Outreach, that foster well-rounded pharmacy school applicants.
In addition to academic preparation, you should evaluate your personal qualifications to meet pharmacy’s demands for judgment, dependability, and conscientious performance. Pharmacists must be able to pay attention to detail ... They must have high ethical standards, communicate well with patients and other healthcare providers, maintain reliable records, and be knowledgeable about existing and new medications on the market to ensure each patient has optimal drug therapy results.
- American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy
Get Connected
Join the pre-pharmacy listserv to receive information about upcoming events, club meetings, and tips and strategies for preparing for pharmacy school. To subscribe, send an email message to listserv@lsv.uky.edu and type “SUBSCRIBE PPADVISEES” in the body of the message.
Pre-Pharmacy Coursework
The following is a general outline of UK College of Pharmacy requirements (not including UK Core or major requirements). Please note UK prerequisites may differ from other pharmacy schools:
• Biology + lab (1 semester) BIO 148 and 155
• Microbiology + lab (1 semester) BIO 208, 209 or BIO 308 + lab
• Human Anatomy (1 semester) ANA 209
• Physiology (1 semester) PGY 206
• General Chemistry + labs (1 year) CHE 105 & 111, and CHE 107 & 113
• Organic Chemistry + labs (1 year) CHE 230, 231 and CHE 232, 233
• Mathematics (1 semester - 1 year) MA 109 & MA 123 or MA 113
• Statistics (1 semester) STA 296 or BST 330
• English (1 year) WRD/CIS 110 and WRD/CIS 111
• Business (1 semester) ECO 201, ECO 202, ACC 201 or FIN 300
• Oral Communications (1 semester) WRD/CIS 110/111 or 112
• Electives: Enough hours to bring total to a minimum of 70 semester hours including the courses listed above
The following courses are also recommended, or required for some pharmacy school admission:
• Biochemistry, BCH 401G (reccomended pass/fail)
• Genetics, BIO 304
• Physics, PHY 211
Other courses to consider: courses required by major, general education courses, dual degree prerequisites, healthcare-related courses such as public health, human health sciences, medical terminology, pharmacology and clinical leadership management courses
