Due to the selective admissions process for both of our programs combined with the fact that many students change their minds about majors and academic interests, we encourage students to think about developing parallel plans that they can work toward in conjunction with their pre-pharmacy plans.
The School of Pharmacy programs (PharmD and BS Pharmacology and Toxicology) are limited enrollment programs with competitive, selective admissions processes. Completion of the prerequisites does NOT guarantee admission to the program of your choice. We seek to admit approximately 120 qualified applications to the PharmD program and 24 students to the PharmTox major each year (fall entrance only).
Many students choose parallel majors in science or healthcare fields, but you are free to choose any major that reflects your personality and interests and will help you meet your goals. It is important to gather information and explore the different options available to you. You may find that many majors have courses in common with the pre-pharmacy requirements and some majors will have very different requirements.
Plan for your parallel major by:
- Visiting the Exploration Center for Majors and Careers – https://cec.ccas.wisc.edu/major-exploration/
- Making an appointment with a Cross College Advising Service (CCAS) advisor if you are still deciding on a major – https://ccas.wisc.edu/
- Researching majors and requirements via the Guide – https://guide.wisc.edu
- Running “What If” DARS reports for majors that you are considering (see below)
- Meeting with academic advisors for the departments, schools, and/or majors that are of interest to you
- Taking courses that satisfy degree requirements in both pre-pharmacy and non-pharmacy areas
- Exploring through student organizations and hands-on experiences
- Check-out the Center for Pre-Health Advising (CPHA) – https://prehealth.wisc.edu/
- Degree Audit Reporting System (DARS) – A DARS report is a record of an undergraduate student’s progress toward a degree or certificate program. It shows which requirements have been completed and which ones remain to be completed. They can be a valuable resource for students who are interested in pursuing other majors or degree programs. “What If” DARS reports can be run to see how your courses might count toward other majors. Follow the directions on how to run a DARS report at the following link: https://kb.wisc.edu/registrar/94068
Application to other Schools of Pharmacy
Some students may choose to apply to more than one PharmD program. It is important to gather information and explore different options. You will find that some programs have courses in common with UW–Madison prerequisites, although there is no program with identical prerequisites.
Plan accordingly by:
- Visiting the AACP’s “Pharmacy School Locator” and other helpful resources: https://www.aacp.org/resources/school-locator
- Visiting websites of other pharmacy schools to research their specific prerequisites, selection criteria, statistics, and admission policies and procedures
- Clarifying any questions by contacting those programs directly for additional information and advice
- Checking to see if other program advisors will complete an unofficial evaluation of your UW coursework and verifying how your courses will transfer
- Taking courses that satisfy other programs’ admission and degree requirements
