PharmD Admission
Looking for undergraduate admission and Pre-Pharmacy? Visit our Pre-Pharmacy Admission page.
Students who are currently enrolled in pre-pharmacy at Drake should refer to the Drake Direct PharmD requirements for more information.
International students: for more information about requirements for international applicants, visit our international student admission page.
Students who complete their prerequisite coursework at another regionally accredited institution or in a major other than pre-pharmacy at Drake may apply to our PharmD program by meeting the following requirements. Please note that these are the requirements applicants must meet in order for their applications to be considered complete. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission to the PharmD program.
- Submit an application through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS).
- Complete the required Drake-specific questions within the PharmCAS application.
- Take a graduate-level standardized admission test. This includes the PCAT, GRE, MCAT, DAT, or any other graduate-level test. Drake will accept scores from all test offerings in 2019/2020 for the fall 2020 admission cycle. Select PharmCAS code 104 to report PCAT scores directly to PharmCAS.
- Complete at least 2 years of undergraduate coursework (approximately 60-64 credit hours).
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (as calculated in PharmCAS).
- Complete (or be in the process of completing) the prerequisite coursework outlined in the table below. All required math and science courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to entering the PharmD program. English composition and public speaking may be completed by the end of the summer term prior to entering the PharmD program.
| Subject | Credit Hours | Drake Courses |
|---|---|---|
|
General (Inorganic) Chemistry |
8 credit hours (including labs) | CHEM 001, 002, 003, 004 |
|
Organic Chemistry |
8 credit hours (including labs) | CHEM 097, 098, 108, 110 |
|
Biological Sciences |
8 credit hours (including labs) | BIO 012, 012L, HSCI 141, 141L |
|
Microbiology |
3 credit hours | BIO 095 |
|
Statistics |
3 credit hours | STAT 060 or HSCI 060 |
|
Calculus |
4 credit hours | MATH 050 (or MATH 070 or 100) |
|
English Composition/Writing |
6 credit hours | FYS and Written Communication AOI |
|
Public Speaking |
3 credit hours | SCSR 073 |
Students must earn a grade of C or higher in order to receive transfer credit and fulfill prerequisite courses. Please see Drake University's Transfer Credit Information page or contact the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at (515) 271-3018 for more information. Students who wish to fulfill prerequisites using Advanced Placement (AP) scores must earn a 4 or higher on the AP exam. Please contact the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences for more information.
Drake University's Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program operates on a rolling admission process. We will interview and admit students until the P1 class is full and a sufficient number of applicants have been identified for the wait list. We recommend submitting application materials early in order to ensure your application is processed and considered in a timely manner. Students with strong applications and academic credentials will be invited to complete the second phase of the admission process, which includes a required virtual or on-campus interview and a scored writing assessment.
Early Decision Admission
Drake University will once again participate in the Early Decision admission process through PharmCAS for the Fall 2021 admission cycle! If Drake is your top choice, we strongly encourage you to apply as an Early Decision applicant by September 8, 2020. Early Decision is a binding option for applicants that have designated a particular pharmacy program as their first choice and will enroll in that program if offered admission. If you are admitted to Drake as an Early Decision applicant, you are obligated to accept the offer and will not be permitted to apply to other pharmacy programs. Early Decision is an excellent option if you know that Drake is your first choice for pharmacy school! For more information about the benefits, timeline and process of Early Decision admission, visit our Early Decision admission website.
Students who are currently enrolled in Drake's pre-pharmacy program are not eligible for Early Decision admission and should refer to the Drake PharmD Connection requirements for more information about the admission process for pre-pharmacy students.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Please visit our PharmDScholarships website to view a list of scholarships that are available to Drake pharmacy students. In addition to the scholarships listed, we encourage interested applicants to look into other types of finanical assistance by visiting our Office of Student Financial Planning website. The Office of Student Financial Planning also provides a summary of tuition and fees for all Drake programs.
Where Do Drake PharmD Students Go After Graduation?
Please visit our Pharmacy Careers website for more information on career pathways and state of residence of our recent graduates.
Advanced Standing for Transfer Applicants
Due to lack of seat availability, course sequencing, and possible dissimilarity of preparedness, we do not accept advanced standing for transfer applicants to the professional pharmacy program. Applicants are only considered for the P1 class each year.
Technical Standards for the PharmD Program
Please view our Technical Standards for the PharmD Program.
