A&P and Microbiology for Pharmacy School Online- Pharmacy prerequisites are not all chemistry. Most programs also require anatomy and physiology, and many require microbiology — the non-chemistry sciences that round out your foundation. This guide explains how common these requirements are, whether you need one combined A&P course or two, how labs factor in, and how to complete these courses online without tripping the survey-course trap.
Alongside the chemistry chain (Organic Chemistry I and II) and biology, two non-chemistry sciences come up repeatedly: anatomy and physiology, and microbiology. According to the PharmCAS course prerequisite summaries compiled by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), roughly 80% of programs require one or more courses in anatomy and/or physiology, and microbiology is required by many programs as well. The exact set depends on the school, so confirm against each target program and the full complete guide to pharmacy school prerequisites list.
A&P gives you the working knowledge of body systems that the PharmD curriculum assumes. Because it is required so widely, treat it as a near-certain part of your plan rather than an optional add-on. Human-focused A&P courses are generally preferred over broad survey biology when a program specifies anatomy and physiology. This requirement maps to BIO 270 (A&P I) and BIO 275 (A&P II) in the catalog.
Why is it so widely required? A&P is the language of the body that pharmacology and pathophysiology later assume. A pharmacist needs to understand how organ systems function to understand how drugs act on them, so programs want this foundation locked in before you arrive — which is why it rarely appears as merely “recommended.”
Programs commonly accept either a two-semester anatomy-and-physiology sequence or separate anatomy and physiology courses, and many that list a combined A&P requirement expect the full I & II sequence. A single one-semester survey usually will not satisfy a full A&P requirement. Check whether your target programs want the complete sequence so you take the right number of courses the first time.
Getting this right matters for both time and money: enrolling in a single survey when a program wants the full two-semester sequence means discovering the gap late and adding a course under deadline pressure, exactly the situation careful planning is meant to avoid.
Microbiology is required by many PharmD programs and recommended by others, since understanding microorganisms underpins later coursework. Where it is required, programs generally expect a college-level, majors-appropriate course. This maps to BIO 210 (Microbiology) in the catalog. Even where it is only “recommended,” completing it can strengthen a science-light transcript.
Microbiology also pairs naturally with the rest of the biology requirements, so if a program requires both general biology and microbiology, planning them in nearby terms keeps the biological-science block coherent and lets the concepts reinforce each other.
Lab requirements are the detail that varies most, so confirm them per program.
| Course | How common | Lab |
|---|---|---|
| Anatomy & Physiology I & II | Required by ~80% of programs | Often expected; varies |
| Microbiology | Required by many programs | Lab requirements vary |
Because “lab requirements vary” is exactly how the PharmCAS course prerequisite summaries describe it, do not assume — verify whether each target program needs a lab component for these courses before you enroll.
As with the chemistry and biology requirements, programs generally expect majors-level science, not a “for non-majors” survey. An introductory anatomy overview aimed at general-education students may be rejected where a rigorous A&P sequence is expected. When in doubt, take the version designed for science and pre-professional students, and confirm acceptance — the same trap covered in pharmacy prerequisites for non-science majors.
A&P and microbiology can often run alongside the chemistry chain rather than strictly after it, which is one of the easiest ways to compress an otherwise long prerequisite timeline. Slot them into terms where your chemistry load leaves room.
These sciences are well-suited to flexible, self-paced study, which is why many applicants complete them online while working. The key is acceptance: take them at a regionally accredited institution your target programs recognize, and confirm any lab expectations. online pharmacy prerequisites covers what to verify before you enroll, including how online lab components are typically handled.
Acceptance ultimately traces back to accreditation. Courses from a regionally accredited institution — the same tier of institutional accreditation that underpins Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)-accredited pharmacy programs — are what programs look for; coursework from providers outside that standard is where applicants most often run into trouble.
On PrereqCourses, the A&P requirement maps to BIO 270 (Anatomy & Physiology I) and BIO 275 (Anatomy & Physiology II), and the microbiology requirement maps to BIO 210 (Microbiology) — each $695 per course, delivered self-paced through a regionally accredited, HLC-accredited university partner with monthly start dates. Browse them on the pharmacy prerequisite courses page, and confirm acceptance with your programs first.
Because these three courses can run alongside the chemistry chain rather than after it, completing them self-paced is one of the most efficient ways to make progress on your prerequisite plan during terms when your chemistry load is lighter.
A&P and microbiology are among the courses most subject to recency limits, since programs want a current command of biological science. If you took them years ago in a prior degree, check whether they still fall inside each program’s window before counting on them — see prerequisite recency rules for how recency rules work and how to refresh.
Sequence A&P and microbiology into terms where your chemistry load leaves room, aiming for strong grades since your science GPA is the dominant academic signal (GPA you need for pharmacy school). For the quantitative requirements that round out the stack, see physics and calculus for pharmacy prerequisites.
A balanced term often pairs one of these biological sciences with a chemistry course, spreading the lab workload and keeping any single semester manageable — the kind of pacing that protects the grades these courses contribute to your science GPA.
Take Anatomy & Physiology I & II and Microbiology self-paced and regionally accredited, with monthly start dates — $695 per course each.See the Science Prerequisite Courses
Always verify with the program. Prerequisite requirements differ by school and change year to year. Treat the details here as general guidance and confirm specifics with each program’s admissions office, the registrar, and your verified PharmCAS application before enrolling in any course.
Most do. Per the AACP/PharmCAS course prerequisite summaries, roughly 80% of programs require one or more courses in anatomy and/or physiology, and many expect the full A&P I & II sequence. Confirm the exact requirement with each program.
Programs commonly accept either separate anatomy and physiology courses or a combined two-semester A&P sequence, and many that list a combined requirement expect the full I & II sequence. A single one-semester survey usually will not satisfy it.
Microbiology is required by many PharmD programs and recommended by others. Where required, programs generally expect a college-level, majors-appropriate course. Confirm whether your target programs require it and whether a lab is needed.
Lab requirements vary by program, as the PharmCAS summaries note. A lab is often expected for A&P and sometimes for microbiology, so verify the specific lab requirement with each target program before enrolling.
Yes, if you take them at a regionally accredited institution your target programs accept and meet any lab requirements. Self-paced online courses with monthly starts let you complete them while working; confirm acceptance first.
Anatomy & Physiology I and II map to BIO 270 and BIO 275, and microbiology maps to BIO 210 — each self-paced and regionally accredited. Confirm acceptance with your programs, including any lab requirement, before enrolling.
