EDUCATING LEADERS IN PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES SINCE 1886
Early Assurance for High School Students
Our Early Assurance Program offers high school students the heightened advantage of securing a seat in our four-year PharmD degree after completing two years of prescribed undergraduate course work at UB and an interview.
Admission Requirements
Early Assurance offers a simplified application process—recommendation letters, personal statement and experiences are NOT required.
Admission to the EA program is based on the University at Buffalo's First Year/Freshman Admission Criteria. There are no additional high school GPA or SAT/ACT requirements.
All accepted University at Buffalo first-year/freshman pharmacy students for fall, entering directly from high school, are automatically enrolled directly into our SPPS PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) degree through our prestigious EA program. This admission assures progression into the PharmD professional sequence as long as students maintain our prerequisite course GPA requirement, successfully complete an interview, and adhere to all program requirements.
Benefits of our Early Assurance Program
- A dedicated pre-pharmacy advisor to help keep you on track with the program requirements
- Exclusive access to PHM 101 Pharmacy Is Right for Me
- Ongoing support from PharmD Peer Mentors
- Pre-Pharmacy Living and Learning Community
- A dedicated Student Success Coach to support you during your first year at UB
Find out if pharmacy is right for you!
- All prerequisite science and math courses must be completed by the end of the spring semester prior to fall matriculation.
- Students must complete the Communication Literacy I and social science requirement which are embedded in the UB Curriculum by the end of summer prior to fall matriculation in the (P1) first professional year of the PharmD program.
- Prerequisite courses may be completed prior to high school graduation through AP or IB exam credit articulation.
- Courses may be completed at another SUNY campus or other college or university once enrolled at UB. Non-UB courses must be articulated through UB’s TAURUS Course Equivalency Guide.
- All first-term EA candidates will also be enrolled in the elective course PHM 101: Pharmacy Is Right for Me.
| Course | |
| General Chemistry I and II with Laboratory | Choose from: CHE 101 + CHE 113 and CHE 102 + CHE 114 or CHE 105 and CHE 106 |
Organic Chemistry I and II with Laboratory | Choose from: |
| Introductory Biology I and II with Laboratory | Required: BIO 200 and BIO 201 + BIO 211 |
| Microbiology with Laboratory | Choose from: MIC 301 or MIC 401 |
| Biochemistry | Choose from: BIO 305 or BCH 403 |
| Anatomy | Choose from: PAS 313 (formerly 113) or ES 207 |
| Physiology | Choose from: PGY 300 or PGY 451 and PGY 452 |
| Calculus I | Choose from: MTH 121 or MTH 141 |
| Statistics | Choose one: STA 119 PSY 207 SOC 294 NSG 295 |
| UB Curriculum | The UB Curriculum is a unique program of general education for all undergraduate students at UB. Serving as the core academic experience, it celebrates the joy of intellectual discovery and prepares students for life, career and citizenship in a diverse and dynamic world. Students must complete UB Curriculum prior to fall matriculation in the (P1) first professional year of the PharmD program. UB Curriculum courses may be completed during the summer prior to fall entry into the PharmD. |
GPA Requirement: PharmD Early Assurance Program
Our PharmD Early Assurance Program required math and science prerequisite GPA is 3.0.
This change aligns with the UB SPPS New Path for Academic Success: Honors/Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory Grading System which will emphasize learning, improve student knowledge and empower students to become the next generation of pharmacy leaders.
- All science and math prerequisites are included in the EA GPA, including college courses permitted outside UB.
- Earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA in all science and math prerequisites by the end of each of your second, third and fourth semesters (spring of first year, fall and spring of second year).
- Complete all enrolled courses with a grade equal to or greater than C.
- Appeals may be considered.
- Interview Preparation
Qualified candidates will be invited to interview spring of freshman year in accordance with the American Council for Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) Guidelines. The purpose is to evaluate verbal and written communication skills while determining understanding of the pharmacy profession as well as commitment to patient care. In preparation for the interview, candidates are advised to pursue activities beyond the classroom and prerequisite coursework (pharmacy-specific exposure is encouraged, though not required). Candidates are encouraged to take advantage of the UB Career Design Center's interview resources. - 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. - 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. - 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. - Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Non-Discrimination Policy
UB SPPS is committed to a nondiscriminatory admission policy and philosophy. Review our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Non-Discrimination Policy. - Transportation Policy
Student Pharmacists are responsible for providing their 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 rotation sites is the responsibility of each student pharmacist. The school cannot guarantee that students will be placed at 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 (e.g., ride share), but due to distances they may be expensive, and students should budget appropriately.
*IPPE rotations begin immediately in July after having successfully completed the P1 year, and therefore transportation will be needed during the summer between P1 and P2 years.
Revised and approved by the Student Success and Engagement Committee, July 2024. Review our Transportation Policy. - 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 through the EA Program.
All admissions requirements are subject to revision and review by the SPPS Admissions Committee and may be revised without extensive notice. As a competitive program, admission can be on a space available basis.
- EA is not the sole route into our PharmD program and ineligibility for EA does not imply that a student is not qualified for admission. All other applicants are considered through PharmCAS.
- View our Dual, Collaborative, and Combined Degrees.
Early Assurance Application Steps
Once you’ve decided to pursue a career in pharmacy, begin making connections and gain experience in the field. Experience is not required; however, it is expected. You can begin following these tips even before coming to UB!
Find a mentor
Connect with a person that can give you advice and answer your questions about the field. This could be a professor, school counselor, family member, local pharmacist or health professional.
Talk to current students
Current pharmacy students are available to speak with you about preparing for pharmacy school, research, getting involved, special programs, course selection, and other advice and tips. View a list of PharmD students ready to chat with you!
High school coursework
To best prepare for our pre-pharmacy curriculum, high school students should take math courses and science courses including calculus, biology, chemistry and physics.
Gain pharmacy experience
Most successful applicants to pharmacy school have demonstrated their commitment to a career in health care by obtaining experience. Shadow or volunteer at a pharmacy, hospital, nursing home, medical office, or other related health care facility or organization. Seek research opportunities with professors once enrolled at UB. Come prepared with questions to do informational interviews.
Work in a pharmacy
Students can find part-time or summer jobs in a pharmacy such as cashiers, clerks or assistants. Keep in mind, however, that pharmacy is a diverse field and community/retail pharmacy is only one option.
The UB SPPS admissions committee values intellectual competence, communication skills, leadership ability, community service, healthcare-related or research experience and motivation for pursuing a career in pharmacy.
The school completes a holistic review of Early Assurance (EA) candidates who miss the minimum academic requirements and submit an appeal for continued consideration, to assess candidates’ potential for success in UB SPPS degree programs. An important part of this review is performance in college math and science coursework as well as the overall academic record and standardized test scores (when recommended or required). Additional important components of the holistic review include personal statements, letters of recommendation, and noncognitive attributes. UB SPPS considers an applicant’s full capabilities by carefully reviewing personal initiative, experiential factors, ability to overcome challenges, and other evidence of achievement. To assist in this review, we strongly encourage applicants to complete their admissions application thoughtfully and thoroughly.