PharmD FAQs

The PharmD program is a full-time, four-year program.

Regardless of any previous degree earned, the PharmD curriculum requires four years of study. Applicants already possessing an undergraduate or graduate degree must fulfill all UW–Madison PharmD prerequisite course requirements in order to be considered for admission. All science prerequisites must be completed within ten years of the desired year of entry. If you have questions about this policy, please contact the PharmD Admissions Office.

No. Our PharmD program is designed for full-time students with the vast majority of courses (including all required courses) occurring between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.

No. We do not participate in a direct-admit program, but we do offer an Early Assurance program that provides conditional admission for high school seniors and first-semester undergrads at a Universities of Wisconsin campus.

All students interested in the PharmD program can fast track into the School of Pharmacy without a bachelor’s degree once they complete the PharmD prerequisite course requirements (and 72 credits of college coursework). Completion of prerequisite coursework does not guarantee admission to the PharmD program. Learn more about application requirements.

No, we do not require a bachelor’s degree.

No. Preference is not given to students with bachelor’s degrees. In recent years, approximately 50% of enrolled students did not have an undergraduate degree.

Any college major is appropriate as long as the prerequisite courses are completed.

A pre-pharmacy student is a student who is taking the courses necessary to be considered for admission to the professional Doctor of Pharmacy program or the undergraduate Pharmacology and Toxicology BS program at the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy.

At UW–Madison, pre-pharmacy is not a major, it is an intention. No specific requirements or applications are required to pursue a pre-pharmacy path.

UW pre-pharmacy students can receive academic advising through our structured pre-pharmacy advising program. Students at other colleges and universities receive academic advising from their designated pre-pharmacy or pre-health/pre-professional advisors at their campus, but are strongly encouraged to initiate and maintain contact with pre-pharmacy/admissions advising staff at our School of Pharmacy. Our pre-pharmacy advisors are available to meet with prospective high school students, transfer students, and returning adult students. Contact us to request an appointment.

Students at any institution are welcome to contact us to meet or speak with an advisor. Academic and admissions advising is offered throughout the year via individual in-person or phone appointments, as well as group sessions and campus visits. If you are a UW–Madison student, you can also schedule an advising appointment with our School of Pharmacy Pre-Pharmacy advisor, Amy Zwaska, by logging into MyUW and using the Starfish app.

No. All applicants are reviewed using our selection criteria.

No. Preference is not given to state of Wisconsin residents. The Admissions Committee selects the most qualified students for admission into the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.

The PharmD program does not have a minimum GPA requirement. The GPA range for the most recent class was 2.8 – 4.0. The average GPA for the most recent class was 3.5. We encourage students to aim for grades of B or better in all math/science prerequisite coursework. Grades in repeated courses will be averaged with all other coursework, meaning that the repeated grade does NOT replace the original grade earned in the course. All prerequisite courses must have grades of C- or better.

Yes. The UW–Madison School of Pharmacy uses a rolling admissions process for the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program, which means that applications will be reviewed as they are completed. Your application and all required materials must be submitted prior to review and prior to a potential interview invitation. Be sure to apply early, as interview dates begin to fill and the class begins to fill closer to the deadline.

No. We do not accept advanced standing transfer students into our PharmD program. Applicants wishing to transfer from another school/college of pharmacy must apply as an entry-level applicant through PharmCAS, where they will be granted equal consideration alongside other entry-level applicants. Read more about our policy on advanced standing transfers.

Students are welcome and encouraged to reapply to our PharmD program. You would need to resubmit all application materials for consideration for the next year. Please consider that a maximum of three (3) application attempts will be allowed. Students not accepted after their third application attempt will have to wait three (3) years to reapply from their last (or third) application attempt. Learn more about the reapplication process to the PharmD program.

Yes. International students need to complete all prerequisite coursework. All applicants are required to attend an accredited U.S. or Canadian university for at least one full-time semester (12 credits) prior to being considered for admission, and the English composition prerequisite must be completed at an accredited college or university in the U.S. or Canada. Some international credits may be counted towards our prerequisite courses. Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by WES and submitted to PharmCAS. In addition to the required application materials, international applicants must also submit the TOEFL/IELTS (if applicable) and the financial verification form. Accepted International students must submit VISA/I-20 documentation and additional funding documentation.

No. We do not offer an accelerated PharmD program. All applicants to the PharmD program must complete the PharmD prerequisite courses to be eligible for admission. Please see our prerequisite policies for more information. Please see the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP) to see if you are eligible to participate in the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination (FPGEE).

No. Prerequisites can be “in progress” at the time of application but would need to be completed by the time of entrance into the School of Pharmacy. Students may use the summer prior to enrollment to complete required work.

You may take your prerequisites at different schools. However, you need to be careful to plan accordingly. If you begin a science series at one school and finish at another, it is possible that all of the required components of the course descriptions may not be met adequately. We recommend that sequence courses (General Biology, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry) be completed at one institution.

All prerequisite courses can be taken online. To earn credit for a prerequisite course, you must earn a C- or better.

Yes. If students complete their prerequisite coursework at UW–Madison, credit will be granted according to UW–Madison credit by exam policies. If students complete their prerequisite coursework at an institution other than UW–Madison, we will honor your pre-pharmacy school’s test score requirements. See more on AP and IB test scores.

The UW–Madison Office of the Registrar determines the residency status of students based on Wisconsin state law. More information about residency including frequently asked questions can be found on the UW Office of the Registrar.

Note: If you enter and remain in Wisconsin principally to attend an educational institution during the twelve months you are attempting to establish bona fide residence in Wisconsin, you are presumed to continue to reside outside the state. This presumption remains in effect until you are able to demonstrate you have overcome the presumption with clear and convincing evidence of bona fide residence in the state for the year next preceding a term for which you wish to enroll at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Generally, a student who enters Wisconsin to attend any educational institution will continue in the nonresident status until the student’s reason for being in Wisconsin is clearly shown to be non-educational. Twelve months after the change in the student’s reason for being in Wisconsin, the student may wish to inquire about appealing their nonresident status.

Yes! With generous support from donors, alumni, and other school of pharmacy and campus initiatives, over $500,000 in scholarships were offered to first-year PharmD students for the 2023-2024 academic year. All incoming PharmD students are considered for scholarships using submitted application materials to determine scholarship eligibility.  After applicants are selected for admission, a separate process determines scholarship awards. Scholarships are awarded throughout the rolling admissions cycle. Types of scholarships offered include: Resident & Nonresident Merit Scholarships, Need-Based Scholarships, AOP (Advanced Opportunity Program) Scholarships. In addition, the School of Pharmacy offers Admissions Scholarships to many admitted students who reside outside the State of Wisconsin. These scholarships significantly reduce the cost of tuition for our accepted nonresident students.

Continuing PharmD students (2nd, 3rd, and 4th year students) have the opportunity to apply for additional scholarships. See the Wisconsin Scholarship Hub  for scholarship offerings for continuing students.