Doctor of Pharmacy Admission
Admission to the Drake University PharmD program is based on academic and personal qualifications that are necessary for successful, competent practice as a pharmacist.
Doctor of Pharmacy Admission
Candidates are evaluated on the basis of the fit between their personal goals and the mission and goals of the PharmD program. Prior education, work experience, honors, awards, service to others and leadership activities are also considered in the admission process. Prior shadowing in a pharmacy environment is helpful, but not required.
Drake University's Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program operates on a rolling admission process. We will interview and admit students until the P1 class is full and a sufficient number of applicants have been identified for the wait list. We recommend submitting application materials early in order to ensure your application is processed and considered in a timely manner. Students with strong applications and academic credentials will be invited to complete the second phase of the admission process, which includes a required virtual or on-campus admission interview.
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Admission Requirements
Students who complete their prerequisite coursework at another regionally accredited institution or in a major other than pre-pharmacy at Drake may apply to our PharmD program by meeting the following requirements. Please note that these are the requirements applicants must meet in order for their applications to be considered complete. Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission to the PharmD program. These requirements can also be found on our PharmCAS School Directory page.
- Submit an application through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS)
- Complete the required Drake-specific questions within the PharmCAS application.
- Complete at least 2 years of undergraduate coursework (approximately 64 credit hours).
- No minimum GPA is required, although 3.0 (as calculated in PharmCAS) is considered competitive.
- Complete (or be in the process of completing) the prerequisite coursework outlined in the table below. Beginning with the Fall 2028 first-year pharmacy (P1) class, all required prerequisite pre-pharmacy coursework must be completed with a grade of C- or above.
Prerequisite Coursework
All required courses must be completed by the end of the summer term prior to entering the PharmD program.
| Subject | Courses/Credit Hours | Drake Courses |
|---|---|---|
| General (Inorganic) Chemistry A complete year course sequence in general (inorganic) chemistry is required. Courses must fulfill the prerequisite requirements for organic chemistry. Labs are required. |
2 courses/8 credit hours (including labs) | CHEM 001, 002, 003, 004 |
| Organic Chemistry A complete year course sequence in organic chemistry is required. Labs are required. |
2 courses/8 credit hours (including labs) | CHEM 097, 098, 108, 110 |
| Biological Sciences A complete year course sequence in the biological sciences is required. Must include topics in human anatomy. Additional courses may include ecology, evolution, anatomy/physiology, cell biology, and biological diversity/structure. Labs are required. |
2 courses/8 credit hours (including labs) | BIO 012, 012L, HSCI 141, 141L |
| Microbiology A one-semester course in microbiology is required. A course intended for health care majors is recommended. A lab is not required. |
1 course/3 credit hours | BIO 095 |
| Calculus A one-semester course in calculus is required. Business calculus, applied calculus, or calculus courses designed for the social sciences are accepted. |
1 course/3 credit hours | MATH 050 (or MATH 070 or 100) |
| Statistics A one-semester course in general statistics is required. Business statistics, psychology statistics or biological science statistics courses are accepted. |
1 course/3 credit hours | HSCI 060, STAT 060, STAT 071, or STAT 072 |
| English Composition/Writing A complete year course sequence in college-level English writing or composition is required. The sequence can be made up of a one-semester college-level composition course and a one-semester intensive writing course. |
2 courses/6 credit hours | FYS and Written Communication AOI |
| Public Speaking A one-semester course focused on public speaking is required. Students may submit non-public speaking courses for syllabus review if the course contains a robust classroom presentation component. Interpersonal communication courses will NOT be accepted. |
1 course/3 credit hours | ENG 063 |
| General Electives 22 semester credit hours in general electives are required; Drake requires students to complete a minimum of 2 years of undergraduate coursework (at least 64 credit hours). |
22 credit hours | Drake Curriculum Areas of Inquiry |
Students must earn a grade of C- or higher in order to fulfill prerequisite courses. Students who wish to fulfill prerequisites using Advanced Placement (AP) scores must earn a 4 or higher on the AP exam. Students may transfer in a cumulative maximum of 66 credit hours from all 2-year institutions they have attended. Please see Drake University's Transfer Credit or contact the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at (515) 271-3018 for more information.
Generally, math and science prerequisites must be completed within ten years of application. Coursework outside of the ten-year timeframe may be considered on a case-by-case basis for applicants with extensive relevant experience in a subject area.
Pre-Pharmacy Admission
To apply for the Drake Direct PharmD program, you must complete a Drake University undergraduate application.
Beginning with the Fall 2028 first-year pharmacy (P1) class, all required prerequisite pre-pharmacy coursework must be completed with a grade of C- or above.
Drake Direct 2+4 PharmD Program
Drake Pre-Pharmacy students have a guaranteed seat in the professional PharmD program provided that the above admission requirements are met.
Transfer Student Admission
Transfer students are welcome to apply for admission to pre-pharmacy. In order to be considered for transfer admission into pre-pharmacy, students must meet the requirements for entrance into the professional PharmD program at the time of admission into pre-pharmacy, with the exception of having all the prerequisite coursework completed.
Transferring into pre-pharmacy at Drake does not guarantee admission into the professional PharmD program. Students who are not admitted into the professional program are advised on other degree options and career pathways within the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and at Drake.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
All admitted, full-time students will receive a scholarship award contingent upon submitting FAFSA information to Drake. The amount of the scholarship award will be provided in the admission letter. Scholarships awarded have an average, aggregate total of $50,000-$60,000 to help meet need during the PharmD program. Federal grants, loans, and other forms of financial aid may be available to students. Details on these awards will be provided to admitted students early in the year by our Financial Aid Office. Students are encouraged to apply early on in the admission cycle to maximize financial aid awards. Questions about scholarships can be directed to the CPHS Assistant Dean of Enrollment Services, Dr. Nate Newman, at nathan.newman@drake.edu. Questions about federal loans, grants, and other forms of aid should be directed to the Financial Aid Office at financialaid@drake.edu.
Pharmacy Program Scholarships
See our extensive list of scholarships reserved exclusively for Drake PharmD students.
Financial Aid Office
We encourage interested applicants to look into other types of financial assistance offered by Drake.
Cost of Attendance
The Financial Aid Office provides a summary of tuition and fees for all Drake programs.
Advanced Standing for Transfer Applicants
Students currently in a PharmD program at another University who wish to transfer and pursue advanced standing in the PharmD program at Drake are encouraged to complete an official request form on our website. "Advanced Standing Students" must be in good academic and professional standing at their current school. If there are seats available in a class, an evaluation will be completed to determine admissibility and qualified candidates will be offered an interview. If admissible, a curricular evaluation will be conducted, which will determine your class standing in our program on a case-by-case basis. Due to didactic and experiential curriculum differences between PharmD programs, transfer students who enter the professional pharmacy program may experience delays in completing their degree. Questions may be directed to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Enrollment Services team at dupharm@drake.edu.
Technical Standards
The following technical standards describe non-academic qualifications considered essential for successful completion of the educational objectives of the PharmD curriculum. Candidates and students must possess the ability to perform or ability to learn to perform the non-academic skills listed below.
Candidates and students must have the ability to:
- Acquire information presented through demonstrations, experiments, and exercises.
- Evaluate a patient accurately at a distance and close at hand to assess relevant health, behavioral, and medical information.
- Obtain and correctly interpret information through patient assessment and evaluation.
- Obtain and interpret patient information via electronic health records while maintaining patient confidentiality.
Candidates and students must have the ability to:
- Communicate interactively with patients to elicit information.
- Interpret nonverbal communication displayed by patients.
- Communicate effectively and sensitively to enable effective patient care including verbal, written and nonverbal communication.
- Communicate effectively and efficiently with all members of the health care team.
- Clearly and accurately record information necessary to document patient health care.
Candidates and students must have the ability to:
- Perform physical examination and assessment.
- Perform diagnostic and therapeutic maneuvers to provide patient care.
- Respond to emergency situations in a timely manner.
- Follow universal precaution procedures and applicable safety standards for the environment.
Candidates and students must have the ability to:
- Consistently, quickly, and accurately integrate information received.
- Integrate, analyze, synthesize, and interpret data in order to make decisions in clinical settings where there may be distractions.
- Perform clinical functions in a timely manner and under a high amount of stress in diverse clinical settings and patient populations.
- Perform clinical functions where others may be present.
- Perform basic mathematical functions and read and interpret information in an accurate and timely manner
- Integrate and process information promptly and accurately in a time-sensitive environment.
- Process information to solve problems, make decisions quickly, and respond immediately when necessary.
- Interpret causal connections and make accurate, fact-based conclusions based on available data and information.
- Formulate a hypothesis and investigate potential answers and outcomes to reach appropriate and accurate conclusions.
Candidates and students must have the ability to:
- Exercise good judgment.
- Promptly complete all responsibilities.
- Develop mature, sensitive, and effective relationships with patients and others (team members, families, caregivers, etc.).
- Effectively handle and manage heavy workloads and function effectively in stressful situations.
- Adapt to changing environments and display flexibility
- Function in the face of uncertainties inherent in patient care.
- Demonstrate compassion, integrity, concern for others, interpersonal skills, interest, and motivation.
- Accept feedback and respect boundaries.
- Care for all patients in an effective and respectful manner regardless of any protected status.
- Understand and function within the legal and ethical aspects of the practice of Pharmacy.
- Display ethical and moral behaviors commensurate with the role of a Pharmacist in all interactions.