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Pharmacy Admissions

Two women in laboratory coats work at a lab station; one pours liquid into a flask on a hot plate while the other grinds a substance in a mortar, showcasing hands-on training essential for earning a PharmD or pharmacy degree in a classroom setting.

Prepare Early for Admission

We are excited that you are visiting this portion of our website to learn more about the admissions process. The menu items will give you an opportunity to explore the details of applying to the Union University College of Pharmacy.

If you have questions or would like to schedule a visit, please feel free to contact Michael Renfrow at 731-661-5979 or mrenfrow@uu.edu.

Pharmacy by the Numbers

8:1

Student to Faculty Ratio

2.5/1.5

Class Years/Hands on Experience

1.5

Years Practice Experience

400/300

Preceptors/Training Sites

27/2

Training Sites States/Foreign Countries

A group of people in white lab coats stand in a row indoors, holding papers and reading from them, likely participating in a PharmD ceremony or event.

Admission Standards

Admission to the Union University College of Pharmacy is by committee action, based on the overall record and aptitude of the applicant. To be considered for admission the candidate must meet the following requirements:

  • Applicants must complete all prerequisite requirements at an accredited institution recognized by American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP). See the Prerequisites page for more details.
  • The cumulative GPA should be greater than or equal to 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
  • A grade of “C” or higher for each prerequisite course is required.
  • All applicants must also complete the online PharmCAS application. The application must be complete and include at least three references. See the Application Process page for more details.
  • An onsite interview is required as part of the admission process. Interviews are conducted by invitation only and will be sent via email. A writing sample will be required as part of the onsite interview.

Applicants are encouraged to apply early as space is limited. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis throughout the year until the class is filled. The Union University College of Pharmacy admits only once class per year in the fall semester.

Applicants must also comply with the Union University Adult Community Values Statement.

Technical Standards

The mission of Union University is to provide Christ-centered education that promotes excellence and character development in service to Church and society. Taking these demands into consideration with the understanding and acknowledgment of Section 504 of the 1973 Vocational Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the faculty of the College of Pharmacy set forth the following technical standards that must be met for admission to, progression through and graduation from the Union University College of Pharmacy.

All recipients of the Pharm.D. degree must meet the following technical standards in order to ensure successful competency as they enter the practice of pharmacy. These standards are placed into effect to ensure your success as a health care professional and the safety of the patients with which you are entrusted. Any condition that poses a current or potential risk to the safety or well-being of patients or colleagues must be formally disclosed prior to matriculation into the College of Pharmacy. Such disclosure will not result in automatic exclusion from the program but must be considered in the interest of patient safety. Any individual determined to be currently impaired by alcohol or legal or illegal substances does not meet the technical standards mentioned below.

Prerequisites

Admission to the College of Pharmacy requires the completion of the following prerequisite coursework:

Prerequisites for the College of Pharmacy
CourseSemestersQuarters
Biology or Zoology*23
General Chemistry*23
Organic Chemistry*23
Human Anatomy & Physiology*23
Upper-Level Science/Math**12
Microbiology*11
Calculus*12
Statistics*11
Written Composition23
Communications/Speech11
Humanities Electives+12
Social Sciences Electives+12

Notes

Courses that will increase the strength of the applicant's candidacy include Biochemistry, Immunology, Genetics and a second semester of Physics.

*For all science, calculus or statistics courses, the prospective pharmacy student should take courses which are suitable for science majors intending graduate study and should include laboratories when available. The calculus course(s) should include both differential and integral calculus.

** Upper-level Science/Math would be defined as any 200+ level course in the natural sciences (Lab required) or field of mathematics. Recommended examples include Physics, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, and Calculus II.

+Elective courses must conform to the following distribution and requirements:

  • Humanities Electives include courses from arts, history, language, literature, or philosophy.
  • Social Sciences Electives include courses from anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, or sociology.

It is also strongly recommended that candidates for a Doctor of Pharmacy program gain work experience in a pharmacy setting prior to application.

Application Process

PharmCAS Application

Complete the online application through PharmCAS at pharmcas.org. Please be certain that all questions are answered and proper materials are sent to PharmCAS before submitting your application. Items to be submitted to PharmCAS include:

  • Official college transcripts from each institution attended. Applicants are required to forward ALL official transcripts of all undergraduate colleges and any graduate and professional school enrollments to PharmCAS. Transcripts are required even if coursework does not apply toward pharmacy prerequisites. Have all transcripts sent to:
    PharmCAS
    Transcript Department
    PO Box 9109
    Watertown, MA 02471-4403
  • Three letters of recommendation. Three letters of recommendation are required and must be submitted directly to PharmCAS. These should be from professors, academic advisors, employers or supervisors of volunteer activities (a reference from a pharmacist is recommended but not required).

Admission Interview

An onsite interview is required as a part of the admission process. Prior to admission, applicant files are reviewed, and interviews are conducted by invitation only.

Criminal Background Check Policy

The Union University College of Pharmacy requires all students to submit to a criminal background check prior to admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program and annually thereafter. Students must pay for the annual criminal background checks.

Acceptance Deposit

Once a candidate is accepted into the Union University College of Pharmacy, a $500 deposit paid through the Application Status Portal is required to hold your seat in the class.

Drug Screen Policy

The Union University College of Pharmacy requires all students to submit to a urine drug screen on admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program and randomly, but not less than annually, thereafter.

Transfer Application Policy

Students wishing to transfer to the UUCOP from other schools or colleges of pharmacy will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Applicants will only be considered if they are seeking transfer from an ACPE-accredited program.

A decision about transfer status will be relayed to the applicant upon receipt of the following documents:

  • Letter of intent outlining reason for transfer request
  • Letter from previous institution’s Dean of Students outlining current academic status and terms of departure (academic/professionalism status)
  • Two letters of recommendation (one from a current faculty member)
  • Pharmacy course catalog and syllabi from all courses taken to date
  • Official prerequisite and pharmacy transcripts from all institutions

The aforementioned documents should be submitted to the Director of Pharmacy Admissions within the Office of Student Services. In the instance a curricular deficiency is identified, applicants may be offered a competency assessment to demonstrate knowledge and, therefore, secure transfer credit for a particular course. Transfer credit will only be awarded when the applicant has earned a grade of C or better. The Assistant Dean of Student Services, in conjunction with the Chairs of the Admissions and Curriculum Committees, will present a recommendation for transfer to the Admissions Committee. The decision of the Admissions Committee will be final.

Course Waiver Policy for Required courses

Students who have completed graduate-level coursework that is equivalent to a required course may request a waiver of a required course. Students should submit a request for waiver along with a course syllabus and official transcript to the Chair of the Curriculum Committee. This request must be made at least four weeks in advance of the semester in which the class begins in order to be considered. Once matriculated into the UUCOP, students cannot seek courses outside the college in order to waive courses required in the curriculum.

Course Waiver Policy for Elective courses

Students who have completed graduate-level coursework (minimum of two credit hours) that is relevant to the professional curriculum may request acceptance of credit. Students should submit a request for waiver along with a course syllabus and official transcript to the Chair of the Curriculum Committee. If deemed acceptable, the course will satisfy two of the eight elective hours that must be earned in order to meet graduation requirements. The remaining six elective hours must be earned through the COP.

Two-Year Pre-Pharmacy Track

The Pre-Pharmacy Track is a two-year track preparing students for admission into the Union University College of Pharmacy. Students interested in participating in the Pre-Pharmacy Track will make this designation on their Undergraduate Application. Pre-Pharmacy Track students will be advised by College of Pharmacy staff.

Students must take a minimum of 14 credit hours per semester and follow the Pre-Pharmacy Track curriculum as outlined below. Students will complete the PharmCAS application the summer following completion of their first academic year.

Students may also participate in the Pharmacy Early Admission Program (PEAP) as part of the Pre-Pharmacy Track. For details regarding benefits, eligibility, progression criteria and matriculation, please see the PEAP section.

Freshman Year

Freshman Year
Fall SemesterSpring Semester
ENG 111 Written Composition I3CHE 112 Chemical Equilibrium4
MAT 211 Calculus w/Anal. Geo. I4BIO 211 Microbiology4
CHE 111 General Chemistry I4BIO 210 Zoology4
BIO 112 Principles of Biology4ENG 112 Written Composition II3
COM 112 or 235 Speech3
Total Hours15Total Hours18

Sophomore Year

Sophomore Year
Fall SemesterSpring Semester
BIO 307 Adv. Human A&P I4BIO 309 Adv. Human A&P II4
CHE 314 Organic Chemistry I3CHE 315 Organic Chemistry II3
CHE 324 Organic Chem. I Lab2CHE 326 Org. Chem II Lab2
Upper-Level Science/Math*5MAT 114 Statistics3
SS/Humanities Elective**3 SS/Humanities Elective**3
Total Hours17Total Hours15

Notes

*Upper-level Science/Math would be defined as any 200+ level course in the natural sciences (Lab required) or field of mathematics.

**Social Science and Humanities Elective Options:
ECO 211 (3), ECO 212 (3), HON 210 (3), PHL 240 (3), PSC 211 (3), PSY 213 (3), or SOC 211 (3)

Pharmacy Early Admission Program (PEAP)

The purpose of the Pharmacy Early Admission Program (PEAP) is to recruit highly qualified students early in their college careers and to streamline their admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) program at Union University.

PEAP guarantees admission to the College of Pharmacy (COP), pending successful adherence to progression criteria and completion of an onsite interview.

Benefits

  • PEAP students with a GPA ≥3.0 are not required to pay the $1,000 deposit.
  • PEAP students will be mentored by COP staff members.
  • PEAP offers opportunities for social connections with other PEAP students, COP faculty, and COP students.
  • Research opportunities may be available to qualified students.

Eligibility

  • Students admitted to Union University as freshmen automatically qualify for PEAP.
  • A currently enrolled Union student who has completed one full academic year (fall and spring semesters) and a minimum of 28 of the required pharmacy prerequisite hours at Union University (at least 14 hours of science and math) with a minimum 2.5 GPA.

Progression Criteria

To enter the PEAP program or to maintain eligibility, students must

  • Notify the College of Pharmacy of interest in PEAP upon admission to Union University or upon completion of qualifications for PEAP (if a current student or transfer student). This notification should be given to the COP admissions office no later than October 15. Registration with the COP is critical as space is limited for each admitted class. Download Freshmen Student Form (.pdf). Download Current Student Form (.pdf).
  • Maintain a cumulative GPA of ≥2.5.
  • Achieve an ACT ≥22 or CLT ≥72 prior to matriculation into the College of Pharmacy.
  • Complete all pharmacy prerequisites prior to matriculation into the College of Pharmacy with a grade of “C” or above in each course.
  • Attend one announced COP event annually.
  • Meet each semester with their pharmacy mentor.
  • Register for and complete a minimum of 14 hours per semester (fall and spring) at Union University while in PEAP.

Prerequisite Courses

Prerequisite Courses
CoursesSemesters
*Biology or Zoology 2
*General Chemistry 2
*Organic Chemistry 2
*Human Anatomy and Physiology 2
*Upper-Level Science/Math 1
*Microbiology 1
*Calculus 1
*Statistics 1
Written Composition 2
Communications/Speech 1
+Humanities Electives 1
+Social Sciences Electives 1

Notes regarding prerequisites

Courses that will increase the strength of the applicant's candidacy include biochemistry, immunology, genetics, and a second semester of physics. Not all introductory courses in the sciences, calculus, or statistics will be accepted in fulfillment of pre-pharmacy requirements.

*For all science, calculus or statistics courses, the prospective pharmacy student should take courses which are suitable for science majors intending graduate study and should include laboratories when available.

+Elective courses must conform to the following distribution and requirements:

  • Humanities electives include courses from arts, history, language, literature, or philosophy.
  • Social Sciences electives include courses from anthropology, economics, political science, psychology, or sociology.

Matriculation

To matriculate into the College of Pharmacy via the PEAP, students must:

  • Complete the PharmCAS Application by September 1 of the year prior to matriculation.
  • Participate in an onsite interview. The interview will be scheduled by the COP Office of Admissions once the application is complete.

Additional Information

  • PEAP students are eligible to matriculate into the COP upon successful completion of prerequisite courses or the Bachelor’s degree.
  • Conditional admission will be granted to a PEAP student until the completion of the final undergraduate semester (contingent upon satisfactory completion of spring courses).
  • In some cases, PEAP students will be able to apply to have a Bachelor’s degree awarded after the first year of their Pharm.D. coursework. For information on this, the student is encouraged to contact their undergraduate advisor.
  • The COP admits only one cohort class per year (August).
  • It is also strongly recommended that candidates for a Doctor of Pharmacy program gain work experience in a pharmacy setting prior to matriculation.

Direct Admission Program Partnerships

The Union University College of Pharmacy has partnered with the institutions listed below to offer direct admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree program to interested undergraduate students. The purpose of the Direct Admission Program is to recruit highly qualified students early in their college careers and to streamline their admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Union University.

Click on each institution's name to view the agreement with course listings. Please contact the institution directly or our office with any questions.