Prepharmacy
Nearly every medical patient knows first-hand that the proper preparation of medication is critical in modern health care. To help meet this industry-wide need for professionals holding the doctorate of pharmacy (PharmD), Luther offers preoptometry coursework.
A typical PharmD program involves six years of classes, laboratory experience, and patient care, divided over two years of prepharmacy study and four years of study in a college of pharmacy.
A sample two-year undergraduate curriculum includes chemistry, biology, organic chemistry, and physics, as well as elective classes. A program of study that is particularly strong in chemistry or a chemistry major is suggested. Specific electives and mathematics courses must be chosen based upon individual pharmacy school requirements.
The prepharmacy student at Luther may transfer to a university or college of pharmacy during his or her time at Luther or after receiving a bachelor's degree. On average, 60 percent of students entering pharmacy school hold at least a bachelor's degree.
Although colleges and universities of pharmacy have several prerequisites in common, coursework differs enough that a student should contact the Luther prepharmacy adviser as soon as possible to begin planning for matriculation at his/her school of choice. Luther offers all of the prerequisite courses that schools of pharmacy require, but students must consider grade point average requirements, application and admission deadlines, and requirements for taking the Pharmacy College Admissions Test and/or the Test of English as a Foreign Language.