Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Admission Requirements

Requirements

1. Required Pre-Pharmacy Courses

Applicants must complete 60 credit units of university transferable work including the prerequisite courses listed below.
The remaining credits can be made up by successful completion of a combination of university-level course work.
It is advisable NOT to take any spring or summer courses in your final year of study because transcripts are due June 15 of the year you wish to apply. Grades from spring or summer courses will not be available in time to meet this deadline.
A minimum grade of C- (or equivalent) is required in any transfer course (i.e., courses not completed at the University of Alberta) used to meet a prerequisite requirement. Grades of D+, D, D- and F are considered deficient for transfer coursework. See the University of Alberta Grading System guidelines for further information about how GPA converts to letter grades.

The following courses (or equivalent) are required in the 60 unit credit weight:

This table has headers. The first column is the type of course, the second column is the unit credit weight (UCW), and the last column is the courses offered at University of Alberta.
Course	Unit Credit Weight (UCW)	At University of Alberta
English*	6	Choose ENGL courses
General Chemistry	6	CHEM 101 and 102
Organic Chemistry	6	CHEM 261 and 263 or CHEM 264 and 265
Human Physiology	6	PHYSL 210 A/B or PHYSL 212 and 214**
Mathematics	3	Choose Calculus or Algebra
Statistics	3	STAT 151
Cell Biology	3	BIOL 107
Biochemistry	3	BIOCH 200
Microbiology***	3	MICRB 265

*The requirement for English can include up to 3 UCW in Writing Studies (for example WRS 101) except for WRS 104. Please note that ENGL 150 is not acceptable.

**PHYSL 212 and 214 required for students in the Physiology Honors program. Credit may be obtained in only one of PHYSL 212 and 214, or 210. For more information regarding the online PHYSL 210 course offered at the University of Alberta, click here.

**We do not accept exercise physiology courses as we are looking solely for human physiology courses. Any questions regarding human physiology courses will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

***We do not accept medical microbiology courses.

If you are a student attending a university or college in Alberta, refer to the Alberta Transfer Equivalency Guide to determine course transferability for most courses from post-secondary institutions in Alberta.
If your course does not show up on the Alberta Transfer Equivalency guide, please contact us to determine transferability. The faculty will consider transfer credit for some courses on a case-by-case basis.
Email phstud@ualberta.ca for any questions or concerns about equivalency of courses taken at other Canadian institutions.
If you are an international student, please contact phstud@ualberta.ca for any transfer questions or concerns. The faculty is committed to support international student applications and will work on a case-by-case basis to determine transfer credit eligibility.

2. Academic Requirements

Recent overall GPA, performance in Biological Science prerequisite courses and performance in the heaviest credit weight year are some of the factors that contribute to overall ranking.
Typically, competitive applicants usually present with a GPA of at least 3.3. To be ranked highly, students should aim for the following Grade Point Averages: Alberta Students: 3.5 or greater (4-point scale), Out-of-province Students: 3.7 or higher (4-point scale).
It is preferable that 30 credit units are taken in at least one academic year (September to April).

3. Other Requirements

The “Letter of Intent”, which will be included in your application portal once you apply, provides an opportunity for you to convey career goals, knowledge of the profession, employment or volunteer experience and other personal attributes.
Students are required to speak with a practising pharmacist that you have no conflict of interest with (e.g., familial connections) to find out firsthand about the profession. Please have the pharmacist fill out the Pharmacist Consultation form that you will be able to download and upload to your application portal when you apply.
Some students are required to meet the spoken English requirement (see the University of Alberta Calendar - English Language Proficiency). This will be added to your checklist if it applies to you.
It is your responsibility to ensure that course descriptions are provided for any post secondary coursework completed outside of Canada. The course descriptions checklist can be found HERE.

4. Web-based Interview

The faculty does not conduct in-person interviews. Once you have paid the application fee, completed the Letter of Intent and a pharmacist consultation form, you will receive a link to a web-based interview toward the end of April. This will also include video instructions and a submission deadline. Interviews are used to further assess applicant fit in addition to GPA based rankings.

5. Selection Process

Students are ranked based on a combination of the following:

overall GPA — calculated using your most recent two years of full course load (defined as at least 18 credits or more during fall/winter only). This applies to students applying after more than two years of study. However, students applying in their second year of study will need to complete all 60 credits including prerequisites by the June 15 transcript deadline.
GPA in the foundational biological science prerequisite courses — these include Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Human Physiology.
GPA in your highest credit weight year (fall/winter only).

Once applicants are ranked on the above criteria, the web-based interview is used to assess the candidate's ability to formulate a cohesive and logical response to the interview questions and their ability to convey their ideas in an effective manner. The response in the Letter of Intent is also carefully reviewed for grammar, content and completeness.

The admissions committee has the responsibility of selecting from among the applicants who have demonstrated promise to complete the program and successfully gain licensure as pharmacists. The PharmD program has a limit on the number of applicants it can accept and admission is competitive.

6. Applying

Applications open: October 1, 2023

Application deadline: March 1, 2024

Late applications or missing requirements are not considered under any circumstances.

Items required to complete application

Online application and non-refundable application fee due by March 1, 2024. This includes the Letter of Intent, pharmacist consultation form, and course descriptions (if required).
Interview - submission deadline to be determined
Proof of English Proficiency (if required) - June 15, 2024
Transcripts - June 15, 2024

If you are currently a U of A student, we will automatically pull your transcripts. Transcripts will also be sent on your behalf if you apply through ApplyAlberta. However, out-of-province students must request their transcript be sent directly from the issuing institution below or by email to transcript@ualberta.ca.

University of Alberta
Administration Building
Edmonton, AB T6G 2M7

Note: if you are a practising pharmacist, you can apply to the PharmD for Practicing Pharmacists program.

Indigenous Applicants

The Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences may provide one position to an Indigenous applicant, over the regular quota. Students who are of Indigenous ancestry within the meaning of the Constitution Act, 1982, Section 35(2) will be considered in this category (University of Alberta Calendar - General Information). Proof of Indigenous status, to be provided as part of the application for admission, is required for consideration of this position.

Candidates will be subject to admission as outlined in University of Alberta Calendar - PharmD and to approval by the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences admissions committee. If there are no qualified students who identify as Indigenous in any given year, this position will not be allocated to other applicants.

Applicants who identify as Indigenous should contact the First Peoples' House, for individual counselling and career planning.