UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Introduction

Pharmacists are drug information experts and are among the most trusted and most accessible health care professionals. Generalists practice in a variety of environments, including community pharmacies, health-system pharmacies, and the pharmaceutical and health care industries. Specialty pharmacy practitioners pursue training beyond the doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) through residencies and fellowships and may ultimately practice in areas such as pediatrics, geriatrics, cardiology, oncology, ambulatory/community care, and others.

Pharmacists evaluate complex approaches to drug therapy and advise patients and other health care professionals on strategies to achieve the best results from pharmaceutical care. Other pharmacists are engaged in practices that monitor, manage, and implement policies affecting drug prescription and use across large groups of patients, such as those enrolled in a health plan.

The UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy’s doctor of pharmacy is a 4-year professional program that offers a curriculum centered on patient care. Our Pharm.D. program offers a highly immersive curricula, with patient care immersion experiences commencing during students’ second year of study.

Advising

In the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, advising is a form of teaching. Faculty advisors serve as content experts and mentors and are assigned to new students prior to the first semester of study. To fully maximize both curricular and co-curricular experiences, students are encouraged to schedule consistent and ongoing advising appointments throughout the course of their study.

Career Opportunities

Pharmacy offers a variety of opportunities for career advancement and job security in all areas of the health care system, including:

• Community pharmacy, as a practitioner or a manager in a retail pharmacy, clinic, or office practice
• Health system pharmacy, as a practitioner, supervisor, or manager in large or small hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, and health-maintenance organizations
• Pharmaceutical industry, in positions involving research, production, product development, product marketing, and drug information
• Government, in the United States Public Health Service, Veterans Administration, Drug Enforcement Administration, Food and Drug Administration, and military services

Admission Requirements

The doctor of pharmacy requires at least two years of undergraduate study (at least 60 credit hours), followed by four years of study in the professional program.

Applicants must complete all prerequisites by the end of May of the year they plan to enroll.

Students who will have earned a baccalaureate degree prior to enrolling in their first year of the program must complete the math and science prerequisites only.

Students who will not have earned a baccalaureate degree prior to enrolling in their first year of the program must complete both the math and science prerequisites and the general education requirements.

Application Procedures

Students applying to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy must submit complete applications to the Pharm.D. program through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS). For application deadlines, processes, and procedures, visit the website.

Prerequisites

All prerequisite courses must be completed with a letter grade of C minus or better (not Pass/Fail).

If you have a bachelor's degree:

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
CHEM 101 & 101L	General Descriptive Chemistry I and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory I H, F	4
CHEM 102 & 102L	General Descriptive Chemistry II and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory II H, F	4
CHEM 241 & 241L	Modern Analytical Methods for Separation and Characterization and Laboratory in Separations and Analytical Characterization of Organic and Biological Compounds 1, H	4
CHEM 261	Introduction to Organic Chemistry I H	3
CHEM 262 & 262L	Introduction to Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory in Organic Chemistry H	4
BIOL 101 & 101L	Principles of Biology and Introductory Biology Laboratory H, F	4
BIOL 252 & 252L	Fundamentals of Human Anatomy and Physiology and Fundamentals of Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory H	4
MCRO 251	Introductory Medical Microbiology	4
PHYS 114	General Physics I: For Students of the Life Sciences F	4
MATH 231	Calculus of Functions of One Variable I H, F	4
STOR 151	Introduction to Data Analysis	3
or STOR 155	Introduction to Data Models and Inference
CHEM 430	Introduction to Biological Chemistry H	3
or CHEM 433	Introduction to Biochemistry for Majors

¹

Only required for students completing prerequisite courses at UNC–Chapel Hill. 

²

Not required of students completing CHEM 241/CHEM 241L at UNC–Chapel Hill. 

If you do not have a bachelor's degree:

Students enrolling in the program without a bachelor’s degree are required to complete at least two years of undergraduate coursework (at least 60 semester credit hours) including the math, science, and general education prerequisites from a regionally accredited institution.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
CHEM 101 & 101L	General Descriptive Chemistry I and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory I H, F	4
CHEM 102 & 102L	General Descriptive Chemistry II and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory II H, F	4
CHEM 241 & 241L	Modern Analytical Methods for Separation and Characterization and Laboratory in Separations and Analytical Characterization of Organic and Biological Compounds 1, H	4
CHEM 261	Introduction to Organic Chemistry I H	3
CHEM 262 & 262L	Introduction to Organic Chemistry II and Laboratory in Organic Chemistry H	4
BIOL 101 & 101L	Principles of Biology and Introductory Biology Laboratory H, F	4
BIOL 252 & 252L	Fundamentals of Human Anatomy and Physiology and Fundamentals of Human Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory H	4
MCRO 251	Introductory Medical Microbiology	4
PHYS 114	General Physics I: For Students of the Life Sciences F	4
MATH 231	Calculus of Functions of One Variable I H, F	4
STOR 151	Introduction to Data Analysis	3
or STOR 155	Introduction to Data Models and Inference
CHEM 430	Introduction to Biological Chemistry H	3
or CHEM 433	Introduction to Biochemistry for Majors

¹

Only required for students completing prerequisite courses at UNC–Chapel Hill. 

²

Not required of students completing CHEM 241/CHEM 241L at UNC–Chapel Hill. 

General Education Prerequisites

Professional Degree

• Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) 

Minor

• Pharmaceutical Sciences Minor 

​Graduate Programs

• M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences 
• M.P.S. in Regulatory Science
• Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences 

See the Eshelman School of Pharmacy directory for a list of faculty and staff.  

PHCY–Pharmacy

All courses and electives for the Pharm.D. program are listed below by year in the curriculum. See the Student Handbook and the program's Web site for information about course sequence by semester. 

Professional Year 1

Professional Year 2

Professional Year 3

Professional Year 4

Electives

See the Student Handbook for the Pharm.D. Elective policy. The below list does not include all courses offered by other UNC departments and schools that may be approved electives.