Admissions

A degree is not required for admission, but we do require that you complete the specific prerequisite courses from an accredited institution in the United States. Community college coursework is accepted. We recommend a minimum prerequisite GPA of 2.75 or higher to be considered for an interview. If you retake any courses, we will use your highest grade for the GPA calculation. Free transcript reviews are available for each campus. Wingate campus: Eva Baucom at e.baucom@wingate.edu. Hendersonville campus: Barbara Burke at b.burke@wingate.edu.

Humanities/Social Sciences*: Examples include sociology, psychology, foreign language, philosophy, history, ethics, anthropology, etc.

Other**: Examples include public speaking, economics, advanced biology or chemistry courses, business, music, theater, etc.

These courses are required for all applicants, including those who were pre-pharmacy as an undergraduate. You can take these courses at Wingate University or another accredited college, university or community college in the United States. More information is listed under Course Equivalents.

We have put together a helpful list of course equivalents, including course title and number, from nearby colleges and universities that satisfy our course requirements. We require you to complete all of the required courses by the end of the first summer session prior to entering the program.

We ask that you keep in mind:
Online science courses are not accepted. We can accept hybrid science courses as long as the lab is in a seated classroom.
Science courses taken more than five years before you begin pharmacy school may not be accepted.  We can waive the five year time limit if you are currently working as a pharmacy technician or another appropriate field in the sciences. 
Grades for your in-progress courses are not considered when we determine your pre-pharmacy GPA.

One More Vital Course
Do you hold Basic Life Support (BLS) or CPR/AED certification? If not, you must complete the American Heart Association’s BLS Training for Healthcare Providers or American Red Cross CPR/AED Training prior to beginning pharmacy school. Why? Your experiential learning begins in your first year as a Wingate University student pharmacist. During this time, you may encounter a situation when you need lifesaving skills. We want you to be prepared.  You do not have to complete the BLS training to apply.

Please call or email Ms. Jean Tarlton if you have questions about our pharmacy school admission requirements.

For a full list, click here.

The Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) is optional for applicants with at least a 3.0 prerequisite GPA or higher. If your prerequisite GPA falls below a 3.0, we recommend that you take the PCAT to strengthen your application. If you take the PCAT multiple times, we will use your highest subscores to create a “superscore."

PharmCAS Application

Qualified applicants will be contacted to schedule an in-person interview.  We do not conduct any interviews over the phone or via technology such as Skype.  Interview days are an opportunity for you to meet current students, faculty, and staff and determine if our program is the best fit for you.  We will evaluate candidates throughout the interview experience to determine if you will be a good fit for our program. The interview process at both campuses ensures that you will have the opportunity to interact with multiple current students, faculty, and staff.  

Do you know that Wingate University School of Pharmacy is your top choice for pharmacy school?  This option may be for you!  We participate in Early Decision.  The Early Decision program is a binding option for candidates who have decided that one program is their top choice.  The Early Decision application deadline is September 3, 2019.  PharmCAS must receive all of your application materials by this deadline to be eligible.  We give Early Decision candidates priority review and reserve the first three to four interview sessions for Early Decision candidates. If you are not offered a seat in the Early Decision process, your application will roll over to Regular Decision.  At that time, you may apply to other pharmacy schools. 

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Factors beyond your GPA and PCAT scores are considered to determine which candidates qualify for interviews.  We value your previous experiences, achievements, and motivation to become a pharmacist.  Be sure to list any relevant experiences in your PharmCAS application so that we can evaluate your application holistically. 

Observation

• Observe and interpret scientific and clinical instruments; e.g. manipulate laboratory equipment to view, read and manually record data
• Observe a patient accurately close by and from a distance; e.g. evaluate visible signs and symptoms of illness during a patient encounter
• Use information on computerized display systems to inform decision-making

Communication

• Correctly read, comprehend and use the English language to communicate effectively and sensitively in verbal and written formats (via the computer and legible handwriting) to illustrate calculations and patient-care problems or document information in a health record
• Receive and correctly interpret both verbal and non-verbal (e.g. body language) instructions and cues

Motor Skills

• Use motor function necessary for patient care; e.g. administer immunizations, perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, use compound sterile (e.g. intravenous solutions) and non-sterile (e.g. packing capsules) preparations, use a stethoscope to evaluate breath and cardiac sounds and blood pressure, use sense of touch to evaluate a patient’s clinical condition (assess pulse, temperature, edema)
• Accurately use laboratory equipment; e.g. operate laboratory instruments requiring visual coordination with 2-handed manipulations, apply forceps to move small objects and be able to easily turn small knobs or screws
• Transport yourself to and around/within off-campus clinical training sites

Intellectual

• Analyze, synthesize and apply complex information; e.g. integrate multiple data elements from a variety of sources to accurately complete and defend calculations, make clinical decisions and formulate treatment plans
• Integrate and process information promptly and accurately

Behavioral and Social

• Possess adequate emotional health to support intellectual abilities
• Manage taxing workloads when faced with physical, emotional or mental stress
• Work collaboratively with others with dissimilar viewpoints or values
• Use self-awareness to monitor and modify behavior in groups
• Conform to the standards of dress and conduct

Adapted from Berry, TM et al. Professional Technical Standards in Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy. AJPE 2011; 75(3). Article 50

Tuition to attend the Wingate University School of Pharmacy is the same for in- and out-of-state students. It is also the same whether you choose to study on the Wingate or Hendersonville campus.

The 2019-2020 tuition per year is $33,566.

Assistance is Available

We work hard to keep the cost of attending the School of Pharmacy affordable for you. Most of our students use electronic textbooks, which may offer a savings. Even so, if you need tuition assistance, you should investigate to see if you are eligible for graduate school loans and scholarships.

Tuition at Wingate University School of Pharmacy is an average of $6,300 less per year than our peer institutions. That could save you an average of $25,000 over four years. Do you have questions about tuition or paying for pharmacy school? Contact Jenn Pearson in our Financial Aid office.

1.  What are the minimum GPA and PCAT score requirements?
There is not a minimum GPA of PCAT score requirement.  We recommend at least a 2.75 GPA in your prerequisite courses to be competitive.  For applicants with at least a 3.0 prerequisite GPA or higher, the PCAT is optional.  For applicants below a 3.0 prerequisite GPA, we recommend that you take the PCAT to strengthen your application. 
2.  How many letters of recommendation? 
We require three letters of recommendation, but we recommend to complete four.  We do not require the letters be from a specific person, but most students pick a professor, a pharmacist, advisor, work supervisor, or somebody hey are involved with in the community to complete the recommendation.  
3.  What other experiences should I list on my application? 
We encourage you to list any of your recent relevant experiences.  Examples include pharmacy or healthcare experience, work experience/employment, involvement in a student or community organization, membership on an athletic team, military experience, or other extracurricular experiences.  You should also list any honors, publications, or research experience.  Most experiences should be within the past 5-10 years, depending on where you are at in your educational journey.
4.  Can I complete my prerequisites at a community college?
Yes, you can complete your prerequisites at any accredited institution in the United States, including community colleges.  
5.  Are prerequisites completed outside of the United States acceptable? 
No, we are unable to accept any prerequisite coursework completed outside of the United States. 
6.  Do you accept online prerequisite coursework? 
We require that your prerequisite science courses be completed in a seated classroom.  We can accept hybrid science courses with an online lecture as long as the lab is in a seated classroom.  The non-science courses can be completed online.
7.  Do you have a time limit on the prerequisite coursework? 
Yes, we have a five year time limit on your science prerequisite coursework only.  There is no time limit on your non-science prerequisite coursework.  We can waive the five year time limit on your science coursework if you are currently working as a pharmacy technician or another appropriate field in the sciences.  Questions about the time limit?  Contact us! 
8.  When is the application deadline?
PharmCAS sets the application opening and closing dates.  Typically, the application opens up mid-July prior to the year you are planning to start.  The application typically stays open until March.  The first deadline is the Early Decision deadline (you can apply to one school Early Decision; priority review from PharmCAS and school, we reserve first interview sessions for Early Decision).  That deadline is the first week of September.  Most schools work on rolling admissions.  The earlier you apply in the cycle, the better!
9.  Should I apply to both campuses? 
Our two campuses are listed separately in PharmCAS.  You may apply to one or both of the campuses.  If you have a preference for one campus, you only need to apply to that campus.  If you are unsure about your preference, you can apply to both campuses.  The interview qualification is the same, regardless of campus.  If you apply to both campuses and are offered an interview, you have the option to interview at both campuses.  
10.  What happens after the interview? 
Interview scores are added to each candidate’s application and are reviewed comprehensively.  Decision letters are typically mailed within the next week with one of the following decisions: accepted, denied, or waitlisted.  Candidates then have 10 business days from the date on the letter to pay the $100 non-refundable seat deposit. 
11.  Do you host any accepted student events? 
Absolutely!  We love to invite our accepted students back to campus before they begin pharmacy school.  Previous events included bowling, cookouts, and “day in the life of a pharmacy student” experiences.  We encourage accepted students to attend these events to meet their new classmates, current pharmacy students, and faculty. 
12.  Is there financial aid available? 
Yes, there is financial aid available for pharmacy students.  Jenn Pearson, Associate Director for Financial Planning, (j.pearson@wingate.edu) is your primary contact for financial aid questions.