Pre-Pharmacy Studies at Roosevelt

Introduction

Roosevelt University offers a pre-pharmacy curriculum for students interested in entering the pharmacy profession, including students who are interested in attending the Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy. Courses are offered at both the Chicago and Schaumburg campuses.

Students who complete the entire pre-pharmacy curriculum at Roosevelt University and meet the admission criteria for the College of Pharmacy will automatically be granted an on-campus admission interview. The applicant interview does not confirm nor guarantee admission to the Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy, as applicants will be evaluated within the total applicant pool.

The following undergraduate pre-pharmacy courses are required by the Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy. To learn more about the Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy, click here. For more information about pharmacy as a career and planning your pre-pharmacy education, click here. For information about entering pharmacy as a post-baccalaureate degree student, click here.

Pharmacy as a Career

Pharmacists distribute prescription drugs to individuals, as well as advise patients, physicians and other health care practitioners on the selection, dosage, interactions and side-effects of medications.

In addition to working in community pharmacy settings, pharmacists are also employed in hospitals, long-term health care facilities, clinics, the pharmaceutical industry, universities, the armed services and the federal government. Some pharmacists choose to specialize in specific drug therapies, such as intravenous nutrition, oncology, nuclear pharmacy, geriatric pharmacy, pharmacogenomics or psychiatric pharmacy. Others may use their pharmacy training to enter a career in public health, health services management, pharmaceutical research, pharmaceutical marketing, pharmacy education or health care informatics. The median annual earning of pharmacists in 2007 was $107,403.

Pre-Pharmacy Planning

All pharmacists must earn the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree prior to taking the pharmacy licensing examinations. Pharmacy programs typically require between two and three years of college preparation. Pre-pharmacy students should research the pharmacy schools of their choice to lean more about their admission requirements, and then consult with a pre-pharmacy advisor to plan out a sequence of pre-pharmacy courses. Pre-professional students are urged to consult an advisor as early as possible.

Many students choose to complete a BS degree prior to applying for pharmacy school, particularly if they want the option of earning additional MS, MBA or PhD degrees. In addition to the courses listed above, a number of pharmacy schools recommend courses in biochemistry, cell biology, immunology, molecular biology, psychology, ethics, or the second semester of calculus and physics.

Most pharmacy programs require applicants to take the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) as part of the admission process. To learn more about the PCAT, click here.

Post-Baccalaureate Admission Options

• If you are a non-science major with a bachelor’s degree – click here for an undergraduate application form to enroll for a second bachelor’s degree OR

• If you are a non-science major with a bachelor’s degree and wish to participate in our post-baccalaureate pre-professional program – click here for a student-at-large application form.

• If you have a bachelor’s degree in science with a GPA of 3.0 or above and wish to pursue a Masters of Science degree in preparation for professional school – click here to complete a graduate application for the Biotechnology and Chemical Sciences MS program.

More information can be found at Roosevelt University's Office of Admission web site.

Contact Information

Dr. Cornelius Watson
Associate Professor of Biology
Chicago phone: 312-341-3678
Chicago room: AUD520
Schaumburg phone: 847-619-8580
Schaumburg room: SCH127-B
cwatson@roosevelt.edu

Pre-Pharmacy Advisors:
Dr. Kristen Leckrone
Associate Professor of Chemistry
kleckron@roosevelt.edu

Dr. Vicky McKinley
Professor of Biology
vmckinle@roosevelt.edu

For More Information about Pharmacy School

Is Pharmacy for You? American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
http://www.aacp.org/RESOURCES/STUDENT/PHARMACYFORYOU/Pages/default.aspx

Pharmacy Careers, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)
http://www.aacp.org/resources/student/pharmacyforyou/pharmacycareerinfo/Pages/default.aspx

Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics (U.S. Dept. of Labor)
http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos079.htm

Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy
http://www.roosevelt.edu/pharmacy/