Requirements for Admission

Academic Requirements Citizenship Requirements Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) Virginia State Board of Pharmacy Intern Licensure Health Insurance Applicants with Baccalaureate Degrees

Academic Requirements for Admission
To be eligible for admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program, applicants must meet the following criteria:

1. Complete a minimum of 69 semester credit hours of pre-pharmacy study in an accredited college or university in the United States.
2. Achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5/4.0 or its equivalent in order to have their applications considered for admission.
3. Have a grade of "C" (or its equivalent) or better in all prerequisite courses.

All applicants that meet the minimum criteria will have their files evaluated. The file evaluation process will be competitive and the most qualified applicants will be invited for an on-campus interview.

Applicants who have completed any of the core prerequisites from non-U.S.-accredited institutions must submit transcript evaluations from either World Educational Services or Josef Silny & Associates. Applicants submitting coursework from non-English speaking foreign schools who have not earned a "B" or better in the English Composition and Speech prerequisites must achieve a score of at least 550 on the paper-based or 213 on the computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), and must submit these scores with their applications. Applicants may not disregard any part of their college-level educational history. An applicant who fails to report all institutions attended will forfeit his/her eligibility for admission to ACP or will be dismissed. All credentials submitted for admission to ACP will not be returned or released to the applicant.

Applicants must complete the following coursework to be eligible for admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program. All prerequisites must be completed by June 1st (the end of the spring semester) of the year of enrollment. (In addition, all prerequisite coursework should be completed within five calendar years of the time of application to the program.)

Prerequisite Courses	Required Credit Hours
General Biology with lab	8.0 Sem. Hrs.1
College Chemistry with lab	8.0 Sem. Hrs.1
Organic Chemistry with lab	8.0 Sem. Hrs.1
College Physics with lab	8.0 Sem. Hrs.1
Human Anatomy	3.0 Sem. Hrs.
Human Physiology	3.0 Sem. Hrs.
General Microbiology	3.0 Sem. Hrs.
English Composition	6.0 Sem. Hrs.
College Mathematics2	6.0 Sem. Hrs.
Public Speaking	3.0 Sem. Hrs.
College Statistics3	3.0 Sem. Hrs.
Electives4	10.0 Sem. Hrs.
Total	69.0 Sem. Hrs.

¹Two semesters or three quarters.
²The mathematics component must include a minimum of 3 semester hours of calculus.
³The 3 hours of college statistics is required in addition to the mathematics requirement.
⁴In order to fulfill the Electives requirement the successful applicant must complete at least one course in social/behavioral sciences such as psychology or sociology, one course in the humanities/fine arts such as literature, art or music and at least one course in mathematics/sciences such as economics.  Humanities courses are content-based courses rather than skilled-based courses such as English Composition or a foreign language course.  Skill-based courses will not fulfill the Humanities requirements. 

Citizenship Requirements
All applicants must be U.S. Citizens or have Permanent Resident status with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service to apply to ACP. Documentation of status will be required. Applicants with foreign transcripts must follow the instructions above.

Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT)
The PCAT is a standardized test designed to measure general ability and scientific knowledge in six areas: verbal reasoning, reading comprehension, biology, chemistry, quantitative ability, and writing. The PCAT is developed and administered by Harcourt Assessment, which offers the exam three times per year. For information about PCAT test dates, registration process and deadlines, contact Harcourt Assessment at 800-622-3231, or at www.pcatweb.info.

Prospective students must submit at least one set of PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test) scores at the time of application. Students should request that PCAT scores be sent directly to PharmCAS using Code 104 and NOT to ACP. We recommend the October PCAT test date. During the rolling admissions cycle, candidates who have scores reported early and have a complete file will receive strongest consideration.

ACP considers the candidate's composite percentile score in the admission process and considers only the highest score if more than one test result is submitted. The minimum composite PCAT score required to receive serious consideration is the 50th percentile. There is no limit to the number of times an applicant can take the PCAT.

Virginia State Board of Pharmacy Intern Licensure
To matriculate in the Doctor of Pharmacy program, students must be eligible for Intern Licensure with the Virginia State Board of Pharmacy (VSBP). Students who have any of the following conditions should check with VSBP to determine if they are eligible for a pharmacy intern license:

• Diagnosis or treatment in the last five years for a mental illness or a physical condition that would impair your ability to perform any of the essential functions of your license, including alcohol or substance abuse;
• Misdemeanor or felony charges, arrests, or convictions;
• Previous administrative action, whether completed or pending;
• Suspension, revocation, surrender, or other discipline against the license, including any action that was not made public.

Health Insurance
Students are required to have health insurance while attending ACP or on rotations. The cost of health insurance will vary according to age, gender, and other factors. Two local insurance providers are listed below. Note that ACP does not endorse these providers, and the contact information is provided only as a service to students.

Provider	Contact	Phone Number
EJ Smith and Associates	David Smith	847-564-3660
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield	Chris Mitchell/ New Peoples Bank	276-935-8800

Applicants with Baccalaureate Degrees
Individuals with a prior B.S. Pharmacy degree will not be admitted with advanced standing into the entry-level Doctor of Pharmacy program. As ACP matures, a post-baccalaureate, non-traditional Doctor of Pharmacy program will be developed to accommodate B.S. pharmacists who wish to obtain a Doctor of Pharmacy degree.