Plan Ahead

Your roadmap to meeting your future education goals.

Which pathway is the best fit for you?

Answer the question(s) below to find the pathway that’s the right fit for your needs.

Quick Links

Paths for students in:

High School or College
Community College
WSU Undergrad

High School Seniors & College Students

Save-A-Seat

This option is for you if you are a high school senior or college student who is working to complete your prerequisites and/or undergraduate degree and plan to apply for the WSU PharmD program in a future year. Save-A-Seat ensures that there will be space available when you are ready to apply for the PharmD program. However, this does not guarantee admission.

Save Your Seat
Once admitted to the Save-A-Seat program you will have access to pre-admissions advisors at WSU to help you prepare for when it is time to apply for the pharmacy program.

Community College Students

The College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has paired with various community colleges in Washington state to ensure your community college coursework fulfills prerequisites to make your transition to WSU an easy one.

Bachelor of Science Direct Transfer

The Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical and Medical Sciences empowers aspiring pharmacists, physicians, dentists, other health care providers, and scientists with the knowledge, skills, and hands-on experience they need to make a difference in the world. Whether you dream of curing diseases, developing new medicines, or providing personalized care to patients, our program will give you the tools to succeed.

The undergraduate curriculum provides you with a comprehensive understanding of the human body, diseases, and biomedical research.

Community Colleges of Spokane ➔ Bachelor of Science

Spokane Community College and Spokane Falls Community College students who are interested in the WSU Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical and Medical Sciences program have access to pre-defined pathways which allow you to complete both your associates and Bachelor degrees in 4 years.

You can talk to your SCC or SFCC advisor for more information.

About the Bachelor Program

Doctor of Pharmacy Direct Transfers

Community college students at the Spokane Community College, Spokane Falls Community College, Columbia Basin College, or Yakima Valley College who are interested in the WSU pharmacy program have access to pre-defined pathways which allow you to complete both your associates and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees in 6 years, completing 7 quarters at the community college before applying to WSU for the 4-year pharmacy program.

Community Colleges of Spokane ➔ PharmD

The Community Colleges of Spokane offers multiple pathways for Spokane Community College (SCC) and Spokane Falls Community College (SFCC) students interested in pursing pharmacy.

You can talk to your SCC or SFCC advisor for more information.

Paths at SFCC
Paths at SCC
Students have the opportunity to remain in Spokane and complete their two-year degree at SCC or SFCC and their Doctor of Pharmacy degree on the WSU Spokane campus.
Either WSU Doctor of Pharmacy location is ideal for students coming from Columbia Basin College with the Yakima location less than a 1.5 hour drive and the Spokane location just 2 hours.

Columbia Basin College ➔ PharmD

Columbia Basin College offers a Associate in Science – Transfer degree option for students planning to earn a two-year degree prior to applying to WSU to pursue your pharmacy education.

You can talk to your CBC advisor for more information.

Transfer Degrees at CBC

Yakima Valley College ➔ PharmD

Yakima Valley College offers two degree options for students planning to earn a two-year degree prior to applying to WSU to pursue your pharmacy education.

You can talk to your YVC advisor for more information.

Download Planning Guide from YVC
Students have the opportunity to remain in Yakima by completing their two-year degree at YVC and their Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the WSU Yakima extension on the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences campus.

WSU Undergraduate Students

The College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences has paired with the Department of Psychology and Honors College at Washington State University to offer two accelerated pathways to allow you to purse both your undergraduate and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees in seven years instead of the traditional eight, saving you time and money. These 3 + 4 accelerated pathways allow you to complete 3 years of undergraduate courses then finish out your bachelor’s degree while in your first year of the 4-year Doctor of Pharmacy program.

Psych + PharmD

If you have an interest in health care and want to work with patients to improve their mental health outcomes this path may be for you! From helping children or adolescents struggling with mental health, to working in a fast-paced environment of the emergency room, a career in psychiatric pharmacy opens the doors to many job opportunities in a variety of settings. With a shortage of psychiatrists on the horizon, more psychiatric pharmacists are needed to fill this growing mental health care demand.

Questions? Please reach out to Lead Undergraduate Advisor for the Department of Psychology Chioma Heim or Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions for the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences Laura Lagreid.

Psychology-Accelerated Pre-Pharmacy Coursework
Student pharmacists engage in mental health simulations as part of their patient care education. Tailored simulations allow you to learn effective communication and receive feedback in a clinical setting.
Once in the Doctor of Pharmacy program, students who would like to continue along the honors pathway have the opportunity to participate in the Honors Research track at the college and graduate with an honors distinction.

Honors + PharmD

Honors College students admitted to the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (CPPS) during their sophomore or junior year can use PharmD courses to complete their bachelor’s degree electives while in the first year of their pharmacy education. Students will also be able to work with a CPPS mentor to complete their honors thesis.

Honors College Pharmacy Pathway