Ways to a PharmD
LLU School of Pharmacy partners with Colleges and Universities to help prospective students make a seamless transition into the PharmD program. Learn more about our PharmD degree.
PREREQUISITE COURSE GUIDE
See Prerequisite Course Guides for partnering schools.
GET YOUR PHARMD in 3 + 4 YEARS
Discover how to get your PharmD in 3+4 years through our Preferred Admissions Track.
Grade Point Average Requirement
To be eligible for admission, applicants should meet our preferred minimum cumulative undergraduate, and cumulative science/math GPA of 2.75 at the time of application.
Prerequisite Educational Requirements
- Prerequisites should be completed with letter grade of 'C' or better.
- For a course to be acceptable in fulfilling the prerequisites, it must be at the level of those required for a major in the field.
- Introductory courses in the sciences are not accepted. The science sequences must be completed with the full sequence of courses offered at your institution.
- Final determination of acceptability of coursework as prerequisites resides with the School of Pharmacy Admissions Committee in collaboration with the Loma Linda University Registrar.
- Online coursework may be accepted for specified pre-requisite courses. For details visit the School of Pharmacy-Portage Learning partnership webpage.
Foreign Coursework Prerequisite Policy
Applicants who completed any post-secondary education outside the United States must provide an official evaluation from World Education Services for all coursework done. International applicants are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether their coursework will be accepted. Students who completed the majority of their post-secondary education in a language other than English will be required to score 80 or higher on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language.)
Prerequisite Course Listings Summary
| Courses | Quarter Hours | Semester Hours |
| General Biology with Labs | 12 | 8 |
| General Chemistry with Labs | 12 | 8 |
| Organic Chemistry with Labs | 12 | 8 |
| General Physics with Labs | 4 | 4 |
A full sequence of coursework is required for general biology, general chemistry and organic chemistry. The semester and quarter units listed in the table above are a general guideline for the minimum number of units that must be completed to fulfill the prerequisite requirements. These minimum units may not be the same in all universities/colleges.
Final determination of acceptability of courses as prerequisites resides with the School of Pharmacy Admissions Committee in collaboration with the Loma Linda University Registrar.
Required Courses
General Biology: One year (12 quarter or 8 semester units) of General Biology lectures with laboratories. Courses should be a course sequence designed for science majors. Courses in Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Botany, Microbiology, and Biochemistry are not acceptable to fulfill this requirement.
General Chemistry: One year (12 quarter or 8 semester units) of General Chemistry lectures with laboratories. Courses should be a course sequence designed for science majors.
Organic Chemistry: One year (12 quarter or 8 semester units) of Organic Chemistry lectures with laboratories. Courses should be a course sequence designed for science majors.
General Physics I (Mechanic, Newtownian Physics): One course (4 quarter or 4 semester units) of General Physics lectures with laboratories. (Survey Courses Okay)
Recommended Science Courses
The following courses are not required, but will further prepare students for the rigorous curriculum provided at LLUSP and should be considered whenever possible:
- Biochemistry
- Genomics
- Human Genetics
- Histology
- Immunology
- Microbiology
- Physiology
Students Not Planning to Obtain Bachelor's Degree
For applicants not planning on obtaining a bachelor's degree prior to matriculation into LLUSP, additional coursework is required. Coursework may not be the same course(s) used for prerequisites for the program. The additional course requirements are listed below.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS
Social and Behavioral Sciences: Applicants who have a baccalaureate degree automatically fulfill this category. Students who will not be earning a baccalaureate degree must complete an additional 16 quarter or 12 semester units of courses in the social and behavioral sciences. Courses in anthropology, political science, psychology, psychobiology, economics, geography, and sociology may be used to fulfill this requirement.
Humanities/Fine Arts: Applicants who have a baccalaureate degree automatically fulfill this category. Students who will not be earning a baccalaureate degree must complete 16 quarter or 12 semester units of courses. Courses in history, literature, philosophy, religion, fine art appreciation/history, classics and ethics may be used to fulfill this requirement.
English Composition: Applicants who have earned a baccalaureate degree in the U.S. automatically fulfill this category. Students who will not be earning a baccalaureate degree or have earned their degree outside of the United States must complete 9 quarter or 6 semester units of English Composition. This should be the freshman composition sequence (equivalent to ENGL 1A and 1B). Remedial English and English as a Second Language (ESL) courses are not acceptable to fulfill the requirement. English courses must be taken from the English Department.
Additional Requirements
Technical Standards
We require technical standards of all students for admission, progression, and graduation.
Recommended Pharmacy Experience
It is highly recommended that applicants obtain volunteer or paid pharmacy work experience.