2015 - 2016 ADVISING GUIDE
PHARMACY & PHARMACEUTICAL
SCIENCES AT UB
Pharmacists prepare and dispense drugs. They understand chemicals and their properties, drug compounds and their use.
Pharmacists advise health care providers, such as physicians and dentists, on the selection, dosages, interactions, and side effects
of medications on patients. Many pharmacists practice in a community setting, such as community or chain store pharmacies, or
in a health care facility, such as a hospital, nursing home, mental health institution, or other public health care centers. Others
work in the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and government regulatory agencies.
Why UB? The School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS) at the University at Buffalo (UB), (pharmacy.buffalo.edu)
is a national leader in education and research in both Pharmacy Practice and the Pharmaceutical Sciences and is consistently
ranked among the top pharmacy schools in the U.S. The school is located in a state-of-the-art building with specialized research
labs and centers. They have a very productive international research program with Distinguished Teaching Professors and faculty
members who are recipients of the Chancellor's Awards for Excellence. UB SPPS offers you the “best of both worlds” – you will
live and learn among a close-knit community of students and faculty with the resources and facilities of a large research
university at your fingertips. Through a variety of professional development activities, social organizations, and an innovative
curriculum, you and your classmates will learn from each other and from faculty who are renowned in their respective fields.
Also, UB SPPS is one of few schools who offer dual degree programs, including the PharmD/MBA, PharmD/MPH, PharmD/JD,
PharmD/PhD, and PharmD/MS.
Prerequisite Courses for University at Buffalo’s Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Program:
MTH 160 - Statistics I
MTH 210 & 211 - Calculus I & II
BIO 221 - Principles of Biochemistry
BIO 230 - Molecular Genetics
ENG 101 - English Composition
ENG 200 - Advanced Composition
A social/behavioral science course
BIO 142 & 143 Anatomy & Physiology* OR CHE 151 - General College Chemistry I
BIO 144 & 145 A & P I & II*
CHE 152 - General College Chemistry II
CHE 251 - Organic Chemistry I
BIO 155 - General Biology I
CHE 252 - Organic Chemistry II
BIO 156 - General Biology II
PHY 145 or 154 or 161 - Physics I (College,
BIO 209 - General Microbiology
General, or University)
*Must also take the highest level of Human and/or Mammalian Physiology offered at a local 4 year college or university.
Contact UB with questions.
SUNY General Education Curriculum: For electives, choose from MCC’s Approved List of SUNY General Education
Requirements.
Admission:
TO BE CONSIDERED FOR the PharmD program at UB, students must:
1. Complete all prerequisite courses by the end of the first summer session prior to fall admission.
2. Apply to the PharmD program via PharmCAS (Pharmacy College Application Service). Visit pharmacy.buffalo.edu/admissions
and www.pharmcas.org//school-directory/#/pharmd/general-information for details. UB’s application deadline is
February 1.
3. Attain at least a 3.00 cumulative GPA in all prerequisite science and math courses.
4. Attain at least a 300 on the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT). This score is computed by combining the percentile
scores in the test areas of verbal ability, reading comprehension, biology, chemistry, and quantitative ability. Do not add in the
composite score. PCAT Scores must be sent to PharmCAS (school code # 104).
Updated 7/2015
Continued on next page...
Note: While every effort is made to ensure that the information in this guide is accurate, students are advised to meet with a coun selor in
the MCC Career and Transfer Center and to contact transfer institutions for specific course requirements and the most up-to-date
The Career and Transfer Center ● Building 3 Room 108 ● 585.292.2248 ● www.monroecc.edu/go/careercenter/
2015 - 2016 advising guide
Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences at UB
5. Earn a grade equal to or greater than C- in all prerequisite courses.
6. Have a minimum of three letters of recommendation submitted to PharmCAS. Instructions for submission of letters can be
found on the PharmCAS website (www.pharmcas.org). Do not send your letters directly to UB.
7. Complete all prerequisite courses within 5 years preceding admission.
8. Submit the Supplemental Application and Supplemental Application fee: pharmacy.buffalo.edu/academic-programs/
pharmd/pharmd-via-pharmcas/apply-via-pharmcas
9. Prepare for an admissions interview.
Additional Criteria of Importance for Acceptance: Selection is based on scholastic achievement, aptitude, personal
qualifications, and character. These are judged from the college record, grade point average, the PCAT, letters of reference and
evaluation, a supplemental application, and a personal interview. In addition to intellectual and academic competence, the
School's Admissions Committee considers communication skills, leadership ability, community service, health care-related or
research experience, and motivation for pursuing a career in pharmacy.
Pharmaceutical Scientists at UB perform cutting-edge research in drug delivery, protein formulation, drug metabolism,
pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenomics. These research studies are aimed at improving therapy for
many diseases, such as cancer, transplantation rejection, multiple sclerosis, auto-immune diseases, and cardiovascular diseases.
UB students are exposed to contemporary research techniques and practices. Graduates are highly recruited by national
laboratories, in academia, industry and government. UB’s long standing tradition of excellence in education and research
continues to receive national and international acclaim and recognition. UB offers several pharmaceutical sciences programs:
BS: Provides basic training in the pharmaceutical sciences and normally can be completed within four years.
Combined BS/MS: Allows qualified students already enrolled in our BS program to complete an accelerated degree within a
shortened period of time.
MS: Normally involves two years of additional post-graduate education beyond the BS, including more intensive research
training; the department also offers a unique MS program with a Pharmacometrics focus which can be completed within one
year for students with appropriate qualifications.
PhD: Provides extensive and cutting-edge research training in the pharmaceutical sciences; graduates of this program are highly
sought after by research pharmaceutical companies, academia, research institutes, and regulatory agencies (e.g. FDA).
For admissions into the Pharmaceutical Sciences undergraduate or graduate programs, visit: pharmacy.buffalo.edu/academicprograms/pharm-sci-undergrad-programs
What is the difference between the programs in Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences? The PharmD
enables one to work as a pharmacist, interacting with patients and other health care practitioners about medications. It is not an
undergraduate degree (such as a BS or BA) nor is it a graduate degree (such as an MS, MBA, or PhD). The PharmD is a
professional degree for pharmacists similar to the doctor of medicine (MD) for physicians or a doctor of dental surgery (DDS) for
dentists. A degree in the pharmaceutical sciences or a related discipline does not prepare or permit students to practice
pharmacy, but rather enables one to engage in drug development and research for the pharmaceutical industry.
Please contact the UB SPPS Office of Admissions & Advisement at prepharm@buffalo.edu or (716) 645-2825 (option #1) if you
have any questions.
Updated 7/2015
Note: While every effort is made to ensure that the information in this guide is accurate, students are advised to meet with a coun selor in
the MCC Career and Transfer Center and to contact transfer institutions for specific course requirements and the most up-to-date
The Career and Transfer Center ● Building 3 Room 108 ● 585.292.2248 ● www.monroecc.edu/go/careercenter/