Admission Requirements
Admissions Highlights
- Summer Prerequisite Coursework – Summer prerequisite courses, including online courses, are accepted. You may apply while required UIC pre-pharmacy courses are in-progress or scheduled to be completed by the summer before PharmD start.
- In-State Tuition for All – All students, regardless of residency status, are assessed the same tuition rate – the lowest in Illinois.
- PCAT – The PCAT is not required.
Pre-Pharmacy Prerequisite Coursework
Pre-Pharmacy Prerequisite Coursework
Minimum Grades – All pre-pharmacy prerequisite courses must have a C- grade or better.
AP and Test-Out Credits – AP and test-out credits will be accepted to meet pre-pharmacy prerequisite coursework if credit for these are given on a transcript. Pre-Pharmacy Prerequisite Coursework Guides are available for most Illinois schools and some out-of-state schools.
CR (credit) or P (pass) Grades – Pass or Credit grades in prerequisite courses are NOT accepted. *
*The exception for Pass & Credit grades are only accepted for prerequisite courses taken in Spring or Summer 2020 semesters.
Prerequisite Completion Deadline – All pre-pharmacy prerequisites courses do not need to be completed at the time of application. The prerequisites remaining at the time of application must be included in the coursework section of the PharmCAS application, indicating the particular course that will be taken, as well as where and when the course(s) will be taken. All must be completed and verified by the end of the second week in August for admission that fall – August 9, 2024 for Fall 2024 admission.
Foreign Coursework – Any applicant with foreign coursework (other than study abroad coursework taken through a US college) must provide a WES foreign coursework report. Please contact the Office of Student Affairs (email Pharmd@uic.edu) with any questions.
Communication
| Communication Coursework | Semester Courses | Quarter Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Written Communication | 1 | 1 |
| Verbal Communication | 1 | 1 |
| Additional (written or verbal) | 1 | 1 |
Life Sciences
| Life Sciences Coursework | Semester courses | Quarter courses |
|---|---|---|
| General Biology and labs | 2 | 3 |
| Anatomy and Physiology*** | 2 | 2 or 3 |
| Microbiology and lab | 1 | 1 |
Physical Sciences
| Physical Sciences | Semester Courses | Quarter Courses |
|---|---|---|
| General (inorganic) Chemistry and labs | 2 | 3 |
| Organic Chemistry and lab(s) | 2 | 3 |
| Physics | 1 | 1 |
| Biochemistry | 1 | 1 |
Mathematics/Statistics
| Mathematics/Statistics | Semester Courses | Quarter Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Calculus (integrals and derivatives) | 1 | 1 |
| Statistics | 1 | 1 |
Social/Behavioral Sciences
| Social/Behavioral Sciences | Semester Courses | Quarter Courses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
Humanities
| Humanities | Semester Courses | Quarter Courses |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |
Total Required Courses
| Total Required Courses | Semester Courses | Quarter Courses |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 21/22 |
Special Notes
*Each course must be a minimum of 3 semesters or 4 quarter credits.
**Courses must be a minimum of 3 semester credits/hours each (or 4 quarter credits/hours each). If labs are are required for a particular prerequisites, it may necessitate credits beyond these minimums. Exact credits will depend on the way a school offers its science courses/labs.
***Schools not offering an A & P sequence – one course in human anatomy and one course in human physiology (semester or quarter) will fulfill the requirement.
Note: If science coursework was taken more than five years prior to admission application, applicants should have a discussion with the Office of Student Affairs regarding their coursework.
GPA Requirements
To be considered, applicants must have a 2.50 (A=4.00) or higher GPA in three areas.
- Cumulative – all coursework taken at every institution attended; grades from all attempts of repeated courses are included
- Pre-Pharmacy Prerequisites – only coursework used to meet the prerequisites; only the highest grades received from repeated courses are included
- Science/Math – all science and math-related coursework; grades from all attempts of repeated courses are included
Applicants not meeting the GPA requirements at the time of application will be considered for review again after the PharmCAS Fall and/or Spring Academic Update.
The College has a holistic approach to reviewing applicants, which means that GPA is only one factor considered. Below are the GPA ranges of students that have been accepted in previous cycles.
GPA Ranges
| Admission Cycle | Prerequisite GPA Range | Average Prerequisite GPA |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2020 | 2.68 to 4.00 | 3.40 |
| Fall 2019 | 2.82 to 4.00 | 3.45 |
| Fall 2018 | 2.72 to 4.00 | 3.44 |
| Fall 2017 | 2.79 to 4.00 | 3.48 |
| Fall 2016 | 2.82 to 4.00 | 3.44 |
| Fall 2015 | 2.75 to 4.00 | 3.49 |
PCAT
Although the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admissions Test) is not required, it is one of many things considered in a holistic application review if an applicant opts to take it. Admitted students composite scores have ranged from 30 to 99 (percentile). Low scores cannot hurt an applicant. Scores above 50th percentile will be a plus and taken into account in the application review process.
Service & Professional Development Activities
Prospective students are expected to demonstrate a record of participation in activities that develop and demonstrate personal responsibility, improve communication and people skills, further personal knowledge of pharmacists’ roles and the pharmacy profession, and activities that demonstrate leadership abilities. These include health care-related employment opportunities, pharmacy/healthcare shadowing or volunteer experiences, sustained organizational memberships, and community service.
English Proficiency (if applicable)
UIC requires the submission of valid English proficiency test scores for all non-native English speakers.
The English proficiency test requirement for international applicants may be waived under certain circumstances. Please see the UIC Office of Admissions International Admissions page to determine if proof of English proficiency is required for your country/territory.
Below are the only tests and minimum scores accepted as evidence of English proficiency.
tests and minimum scores accepted
| Proficiency | TOEFL iBT | IELTS | PTE Academic | TOEFL PBT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Score | 80 | 6.5 | 54 | 550 |
| Listening | 17 | 6 | 47 | |
| Writing | 21 | 6 | 56 | |
| Reading | 19 | 6 | 51 | |
| Speaking | 20 | 6 | 53 |
Apply to the PharmD Program
(See Applying to PharmD Section)
Additional application requirements when applying to the PharmD Program
Additional application requirements when applying to the PharmD Program
PharmCAS Application
All applicants will complete a PharmCAS online application.
The PharmCAS application becomes available in July of each year. Although the UIC College of Pharmacy has a March PharmCAS deadline, complete applications are reviewed by the Admissions Committee as they are received starting in September and continuing through mid-March. Applicants will select their campus preference in the school specific supplemental questions part of the PharmCAS application.
For Fall 2025 admission, the PharmCAS application opens on July 11, 2024!
UIC PharmD Supplemental Application - by invitation
Applicants who have a verified PharmCAS application and meet the minimum GPA requirements will be invited to complete the UIC PharmD Supplemental Application. Please note that the UIC PharmD Supplemental Application is different from the school specific supplemental questions that are part of the PharmCAS application.
There is no additional UIC PharmD Supplemental Application Fee. This is waived for UIC PharmD applicants.
Letters of Recommendation
The UIC Retzky College of Pharmacy requires two letters of recommendation from approved sources:
- One recommendation should be from an academic reference such as an academic advisor, a professor, an instructor, or a TA;
- One recommendation should be from a work or volunteer supervisor.
Admissions Interview and Writing Assessment
Highly qualified applicants are invited to participate in an admission interview. Until further notice, admission interviews will take place in a virtual online format led by students, staff and faculty from the selected campus.
The interview day consists of interaction with current students, faculty, and alumni through general UIC College of Pharmacy information sessions, a tour, Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) style admission interviews, and a writing assessment.