General Chemistry for Pharmacy School Online- General chemistry is the foundational gate of the pharmacy prerequisite sequence — the course every other chemistry requirement builds on. Before you can take organic chemistry, programs expect a full general chemistry sequence with lab, and a weak grade here is a common reason applicants retake before moving forward. You can take general chemistry for pharmacy school online, self-paced, with a lab, as regionally accredited credit that posts to an official transcript, at $695 per course. This page explains why general chemistry comes first, what it covers, why it’s a frequent retake, and how it sets up the rest of the chemistry chain.
General chemistry establishes the fundamentals — atomic structure, bonding, reactions, equilibrium, and quantitative problem-solving — that every later chemistry course assumes. Organic chemistry, in particular, depends on a solid general chemistry foundation, which is why programs require it as a prerequisite to organic and why it sits at the base of the chemistry chain. Get general chemistry right, and the harder courses that follow become far more approachable. See the complete pharmacy prerequisites guide for the full sequence.
The general chemistry sequence covers the core principles of the discipline:
This is academic course content describing the chemistry itself — the foundation organic chemistry and biochemistry build on. The course includes a lab component recorded on your transcript, which matters for prerequisite acceptance.
At PrereqCourses, general chemistry maps to CHEM 152, delivered online and self-paced with a lab through Upper Iowa University, regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. As institutional credit, it posts to an official transcript — the form PharmCAS programs recognize — and feeds your science GPA. You can start any time and progress at your own pace. Confirm whether your programs require one or two semesters of general chemistry, then begin on the pharmacy prerequisites page.
General chemistry is one of the more frequently retaken pharmacy prerequisites, for two reasons. First, a weak general chemistry grade undermines the foundation organic chemistry needs, so applicants often refresh it before tackling organic. Second, because it’s usually taken early in a pre-health sequence, it’s the most likely course to fall outside a program’s recency window for career changers. Retaking it both rebuilds the foundation and, with a strong grade, raises your science GPA. See retaking prerequisites to get into pharmacy school.
Like the rest of the chemistry chain, general chemistry can be expensive elsewhere. At $695, CHEM 152 is regionally accredited institutional credit with no separate application or registration fees — and taking your full chemistry sequence here compounds the saving. For the full comparison, see the cheapest way to take pharmacy prerequisites online.
Confirm acceptance — including the lab and the number of semesters. Some programs require one general chemistry course, others two, and lab-science policies vary; acceptance is never automatic. Confirm with each program’s admissions office and PharmCAS before enrolling. We don’t guarantee admission or transfer, and this page covers prerequisites only — not clinical or pharmacological topics.
With general chemistry complete, the chain continues into organic chemistry — the defining pharmacy prerequisite — and then biochemistry. Most applicants move from general chemistry directly into Organic Chemistry I, then Organic Chemistry II and biochemistry. If you need the full sequence, the pharmacy chemistry sequence bundle coordinates it on one timeline.
| Semester | Typical topics |
|---|---|
| First semester | Atomic structure, the periodic table, bonding, stoichiometry, gases, and thermochemistry. |
| Second semester (CHEM 152) | Equilibrium, acids and bases, kinetics, thermodynamics, and electrochemistry. |
Together the sequence covers the core principles of chemistry that organic chemistry and biochemistry build on. Confirm whether your programs require one semester or the full two-semester sequence.
In most cases, yes — pharmacy programs typically expect a full two-semester general chemistry sequence with lab, not a single course. General chemistry is the foundation the entire chemistry chain rests on, so programs want the complete year before you advance to organic chemistry. That has a practical implication for planning: if you’re missing or refreshing general chemistry, budget for both semesters, and sequence them before organic chemistry rather than alongside it, since organic assumes a solid general-chemistry base. The first semester generally establishes atomic structure, bonding, stoichiometry, and reactions; the second typically moves into kinetics, equilibrium, acids and bases, thermodynamics, and electrochemistry — the concepts organic chemistry draws on directly. Because both semesters feed your science GPA and both must usually be complete and current, plan them as a pair within each program’s recency window. As always, confirm the exact requirement — one semester or two, credit hours, and lab — with each program and PharmCAS before enrolling, since requirements vary and acceptance is never automatic. Getting the general chemistry foundation right, in the right order, is what makes the organic and biochemistry courses that follow far more manageable. Many applicants who struggle in organic chemistry trace the difficulty back to a shaky general-chemistry foundation, so treating these two semesters as a genuine base — rather than a box to check — pays off across the entire chemistry chain.
General chemistry is a common retake for two reasons. First, as the foundation of the chemistry chain, a weak grade here ripples forward, so applicants often refresh it to rebuild both the knowledge and the science GPA before tackling organic chemistry again. Second, because it’s usually taken early in an undergraduate career, it’s frequently the first credit to fall outside a program’s five-to-seven-year recency window for career changers and gap-year applicants. If either applies to you, retaking general chemistry as a recent, regionally accredited course restores currency and gives you a stronger base for the organic and biochemistry courses ahead. A self-paced format makes the refresh efficient: you move quickly through the material you remember and spend your time where it’s actually needed. See retaking prerequisites to get into pharmacy school for the broader GPA-repair strategy, and confirm recency requirements with each program and PharmCAS.
Yes — pharmacy programs require general chemistry (commonly a two-semester sequence with lab) as the foundation for organic chemistry and the rest of the chemistry chain. Confirm the exact requirement with each program.
Yes. A self-paced, regionally accredited online course with a lab that posts to an official transcript — like CHEM 152 — can satisfy this requirement. Confirm acceptance, including the lab, with your programs and PharmCAS.
It depends on the program — many require a two-semester sequence. Check each target program’s requirement so you complete the right amount.
Yes — general chemistry is the foundation organic chemistry builds on, so complete it first. A strong general chemistry foundation makes organic far more manageable.
CHEM 152 is $695, with no separate application or registration fees, as regionally accredited institutional credit that posts to an official transcript.
If your grade was weak or the credit has aged out, retaking it rebuilds the foundation for organic chemistry and, with a strong grade, raises your science GPA. Confirm recency windows with your programs.
Continue with Organic Chemistry I for pharmacy online, the pharmacy chemistry sequence, and the complete pharmacy prerequisites guide.
Authoritative resources: PharmCAS on coursework and the application, the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education on program accreditation, the American Chemical Society on chemistry education, and the Higher Learning Commission on regional accreditation.
