Pre-Pharmacy Program at EIU

Pharmacy is the art and science of dispensing drugs and educating patients about medications and their use. In addition, pharmacists advise physicians and other health practitioners on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects of medications. To prepare for a career in pharmacy, a student must complete a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm. D.) degree at a professional college of pharmacy. Almost all of our students attend the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy (UIC), Chicago College of Pharmacy (CCP), or St. Louis College of Pharmacy (SLCP). Each offers a different program and has a different set of pre-pharmacy requirements which are described below.  Eastern Illinois University is not affiliated with any colleges of pharmacy and cannot guarantee admission to a professional school. Students who apply to pharmacy schools will be competing with students applying from other colleges and universities.

The University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy enrolls over 600 students. The college offers the Pharm. D. degree and requires all students to complete the equivalent of two years of pre-pharmacy study in a college or university before entering the program. Students with a 2.5 GPA or better may then apply to the College of Pharmacy and, once accepted, spend an additional four years completing the program. The Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) is required for admission.

The Chicago College of Pharmacy, which opened in 1991, is a part of Midwestern University. Enrollment at CCP is almost 400 students. CCP offers a four-year program leading to the Pharm. D. degree. All entering students must have completed the equivalent of two years of pre-pharmacy study in a college or university. Students with a 2.5 GPA or better may apply to the College of Pharmacy. The PCAT is required.

St. Louis College of Pharmacy is a private, independent college which enrolls 800 students. The college recruits most of its students directly from high school. SLCP offers a six-year program leading to the Pharm. D. degree. Students may also apply to transfer to SLCP after one or two years of pre-pharmacy studies at a college or university. If accepted, they will complete the remaining four or five years of the program at SLCP. The PCAT is recommended for prospective transfer students.

Other regional universities with pharmacy programs include Purdue and Butler Universities in Indiana, Drake University (Iowa), University of Iowa, and University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Two-Year Pre-Pharmacy Requirements for University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy (UIC), Chicago College of Pharmacy (CCP), and St. Louis College of Pharmacy (SLCP):

General Biology w/laboratory (2 semesters) BIO 1100, BIO 1300
Human Anatomy (UIC & SLCP) BIO 2200
Human Physiology (SLCP only) BIO 2001 (not transferable)
General Chemistry w/laboratory (2 semesters) CHM 1310, 1315; 1410, 1415
Organic Chemistry w/laboratory CHM 2440, 2445, 2840 (2 semesters) CHM 2845
Physics PHY 1151, 1152
PHY 1161, 1162 (UIC only)
Math (through Calculus) MAT 1330, 1400, 1441
Written communication ENG 1001, 1002
Speech communication (UIC & CCP) COM 1310
Psychology (SLCP only) PSY 1879
Sociology (SLCP only) SOC 2710

General Education (see below) 9-12 semester hours

 

Distribution in General Education (UIC):

General education is classified in three categories. Students must complete at least one course (3 semester hours) in each of the three areas below. The subjects listed in parentheses are examples of appropriate courses. General education requirements for CCP and SLCP are similar.

Economics (ECN 2801 recommended)
Humanities (ENG, FL, HIS, JOU, PHI)
Social or Behavior Sciences (ANT, PLS, PSY, SOC)

Electives (UIC):  Additional elective courses may be taken to complete a total of 60 semester hours for admission to UIC.

For additional information, please visit the following web sites:

Pre-Pharmacy at Eastern Illinois University
American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy

For more information about the Pre-Pharmacy Program at EIU, please contact us.

Ms. Pamela LeVine, Pre-Health Professions Advisor 
Life Science 2058
Department of Biological Sciences

Eastern Illinois University 
Charleston, IL  61920 

                Phone:  (217) 581-6390 
                Fax: (217) 581-7141 
                E-mail: plevine@eiu.edu