Pharmacy, Bachelor of Science Pre-Professional

Program Information
Credential: 
Pre-Professional Study
Duration: 

2 years at RDC - 4 years at U of A

Delivery: 
Main Campus
Program Cost Estimates: 
Program Cost Estimates

Contact Information

Contact Name: 
Dr. Nancy Brown
Contact Title: 
Associate Dean
Contact Phone: 
403.342.3400 OR 1.888.732.4630
Contact Email: 
inquire@rdc.ab.ca
University Transfer Program

Two Year Pre-Professional Program:

Please note that course work for pre-professional programs varies as per university. It is the student's responsibility to ensure they are taking correct pre-professional coursework when applying the a University other than specified in the Calendar.

For the most current university program and transfer information, see the Planning Guides in Academic Advising.

International Students and Students applying outside of their home province are advised to consult the calendar of the institution to which you will be applying regarding its policy on admitting international and out-of-province students. This may vary between institutions.

Related Careers
  • retail pharmacies
  • hospital pharmacies
  • non-hospital health care services
  • government agencies
  • pharmaceutical industry including drug inspection and research, pharmaceutical marketing and sales, and administration.
The Program

The Pre-Pharmacy program is the first two years of a Bachelor of Science program tailored to meet the admission requirements to BSc Pharmacy in the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of Alberta.

Program Admission Features

Admission to the BSc Pharmacy program requires completion of a minimum of two full years of pre-professional course work and a high grade point average. Admission to the pre-professional program at RDC does not guarantee admission to the professional program. You should check with the university to be aware of specific admission requirements.

Requirements
Admission Requirements: 

Related Link: Admission requirements for specific programs will often refer to Alberta Grade 12 course groups. Visit the Admissions page for detailed group descriptions.

1. Minimum average of 60% with no mark below 50% in:

  1. Biology 30
  2. Chemistry 30
  3. ELA 30-1
  4. Mathematics 30-1
  5. Subject from Group A, B, or C (Physics 30 recommended)

OR

2. Mature Student:

You must be 19 years of age or older, out of high school for at least one full year before the program starts, and have a minimum average of 60% with no mark below 50% in:

  1. Biology 30
  2. Chemistry 30
  3. ELA 30-1
  4. Mathematics 30-1

Note: Physics 30 recommended

Note: Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate English language proficiency in addition to the program admission requirements.

Graduation Requirements: 

You must pass 20 term university transfer courses or a minimum of 60 credit hours, and achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 to receive a Diploma in University Transfer Studies.

Program Content
University of Alberta

You must make sure you meet admission and minimum course load requirements for the professional program as well as your alternate BSc program.

Suggested Pattern Year 1

  • BIOL 217 (3 credits)
  • CHEM 211/CHEM 212 and/or CHEM 351 (6-9 credits)
  • ENGL 219/ENGL 220 (6 credits)
  • MATH 202 (or MATH 203)/STAT 251 (6 credits)
  • Two or Three Arts or Science options (6-9 credits)

Note: Students applying to the UofA’s Doctor of Pharmacy for Fall 2020 and on will require 6 credits of Physiology as part of their pre-requisite coursework. At RDC, PSIO 258 (which has a pre-requisite of KNSS 200)/PSIO 259 or PSIO 262 (a full-year Physiology course) can be used to meet this requirement. Depending on which course(s) a student decides to take, they can be included in either the year 1 or year 2 schedule. Talk to the Advisors in the School of Arts and Sciences for more information.

Year 1 Course Descriptions

BIOL 217

Survey biological macromolecules, membrane structure and function, cellular structure; bioenergetics and energy flow, respiration and photosynthesis, cell division and the cell cycle, DNA structure and replication, transcription and translation, recombinant DNA and genetic regulation. Prerequisite: Biology 30 and Chemistry 30

BIOL 218

Examines the major lineage of life on Earth. Overview of evolutionary principles and classification, the history of life, and the key adaptations of prokaryotes, protists, fungi, plants, and animals. Laboratories survey the diversity of biological form and function, and introduce the students to data collection and scientific writing. Prerequisite: Biology 30

CHEM 211

Introduction to the discipline and essential concepts of chemistry focusing on stoichiometry, reactions and titrations, ideal gases, atomic structure and bonding, chemical equilibrium, and acids and bases. Prerequisite: Chem 30 and Math 30-1.

CHEM 212

Continued introduction to the discipline and essential concepts of chemistry focusing on buffers, titration curves, solubility and complex ion equilibria, thermodynamics and thermochemistry, chemical kinetics, and electrochemistry. Pre-requisite: Chem 211.

CHEM 351

An introduction to the chemistry of carbon compounds focusing on the molecular structure, nomenclature, reactions, reaction mechanisms and stereochemistry of hydrocarbons, and some functional groups including haloalkanes, alcohols, thiols, ethers and epoxides, Introuction to the use of important organic compounds related to industry, agriculture and everyday purposes. Prerequisite: CHEM 211 or CHEM 102 Anti-requisite: Chem 251

ENGL 219

Explore university-level essay composition and the skills related to critical reading, interpretation, and argument. Prerequisite: ELA 30-1 or equivalent. NOTE: Credit will not be granted for both ENGL 219 and ENGL 210.

ENGL 220

The course explores a range of literary genres while continuing to focus on deepening the required structural and critical skills related to thinking and writing about literature. Pre-requisite: Engl 219 NOTE: Credit will not be granted for both ENGL 220 and 210.

MATH 202

Compute limits, derivatives and integrals of a variety of single-variable functions. Interpret the theoretical meaning of these tools and their use in applications. Intended for students without prior calculus experience. Prerequisite: MATH 30-1. Anti-requisite: MATH 203

MATH 203

Compute limits, derivatives and integrals of a variety of single-variable functions. Interpret the theoretical meaning of these tools and their use in applications. Intended for students with prior calculus experience. Prerequisite: MATH 31 Anit-requisite: MATH 202

STAT 251

Explore methods for the collection, organization and summarization of data. Interpret the concepts of probability and distributions in order to make inferences about quantitative problems in applied settings. Prerequisite: Math 30-1 or Math 30-2 Anti-requisite: STAT 241, PSYC 309, SOCI 311, and BUS 306

Suggested Pattern Year 2

Please contact the artscienceinfo [at] rdc [dot] ab [dot] ca (Advisors in the School of Arts and Sciences), or refer to the Academic Advising Planning Guides.