Augustana’s program in pre-pharmacy will prepare you for admission to and high achievement in an accredited school of pharmacy. Augustana’s placement rate to pharmacy schools is excellent, around 95%.
On the Augustana path leading to your doctorate of pharmacy, you’ll major in biology, chemistry or biochemistry. Your background will include a strong course sequence in the sciences, plus courses such as communication studies, economics and the humanities (required by some pharmacy schools).
More and more applicants to pharmacy schools have the bachelor’s degree instead of just two-three years of pre-pharmacy training. The B.A. is the best preparation for the doctorate and life as a professional pharmacist.
Throughout your pharmacy career you’ll rely on essential skills you learned at Augustana: excellent communication, quick thinking and problem-solving, cultural awareness and the ability to see issues from different perspectives.
What you'll learn
Disciplinary knowledge
Gain a deep understanding of your subject and how it connects to other subjects.
Communication competence
Read and listen carefully. Express ideas (writing or speaking) suited to the audience.
Ethical citizenship
Examine and embrace your strengths, passions and values. Develop ethical convictions and act on them.
Critical thinking and information literacy
Judge and construct arguments, raise questions and define problems. Make a conclusion based on evidence.
Intercultural competence
Understand real and imaginary similarities and differences. Use more than one perspective to view issues.
Distinctions
• Augustana’s pre-pharmacy advisor works closely with all pre-pharmacy students beginning with the first year, so they can be on the right path to fulfilling entrance requirements for various pharmacy schools.
• Among the high-tech laboratories in Augustana’s Hanson Hall of Science are individual labs for biochemistry and chemistry, anatomy and physiology, cell biology, genetics, and a human physiology laboratory for experience working with human cadavers—a rare opportunity for undergraduates.
• All students in Augustana pre-health science fields have the benefit of professors who can advise them specifically because they know them as individuals. Even general biology and chemistry classes are small, and professors teach both classroom sessions and labs, with no teaching assistants.
Recent graduates
Kayla Dillon '21 is an associate research specialist in the School of Pharmacy at University of Wisconsin - Madison.
Marvin M. Agyeben '17 is a pharmacy resident at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, Chicago.
Nicholas Orslini '17 is a staff pharmacist and Pharmacy Manager Emerging Leader at CVS Pharmacy, Chicago.
Alaina Hofmann '14 is a student pharmacist at University of Iowa.
Mark Cobo '12 is a District Emerging Leader at CVS Health.
Susannah Ross '12 is a pharmacist with CVS Health in Lake In The Hills, Ill.
Rachel Gahn Scott '09 is a pharmacist at Walgreen's in Woodbury, Minn.
“I was surprised at how much time my professors and mentors invested in my success.”Read More