Pre-Pharmacy

Pharmacy schools may accept students with as few as 90 hours (6 semesters) of credit; however, having a bachelor's degree helps a student be more competitive in the application cycle. Regardless of the timeline in which a student applies, all students must declare an academic major while enrolled at Southern Miss.

Many students select a major in the sciences, such as Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, or Chemistry (Biochemistry Emphasis). Any major is acceptable, however, including majors in the social sciences, humanities, and business. Students will have to incorporate their pharmacy school prerequisites into their major degree plan, with the help of their major advisor and the pre-professional advisor.

Some students already have a B.A. or B.S. or above and decide to pursue becoming a pharmacist. It is recommended that such students visit the pre-professional office for additional advisement. It is common for these students to take their missing prerequisite courses for pharmacy school here at USM as post-baccalaureate students, work on the other non-course requirements while taking courses, prepare for and take the PCAT, and then apply to pharmacy school(s). 

Some students may choose to pursue a second major, while others enroll in prerequisite courses as a non-degree-seeking student. In either case, students must go through the University's Undergraduate Admissions office to be either admitted (new students) or re-admitted (former students) prior to enrollment.

• University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), Oxford, MS*
• William Carey University, Biloxi, MS

*The Ole Miss program consists of two years at the Oxford campus and two years at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS.

• Auburn University, Auburn, AL / Mobile, AL
• Samford University, Birmingham, AL

• Xavier University, New Orleans, LA
• University of Louisiana at Monroe, Monroe, LA

^a   The order in which students take the introductory Biological Sciences (BSC) courses does not matter; 110 covers molecular and cellular topics whereas 111 covers ecology and organisms.

^b   Placement in mathematics (MAT) courses depends on the student’s ACT subtest score. Consult the prerequisites for the math course you plan to take.

^c   Additional courses can include courses to satisfy the academic major or minor, as well as suggested courses for pharmacy school.

Strategies for Success 

• Students should visit the pre-professional office for advisement and/or to answer any pertinent questions.
• Students should focus on doing well in their academic studies, particularly the required science, behavioral science, and math courses. Students should study for long-term retention of knowledge in preparation for their PCAT and for use in pharmacy school. 
• Students should become involved with extracurricular activities, including meaningful community service learning, volunteer activities, and leadership positions that will demonstrate effective interactions. Students should maintain a record of the dates and total hours spent performing such activities. The record should include meaningful encounters and the personal importance of each activity. This will be needed when it comes time to apply to pharmacy school.
• Students should start getting some hands on exposure to pharmacy. It is important to maintain a record of these experiences, which generally relate to shadowing pharmacists or working as a pharmacy technician.
• Students may join AED (Alpha Epsilon Delta), the National Health Preprofessional Honor Society, as associate members at any time even if they do not fulfill the requirements for full membership (must be enrolled at Southern Miss for a minimum of three semesters and meet specific course and GPA requirements). Full members are inducted during the Spring semester. Applications and instructions for membership are available at the pre-professional office.

^d Additional courses may include courses to satisfy the academic major or minor, as well as suggested courses for a student's ideal pharmacy programs.

Strategies for Success

• Students should continue to follow strategies from Year 1.
• Students are typically inducted into AED, the national Health Preprofessional Honor Society, in the Spring semester of the Sophomore year, but may be inducted in Junior or Senior year (must be enrolled at Southern Miss for a minimum of three semesters and meet specific course and GPA requirements).
• Students should visit the pre-professional office for advisement and/or to answer any pertinent questions.

^e The schedules for Fall and Spring of Year Three are arranged with the assumption that the student will be applying to enter pharmacy school with 90 credit hours but no bachelor's degree. If the student plans to complete their degree at USM prior to matriculation, the schedule can be rearranged to move some courses to Year Four.

f Additional courses can include courses to satisfy the academic major or minor, as well as courses to supplement the pre-pharmacy curriculum.

Strategies for Success 

• Students should continue to apply strategies from Year 1 and Year 2.
• Students must make an effort to understand the relationship between core courses to try to form a deeper understanding of critical material - especially PCAT material.
• Students should visit the pre-professional office for advisement and/or to answer any pertinent questions.
• Students should begin the pharmacy school application process after completing the required courses (see below for the application process).

The application process for students seeking a baccalaureate degree at Southern Miss may begin in the Spring semester of the third year. Students planning to transfer to Ole Miss after only three years should begin much earlier.

Each pharmacy school has their own deadlines, but the deadline for the Early Decision Program is typically early in September. The PharmCAS application deadline is March 1 for regular admission. All materials must be received by March 1 if applying to Ole Miss, but it is best to apply well before the deadline due to some schools' rolling admissions policies.

The Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) is taken during the twelve months preceding the application deadline. It tests students' knowledge in chemistry (general through biochemistry), biology (including microbiology and anatomy/physiology), and mathematics (basic through calculus, including statistics). In addition, it tests critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as writing ability.

Students are strongly encouraged to take an  online practice PCAT before taking the PCAT that they will use on their application. Pearson provides such a practice exam for interested students. 

Students may review for the PCAT in whatever manner they wish. Both free and paid resources are available to aid in preparation for the exam; for more information, visit the pre-professional office. In addition, the pre-professional office offers an MCAT prep course - BSC 399 - every spring, which many pre-pharmacy students find useful in preparing for the PCAT.

Students are advised to practice their interview skills BEFORE attending their first interview. For interview preparation at USM you may use the online Big Interview resource. You can also sign up for mock interviews through Career Services or the pre-professional office (contact information below).