PharmCAS Admission Requirements

Prerequisite course requirements
Applicants may complete their prerequisites at UB and then apply to our PharmD program using PharmCAS, or they may complete their prerequisites at another accredited institution. To complete prerequisite courses as an undergraduate at UB, apply directly to Undergraduate Admissions or International Admissions.

All undergraduate prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of C- or better by the end of the summer semester prior to fall matriculation. All science and math courses, including repeat courses, are included in the GPA.

The Admissions Committee reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission if grades at or below C+, including R (resigned), W (withdrawn), or U (unsatisfactory), are received in more than one course in the same terms during the fall, winter, spring, or summer semesters prior to fall matriculation in the PharmD program.

Five-year policy
All prerequisite courses must be completed by the end of the summer and prior to fall matriculation within 5 years preceding admission.

Summer courses
Complete prerequisite courses by the end of the summer prior to fall entry into the PharmD program.

Equivalent/transfer courses
UB SPPS does not articulate courses or evaluate transcripts. To find equivalent courses, please refer to UB’s Course Equivalency Guide (CEG) or refer to the course descriptions on UB’s undergraduate catalog. AP or IB exam credit articulation is acceptable. See Alternative/Exam Credit.

UB Curriculum/General Education
UB students must also complete the UB Curriculum prior to fall matriculation in the (P1) first professional year of the PharmD program. PharmCAS candidates attending other undergraduate institutions should adhere to any General Education requirements of their home campus.

The PCAT is optional.

Students may submit test scores* to strengthen their admission consideration if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Overall GPA is below 3.0/4.0
• Overall grades in math and science courses are below 3.0/B
• Math and science prerequisites were taken 5+ years ago
• Grades have trended downward over time
• Information on Calculating Your PharmCAS GPAs

If taking the PCAT:

• Scores at or above the national average are considered highly competitive for entry
• Take Official PCAT Multiple Choice Practice Tests (examinees who take this usually score higher)
• We will not accept any test scores over 3 years old
• To expedite your application review, scan and upload to PharmCAS or email a copy of your unofficial preliminary score report to pharm-admit@buffalo.edu
• The PCAT is not required for UB Early Assurance Program students

*If you have taken the GRE, MCAT, DAT, GMAT or LSAT within the last 3 years, we accept those test scores in lieu of the PCAT. The PCAT is preferred. If you have not yet taken a graduate standardized admissions exam and plan to do so, you should take the PCAT.

Note: The PCAT will soon be retired. No PCAT testing dates will be offered during the 2024-2025 admission cycle or beyond. 

Reference Letters
A minimum of two (2) professional and/or academic letters of reference (evaluations) must be received by PharmCAS. We do not accept letters from the following: teaching assistants, politicians, friends, family members, co-workers or clergy.

Experience
Experience is not required, however, you are expected to be able to demonstrate your motivation for pharmacy.

Consider volunteering or shadowing at a pharmacy, hospital, nursing home, medical office, or other related health care facility or organization. Understand how professionals interact with patients and their colleagues, assess your dedication to the field, and gain valuable interpersonal and leadership skills. Consider becoming a member or leader of a club or organization.

UB students can engage in research through the Experiential Learning Network.

Personal Essay
Your personal essay is considered carefully by our Admissions Committee.

Convince the reader of your desire for a career in pharmacy by including events that strongly influenced or matured you, special attributes that make you an asset to the field, a unique reason to pursue pharmacy, or areas of interest within the profession. Ask your evaluators, peers, advisors, counselors, friends and family to read your essay to critique the content, grammar and spelling.

Interview
Selected applicants will be contacted by email for an invitation to interview.

The admissions interview process is a mutual selection process where students have the opportunity to assess their compatibility with UB SPPS, and where we can assess the student's skills and abilities.

Students who have an immediate family member* who is an alumnus of our school (PharmD or Pharmaceutical Sciences) are guaranteed an interview by the Admissions Committee. Applicants supply this information on their PharmCAS application and may alert us by emailing pharm-admit@buffalo.edu.

*Includes a person's parents, spouses, siblings, children. It can contain others connected by birth, adoption, marriage, civil partnership, or cohabitation, such as grandparents, great-grandparents, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, aunts, uncles, siblings-in-law, half-siblings, cousins, adopted children and step-parents/step-children, and cohabiting partners.

• Communication Skills
  It is critical all students possess the ability to communicate effectively using both the oral and written English language. Written communication skills will also be assessed in a standardized manner.
• Academic Integrity
  All UB students are expected to uphold standards of academic integrity. As a result, students are responsible for knowing what constitutes an act of dishonesty, and a lack of awareness is not considered an excuse. At UB, academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, the following: https://www.buffalo.edu/academic-integrity/about/violations.html. PharmCAS applicants must adhere to the Applicant Code of Conduct. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to rescind a PharmD offer of admission if students do not uphold standards of academic integrity. Students who do not demonstrate these proficiencies and attributes will not be eligible for admission.
• Technical Standards
  Review our Personal Attributes and Capabilities Essential for Admission, Progression and Graduation for our PharmD degree.
• Licensing Requirements
  See important information on student intern permits and pharmacy practice licensing requirements.
• Mandatory Professional Licensure Disclosure
  See important information on Mandatory Professional Licensure Disclosure.
  
• Non-Discrimination Policy
  UB SPPS is committed to a nondiscriminatory admission policy and philosophy. Review our Non-Discrimination Policy.
• Transportation Policy
  As a student, you will be responsible for providing your own transportation throughout professional years 2, 3 and 4. Students are made aware of this policy pre and post admission through SPPS websites. Transportation to and from experiential sites is the responsibility of the student. The school cannot guarantee that students will be placed in clinical rotation sites accessible from UB transportation. The City of Buffalo does have public transportation but it does not cover the entire 90 mile radius allocated for Experiential Education training sites. The Experiential Education Office cannot give site preferences to students who lack transportation. Therefore, a personally owned vehicle is the preferred mode of transportation for all students. There are transportation alternatives, but due to distances they may be expensive and the student should budget appropriately.
• In-State Residency Tuition
  In order to qualify for the in-state residency tuition rate, you are required to provide residency documentation indicating you have lived in New York State (NYS) 12 months prior to your semester start date. If accepted, you will need to upload 3 documents to qualify for the in-state tuition rate. See Verifying New York State Residency for more information. 

Students who do not demonstrate these proficiencies and attributes will not be eligible for admission.