Admission into the Doctor of Pharmacy Program

The Doctor of Pharmacy Program Admission Criteria and Procedures

The Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum requires that students complete all prerequisite coursework, typically during two pre-professional years, and then progresses to four professional years of study. Acceptance into the professional phase of the pharmacy program allows students to begin the first professional year (P1) coursework. All students entering the fall semester of the first profession year (P1) must satisfactorily complete all math/science prerequisite required coursework with a C- or better as well as be able to meet the College’s technical standards for enrollment.

Current Butler students can be admitted to the Professional Pharmacy Program by either the Direct or Standard Pathways.  External transfer students who are applying directly into the first professional year (P1) with no more than 12 Butler credit hours, can be admitted by the Early Admission or Standard Pathways.  All applicants for the professional pharmacy program must apply through PharmCAS. All eligible, pre-pharmacy students who meet the criteria for the direct application pathway will be accepted into the professional pharmacy program.  Offers of admission and enrollment outside of the Direct Pathway or Early Admission Pathway are contingent upon enrollment capacity limitations for the pharmacy program. The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences reserves the option to modify its pharmacy program admission and advancement procedures at any time.

Prerequisite course requirements for admission into the Doctor of Pharmacy Program:

• General Chemistry with lab – 2 semesters
• Organic Chemistry with lab – 2 semesters
• Cell biology – 1 semester
• Microbiology with lab – 1 semester
• Human Anatomy and Physiology (lab not required) – 2 semesters
• Calculus – 1 semester

Direct Pathway for Eligible Butler Pre-Pharmacy Students:

Students enrolling in their first year at Butler University and declaring pre-pharmacy as their initial major have a direct path into the P1 year of the professional pharmacy program upon the completion of their THIRD semester of Butler enrollment if they meet the following criteria:

• Cumulative grade point average (GPA) at Butler University of 3.0 or higher
• GPA greater than 3.0 in nine selected, critical pre-pharmacy courses listed below (i.e., the pre-professional GPA)
• No grade less than C on the 1^st attempt in any of the critical pre-pharmacy courses stipulated below. In addition, a student may not withdraw from any of the critical pre-pharmacy courses listed below
• Completion of the PharmCAS application prior to the published deadline
• Successful completion of an in-person standardized interview
• Successful completion of an essay based on a standardized writing prompt administered in a proctored setting
• While lesser criminal or institutional offenses may not prohibit a candidate from being admitted to the Doctor of Pharmacy Program, it may result in ineligibility for the Direct Pathway

Courses that determine the pre-professional GPA for Direct Pathway admission:

FYS 101	First Year Seminar 1	FYS 102	First Year Seminar 2
MA106	Calculus and Analytical Geometry	BI105	Introductory Cell Biology
CH105	General Chemistry 1	CH106	General Chemistry 2
CH351	Organic Chemistry 1	PX326	Anatomy and Physiology 1
PX100	Exploring Pharmacy

Direct Pathway eligibility into the P1 year of the professional pharmacy program ceases after the student’s review for professional phase admission at the end of their third semester at Butler University.

A student seeking admission into the professional pharmacy program by the Direct Pathway may not count more than three courses transferred from another University or awarded through advanced placement (AP) or the International Baccalaureate (IB) program toward the calculation of their direct path pre-professional GPA.  Students who wish to request a variance to maintain their eligibility for the Direct Pathway with more than three courses as described can apply for a variance from the Pharmacy Admissions Committee during the fall of their sophomore year.

A student failing to meet the criteria for admittance by the Direct Pathway will be considered for admission into the professional program on a competitive, space-available basis. Their name will be automatically moved for consideration by the Standard Pathway without any further action required by the student.

Change of Major to Pre-Pharmacy

For the student seeking to change their major to pre-pharmacy, the Assistant Dean will review the student’s academic record. Based on this review, with consultation of BU Admission or the Pharmacy Program Director when necessary, the Assistant Dean can advise the student on potential challenges or benefits of the major change and make a recommendation to the Associate Dean related to accepting the student into pre-pharmacy. Students admitted into the pre-pharmacy major in this manner are not eligible for the Direct Pathway.

Option to Remain a Pre-Professional Pharmacy Student for Six Semesters

Pre-professional pharmacy students who do not gain admission into the professional pharmacy program by the Standard Pathway application process upon their first attempt may remain in the pre-professional pharmacy program at Butler University for a maximum of six semesters. During this time, they may repeat the requisite coursework to improve their GPA, re-interview, and/or complete an additional writing prompt. These students must again apply for admission into a subsequent P1 class through PharmCAS. The admission criteria and curriculum in effect for the P1 class they will be entering will apply. If students fail to achieve admission into the P1 class at the end of six semesters of Butler enrollment, they will be required to change their major.

Program Entrance Dates

Because of the sequential nature of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum, all students entering the professional phase of the program must enter the program in the fall semester of the P1 year. Non-Butler University students seeking transfer admission into the P1 year of the pharmacy program must complete a PharmCAS application no later than the published PharmCAS deadline prior to the scheduled start of the desired P1 program admission. Information on the PharmCAS application process may be obtained at pharmcas.org.

Application for Pharmacy Transfer Admission

All applicants must apply via PharmCAS, the Pharmacy College Application Service, at PharmCAS.org when applying to the professional phase of the pharmacy program. To ensure proper evaluation of transfer credit, applications should be completed early well in advance of the published early April deadline.

Students with more than 12 semester hours of college credit after high school who are not currently enrolled at Butler University are considered transfer students. If you have less than nine hours of college credit, you must follow the procedures for first-year applicants.

Butler is committed to the diversity that external transfers bring to the classroom in the preparation of student pharmacists. That commitment is through the Priority Admission Pathway where each fall, a select group of external students who have met the following criteria, will be invited to complete a standardized writing prompt and an interview. These candidates, if accepted by the Pharmacy Admissions Committee, will be offered early admission into the professional pharmacy program in December of the year prior to the start of the academic year. Preference is given to students who meet the following criteria:

• A 3.0 cumulative and math/science pre-requisite GPA
• No more than 3 outstanding pre-requisite courses
• A previous degree at the bachelors level or above

Unless you have a previous bachelors, or higher,  degree  you must submit your high school transcript.

Transfer Credit Evaluation

Butler University’s admission policies are designed to help you make a smooth transition regarding transferred credit hours. We evaluate all course work completed at previously attended colleges and universities as part of the admissions process. The Registrar’s Office will evaluate official copies of transcripts within two weeks of receipt of all complete transcripts and PharmCAS application.

Admission Requirements

To be admissible to Butler University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences pharmacy program, all transfer applicants should have a recommended GPA of 3.0. In addition to completing the PharmCAS application, students will also be required to participate in an interview and complete an essay based on a writing prompt. The average transfer student admitted into the program has at least a 3.5 GPA.

Pre-Requisite Courses for Pharmacy Transfer Admission

Butler University has pre-approved courses from other colleges and university that are transferable to Butler for credit.  Click here to see if your institution and coursework has the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences equivalencies.

Doctor of Pharmacy Online Pathway

Butler began accepting applications for a new Doctor of Pharmacy online pathway beginning fall of 2022. Butler’s pharmacy program has a long history of full accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and both the online and campus-based pathways are fully accredited.

The online pathway is a full-time, four-year curriculum with fall, spring, and summer terms each year. Students will also be required to complete immersion experiences at least three times during their course of study on our Indianapolis campus.

For more information on the online pathway, visit PharmCAS School Directory or contact PharmAdmissions@butler.edu.

U.S. citizenship or permanent residency and a completed bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution is required for application to the online pathway.