Two pharmacy students working with a human simulator during a lab exercise

Admissions & Aid

Doctor of Pharmacy, PharmD

Admissions Process

The Doctor of Pharmacy degree, or PharmD as it’s commonly known, is a professional doctorate that usually requires four years of education and prepares individuals to become practicing pharmacists, as opposed to other terminal pharmacy degrees that are focused more on training researchers, educators, or medication experts.

Apply through PharmCAS 

The application for admission is available through the Pharmacy Common Application Service or PharmCAS. Be sure to read the application instructions carefully to ensure that you complete the application correctly.

View the PharmCAS application instructions

Start your PharmCAS Application

 For more information check out Belmont's PharmCAS Directory page

For important deadlines, see the Rolling Admission/Early Decision section below.

 


Minimum Admission Requirements

  1. Candidates must complete a minimum of 60 credits of prerequisite coursework at a regionally accredited college or university, each course completed within ten years prior to application.
  2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale is preferred, and each prerequisite course must have a grade of “C” or better to be accepted. Candidates may use credit achieved by AP or CLEP examination as long as credit was awarded at a previously attended college or university.
  3. International applicants whose native language is not English may be required to demonstrate proficiency in the English language by submitting an official copy of your Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. A minimum score of 550 is required (213 CBT or 80iBT). For more information on applying as an international student, visit the University Admissions site.

Candidates for the class will be considered on their own merits but will compete for a seat in the program. Eligible candidates will be offered an interview with a faculty member in the modality of their choice (on campus or online). Additional information regarding transfer from other pharmacy programs, requirements for matriculation, and technical standards for admission can be found in the graduate catalog.

Pre-pharmacy requirements may be taken at any regionally-accredited college or university and must be completed prior to matriculation into Belmont University College of Pharmacy. All prerequisite courses must be completed with a grade of "C" or better or credited by receiving Advanced Placement (AP) high school credit.

Applicants are encouraged to work closely with their undergraduate academic advisor and map out their course of study accordingly. Although our staff is happy to discuss specific prerequisites with applicants, they are unable to provide definitive counsel until all official transcripts have been processed by PharmCAS.

Required Prerequisite Courses

1st Biology (4) - A course in biology such as general biology, microbiology, botany, zoology, genetics, and A&P. Must include a lab. 

2nd Biology (4) - A second course in biology such as general biology, microbiology, botany, zoology, genetics, and A&P. Must include a lab.

General (Inorganic) Chemistry I (4) - The first course in a two-course general chemistry sequence. Must include a lab. General chemistry concepts include atomic structure, molecular structure and bonding, chemical reactions, periodic properties of the elements, thermochemistry, properties of gases, solid and liquid states of matter, chemistry of acids and bases, principles of chemical kinetics, precipitation reactions, elementary thermodynamics, electrochemistry, and nuclear chemistry.

General (Inorganic) Chemistry II (4) - The second course in a two-course general chemistry sequence. Must include a lab. (At quarter-based institutions, the sequence must also include a third course)

Organic Chemistry I (4) - The first course in a two-course organic chemistry sequence. Must be a standard college-level course for science majors and include a lab, which can be part of a 2-credit lab for both organic chemistry courses. Organic chemistry concepts include types of carbon compounds, stereochemistry, substitution reactions, carbon compounds properties, aromatics, aldehydes, ketones, carboxylic acids, and amines.

Organic Chemistry II (4) - The second course in a two-course organic chemistry sequence. Must include a lab, which can be part of a 2-credit lab for both organic chemistry courses. (At quarter-based institutions, the sequence must also include a third course)

Physics (3) - An algebra-based or calculus-based physics course. Does not require a lab.

Calculus (3) - A calculus course providing an introduction to analytical geometry, limits, integration, and differentiation.

Statistics (3) - A course in probability and statistics. Topics include descriptive measures, elementary probability distributions, sampling distributions, one and two sample inferences on means and proportions, simple linear regression, and correlation.

Additional Credits Required for Applicants Without a Bachelor’s Degree*

Prerequisite courses designated with an asterisk below are not required of applicants who will complete a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. institution before enrolling in the PharmD program. However, these prerequisites will be required up until the time that the degree is completed and verified on a submitted official transcript.

  • *1st Writing (3) - A course designed to improve writing skills which may include a course designated by the institution as writing intensive. English Composition I is recommended.
  • *2nd Writing (3) - A second course designed to improve writing skills which may include a course designated by the institution as writing intensive. English Composition II is recommended.
  • *1st Communication Skills (3) - A course designed to improve oral communication skills, such as public speaking (recommended), interpersonal communication or professional communication.
  • *1st Behavioral or Social Science (3) - A course from one of the following areas: psychology (recommended), economics (recommended), anthropology, sociology, history, political science, communication theory, minority studies or global issues.
  • *2nd Behavioral or Social Science (3) - A second course from one of the following areas: psychology (recommended), economics (recommended), anthropology, sociology, history, political science, communication theory, minority studies or global issues.
  • *Humanities (3) - A content-based course (rather than skill-based) from one of the following areas: literature, fine arts, philosophy, ethics, foreign culture or religion. (Excludes skill-based courses such as language study, voice or instrument study, and art skills.)
  • *1st Elective (3) - A college level course, excluding all other prerequisites.
  • *2nd Elective (3) - A college level course, excluding all other prerequisites.
  • *3rd Elective (3) - A college level course, excluding all other prerequisites.

Total: 60 hours


Credit requirements are based on semester hours. Courses taken in quarter-based systems will be calculated at semester hour equivalents. In cases where quarter hours fall below the semester hours indicated, the school reserves the right to require additional coursework in the topic area to meet the minimum stated prerequisite.

Credit granted by your university through the Advanced Placement Program of the College Entrance Examination Board may be used to meet prerequisites if the standards set by Belmont University are met. These standards can be found in the Advanced Placement section of the catalog.

Rolling Admission

Applications are considered on a rolling basis until all spaces in the entering class are filled and an appropriate wait list of alternate candidates is formed. The College of Pharmacy considers candidates for an on-campus interview opportunity as soon as their application is complete. Interview days are normally offered each week, typically on a Thursday or Friday. Invited candidates will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee soon after their interview and a decision is communicated within one week of the interview date. Admitted candidates who choose to accept an offer of admission can confirm their seat in the entering class with a non-refundable deposit of $500 which is applied toward their first-semester tuition. All prerequisites must be completed before the first day of classes or admission will be rescinded.

Final Application Deadline

The final deadline for submitting a Belmont application for admission through PharmCAS is June 1. All official transcripts and recommendations must be received by PharmCAS no later than June 15 for submitted applications. Final interviews are scheduled weekly through the end of June.

Early Decision

Early Decision is available to applicants whose first and only choice is Belmont University if accepted for admission and who submit/complete their application by October 1, 2021. If not accepted for Early Decision by November 1, applicants should then apply to other programs. While PharmCAS has phased out the Early Decision option, Belmont's College of Pharmacy continues to offer this opportunity for candidates who apply only to Belmont during the Early Decision period and pledge to attend if admitted.

  • Early Decision Application deadline: October 1
  • Interview Days:  prior to November 1
  • Reply Date for Accepted Candidates:  December 1

Candidates are required to come to campus or join us online to interview for admission to the PharmD program at Belmont. The interview day provides each invited applicant the opportunity to demonstrate individual strengths which support their potential for professional and academic success. Each candidate will have the opportunity to meet individually with three different faculty members for short interviews, participate in small group lunch conversations with a current student, and provide an onsite writing sample. The day also allows the College of Pharmacy to showcase the benefits of our PharmD program through such activities as a program overview with our Dean; informal conversations with current students; and an in-depth tour of our facilities including student laboratories, on-campus pharmacy, drug information center, patient simulation suite, and faculty/student research labs. The day is designed to give a "feel" for what it would be like as a graduate student at Belmont.

Jackson Wallace

Questions?

If you have any questions about the admission process, admission requirements, or the program contact Lauren Lauzon, our Director of Admissions at pharmacy@belmont.edu, or 615.460.6107.

Tuition & Aid

Individual attention is given to each student's financial needs. Current tuition information and steps to applying for financial aid are listed below. Typically, tuition and fees increase each year between 3% and 5% and are set by March 1 prior to each upcoming academic year.

Current
Cost
Pharmacy Program
2024 Fall Semester
Pharmacy Program
2025 Spring Semester
Pharmacy Program
2023-24 Academic Year
Tuition $21,360 $21,360 $42,720*
Student Fee $650 $650 $1,300
Health Insurance** TBD

*For fourth year (P4) PharmD students in full-time APPEs, annual tuition is divided equally between 3 semesters (summer, fall & spring) to account for summer clinical rotations, in essence providing 3 semesters for the cost of 2. This is a cost savings for Belmont students compared to many other pharmacy schools which charge full tuition for summer APPEs.
**Graduate Health Insurance Premium required for all full-time graduate students and may be waived with proof of qualifying eligible coverage.

Steps to Apply for Financial Aid

Graduate Assistantships

The College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences offers half-tuition scholarships to members of the incoming class. Assistants will work in a variety of roles within the College and the Office of Admissions, participating as student tutors, program ambassadors, research & lab assistants, and more! Students must be admitted to the program by the end of March to qualify. For more information, please contact pharmacy@belmont.edu.

Scholarship Opportunities

On average, 96% of admitted candidates receive a 4-year scholarship between $6,000 and $100,000. A comprehensive list of our awards can be found below. 

All scholarships are subject to change at any time.

The Academic Excellence Scholarship is awarded at the time of admission to students of high academic standing based on the cumulative undergraduate and math/science GPAs. Award amounts typically range from $3,000 to $20,000 annually and are renewable up to four years as long as the student maintains high standards of personal and professional behavior, achieves a minimum grade point average of 3.0, and continues enrollment on a full-time basis. The application for admission is used to determine eligibility for this award.

Early Assurance students who previously received an academic merit scholarship as an undergraduate freshman at Belmont may carry over their award for up to two years to a total of four years of pre-pharmacy/PharmD study.  Students must meet annual eligibility requirements.

The College of Pharmacy Scholarship is awarded to a limited number of first-year students on the basis of good academic standing and significant financial need. The amount awarded typically is between $2,000 and $5,000 annually and is renewable up to four years as long as the recipient maintains good academic standing. The application for admission and the FAFSA is used to determine eligibility for this award.

The Service Leadership Scholarship is awarded to a limited number of P1 students on the basis of a history of service and leadership. The amount awarded typically is between $1000 and $3000 each year and is renewable up to four years as long as the recipient maintains good academic standing and works with the Office of Student Affairs to plan the service project for new pharmacy student orientation each year. Information from the application for admission is used to determine eligibility for this award.

The Tyler Duke Memorial Scholarship is primarily intended to support textbook purchases for a qualified first year student. The award is divided equally for each semester of the P1 year. The application for admission is used to determine eligibility for this award. Criteria for this award include:

  • Resident of East Tennessee (based on permanent address)
  • Previous four-year degree from an accredited college or university
  • PCAT of 80th percentile or higher (or highest PCAT of those meeting the above criteria)
  • If no student from East Tennessee meets the above criteria, it is preferred that a student from Tennessee be chosen.

The Warren E. Angel Memorial Scholarship is awarded to former Middle Tennessee State University students who meet the criteria below. Students in any year may apply for this award as notified annually. Application materials include a CV and an essay. The Awards Committee votes to determine the recipient of the award. Criteria for this award include:

  • The individual must have attended or graduated from Middle Tennessee State University.
  • The individual selected to receive the scholarship must have demonstrated sustained and atypical activity in leadership or service, working to affect positive outcomes in the lives of others or their community.
  • The individual is recognized by others as carrying out these meritorious activities without expectation for self-benefit; they are examples of humility and effectiveness.
  • The individual’s prior activities suggest a commitment to serving/leading others that will define a lifelong commitment.
  • The individual should demonstrate adequate need for the scholarship based on personal or family circumstances.

The Faculty Endowment Scholarship is a one-time award ranging from $500 to $1000 provided to an exceptional P4 student with financial need as they complete rotations and prepare for their future career. It is awarded in the spring semester. The Awards Committee solicits nominations from the full faculty. After the deadline for nominations, the Awards Committee publishes a ballot of the nominees for a full faculty vote.

CVS Caremark provides a grant to support scholarships for pharmacy students interested in pursuing a career in community pharmacy. The number of awards given per year depends on funding level provided. Criteria for this award are set by the funding organization and may be subject to change. Timing of the award is based on reception of funds from the sponsor. This award is decided by vote of the Awards Committee after consideration of the application materials.

Walgreens Co. has provided a grant to all pharmacy schools in the United States to support the recruitment and provide financial assistance for pharmacy education for diverse populations. The number of awards given per year depends on funding level provided. Students selected for this award must represent a diverse group or underrepresented minority and have an interest in community pharmacy. Students selected may not be a recipient of the Walgreen Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship. Other criteria for this award are set by the funding organization and may be subject to change. This award is decided by vote of the Awards Committee after consideration of the application materials.