Prerequisite Courses – Doctor of Pharmacy – Wayne State University

Prerequisite Courses

Science and Math prerequisites

All science and math prerequisites must be completed within the six years prior to admission. For example, if the application deadline is November 1, 2022, science courses must have been completed no earlier than 2016. In addition, the following prerequisite courses — or their equivalent — must be completed by May 31 of the year for which you are applying. (For instance, to begin the program in Fall 2023, you must complete these courses by May 31, 2023.)

Effective for the Fall 2023 admission cycle:

  • BIO 1510 – Basic Life Mechanisms (NSI)
  • BIO 2270 & 2271 or BIO 2200 (NSIL) – Introductory Microbiology & Lab
  • BIO 2870 + BIO 3200 – Six credits of Anatomy & Physiology with at least three at the 3000-level or higher
  • CHM 1100 & 1130 or CHM 1220 & 1230 – General Chemistry I & Lab (NSIL)
  • CHM 1140 & 1150* – General Chemistry II & Lab
  • CHM 1240 & 1250 – Organic Chemistry I & Lab 
  • CHM 2220 & 2230 – Organic Chemistry II & Lab
  • CHM 5600 – Biochemistry
  • MAT 2010 – Calculus I (QE)
  • PHY 2130 & 2131 – General Physics I & Lab (NSIL)

*CHM 1140/1150 is not required for applicants who completed CHM 1220/1230 at WSU or CHM 1240/1250 at any college or university prior to Fall 2022.

Six year prerequisite waiver

If any of the science courses were completed more than six years before the time of application submission, you may request a six year prerequisite waiver from the WSU PharmD program — as long as you earned a grade of 2.0 or higher in the science course.

Waiver requests must include: (a) the name, course number, and institution name of the course(s) to be waived and (b) a detailed explanation that describes how your employment experience or recent academic coursework demonstrates mastery of the prerequisite course content. Include a detailed account of the principles and objectives and the prerequisite course content along with specific employment duties or academic achievements. Attach your transcripts showing the grade for the course to the form. Unofficial transcripts are fine for waiver reviews.

Six-year prerequisite waivers are valid for one application cycle. Applicants reapplying to the PharmD program must submit a new waiver request because they do not roll over from one application cycle to the next.

Non-science prerequisites

The following prerequisite courses — or their equivalent — must be completed by August 31 of the year for which you are applying. (To begin the program in Fall 2023, these courses must be completed by August 31, 2023.)

  • ENG 1020 – Introductory College Writing (BC)
  • COM 1010 – Oral Communication (OC)* Exam option 
  • STA 1020 – Elementary Statistics (QE)

University General Education Requirements

The following general education courses, or their equivalent, must be completed by August 31 of the year for which you are applying. (To begin the program in Fall 2023, these courses must be completed by August 31, 2023.)

Students who enrolled at Wayne State prior to Fall 2018 can choose to follow the general education program below or the previous requirements, posted in the bulletin.

Students with a bachelor’s degree or who qualify under the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA) policy are exempt from completing the requirements below. Canadian students must earn a four year Honors Bachelor degree to be exempt from completing the general education courses. 

  • Civic Literacy (CIV)
  • Cultural Inquiry (CI)
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)
  • Global Learning (GL)
  • Intermediate Composition (IC) – ENG 3010 recommended
  • Social Inquiry (SI) – ECO 1000 or 2010 recommended

Questions about course equivalencies

Consult the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (EACPHS) Office of Student Affairs website to find equivalency guides for college and university coursework that are commonly transferred to our College. You can also conduct a self-service transcript evaluation and/or complete a self-service prerequisite worksheet.

Email any questions regarding prerequisite coursework to the college’s academic service officers at cphsinfo@wayne.edu.