Admission Requirements

The doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree provides minimum and advanced level competencies necessary for the graduate to assume a pharmacist's professional responsibilities and qualify for national and state licensure examinations. The program of study emphasizes clinical sciences and training experiences. The training of doctor of pharmacy students concentrates on rational drug therapy decision-making within the inter-professional health care team.

Doctor of Pharmacy Minimum Course Requirements

A minimum of 56 credit hours of college level coursework, including the specified pre-professional requirements listed below, must be successfully completed, with a grade of C or higher, prior to admission to the professional pharmacy program of study. In addition, an overall cumulative grade-point average of 2.75, on a 4.0 scale and a science/math grade-point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale must be achieved on all college-level work completed through the end of the fall term preceding the year of entry to meet minimum eligibility requirements. Applicants should note that admission is competitive and that meeting the minimum requirements is not a guarantee of admission.

Equivalent, pre-pharmacy courses must be completed at UMKC or any regionally accredited college or university.  Applicants should contact the UMKC Pharmacy Student Services Office to insure proper course equivalents have been met. Second year college pre-pharmacy courses, listed below, must be successfully completed within five years prior to admission entry date.

First Year College Pre-Pharmacy Courses / Minimum Semester Hours

General Chemistry I & II with Labs 8.0

*Calculus with Analytical Geometry 4.0

#General Biology I & II 6.0

**Physics with Lab 4.0

English Composition I & II 6.0

Public Speaking 3.0

American History I or II or Introduction to Political Science course covering U.S. Constitution 3.0

~Second Year College Pre-Pharmacy Courses / Minimum Semester Hours

Organic Chemistry I & II with Labs 8.0

Cell Biology 3.0

##Human Anatomy with Lab 4.0

Microbiology with Lab 4.0

Medical Terminology 1.0

~NOTE: Second year college pre-pharmacy courses must be successfully completed within five years prior to admission entry date.

*Calculus courses that are less than 4.0 credit hours or that do not include analytical geometry will not meet the minimum requirement.

#Preparatory or introductory biology courses will not meet the minimum requirement.
**Physics courses must be at least algebra and trigonometry based.

##Successful completion of two semesters of Human Anatomy and Physiology with labs will meet the Human Anatomy requirement.
NOTE: Successful completion of Human Biochemistry I & II within five years prior to admission entry date is encouraged as part of the pre-requisite requirement, but not required.

 

Pre-pharmacy coursework must total a minimum of 56 credit hours. General CLEP credits will not be used to fulfill the mathematics, biology, physics, or chemistry requirements. Advanced Placement Program scores through the College Board are accepted for some pre-pharmacy courses. Check acceptable scores and courses at http://www.umkc.edu/registrar/transfer-credit/default.asp. Contact an academic advisor in the School of Pharmacy regarding minimum score requirements and course transferability. Official scores from the College Board must be sent to UMKC for evaluation.

Additional information regarding degree program and admission requirements is located on the UMKC School of Pharmacy Prospective Students webpage located at http://pharmacy.umkc.edu/admissions/pharmd/.  Applicants with questions regarding admission should contact the 

UMKC School of Pharmacy
Student Services Office
2464 Charlotte Street / Kansas City, MO / 64108
(816) 235-1613 / Fax (816) 235-5562
pharmacy@umkc.edu

Application Procedures

Applications for the doctor of pharmacy program are accepted between June 15 through February 1 for consideration for admission to the class entering the following fall. Admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program is competitive. Applicants who meet the minimum requirements for admission may not be accepted due to space availability restrictions. New students are admitted to the doctor of pharmacy program only in the fall of each year.

As part of the process for application to the Doctor of Pharmacy program, all of the application steps and instructions located within the applications must be adhered to carefully and all required documents must be  submitted no later than the February 1st deadline, unless otherwise stated.

 

1. Applicants must complete and submit the PharmCAS application with all supporting and required documentation and fee. The PharmCAS application is located at http://www.pharmcas.org/. Official transcripts(s) from each college and/or university attended showing all coursework attempted and completed through the Fall term prior to admission entry date must be submitted to PharmCAS. Applicants must submit recent, official scores from the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) to PharmCAS and an electronic PharmCAS reference from only specified categories as noted on the UMKC Doctor of Pharmacy application.
2. Applicants must complete and submit a UMKC Doctor of Pharmacy Application for Admission, to include supplemental materials and application fee. Pharm.D. Application for Admission is located at http://pharmacy.umkc.edu/admissions/pharmd/apply under Application Instructions.
3. Candidates for admission must meet and adhere to the UMKC School of Pharmacy Minimal Technical Standards for Admission, Matriculation and Graduation as part of the Pharm.D. Application.  The Standards are listed on the application, as well as at http://pharmacy.umkc.edu/current-students under "Additional Policies". Students admitted to the Pharm.D. program must continue to meet and adhere to these standards throughout their tenure in the Pharm.D. program. 
4. Students whose native language is not English must follow the UMKC English Proficiency Requirements for International Students. The minimum TOEFL score required is 220 computer score or 560 paper version.
5. Selected applicants must complete a formal, structured interview at the School of Pharmacy on the UMKC campus as a factor for admission. Applicants are notified by e-mail before their scheduled interview. Applicants should note that meeting minimum eligibility requirements does not automatically qualify an applicant for an interview. Based on the academic and application credentials of the applicant and the applicant pool, the school will select candidates for an interview. Students who do not qualify for the interview will also receive written notice.

 

Notification of Acceptance

Students will receive written notification of the school's decision concerning their applications.

Official supplementary college transcripts must be submitted to the Pharmacy Student Services Office upon completion of winter/spring and summer coursework. Final acceptance is contingent on submission and clearance of a criminal background check, good academic and behavioral standing, successful completion (grade of C or higher) of the specified minimum hours of required pre-pharmacy courses and any other coursework completed during the winter/spring and/or summer term prior to admission. Those applicants approved for admission will be required to confirm their acceptance and submit an advance deposit to guarantee their place in the entering class. This deposit is applied to the first term's educational fees and is not refundable.