PharmD application process

Applicants are required to have an equivalent course for each of the prerequisites listed below. Course descriptions and codes listed are for the Waterloo examples of acceptable prerequisite courses. To see a list of examples of other acceptable courses at Waterloo and other Ontario universities (and a select number of Canadian Universities), view our Required Courses for PharmD Admissions web page.

Science and math

Detailed descriptions of the required courses listed below can be found on the Undergraduate Calendar.

English 

Any ENGL course that requires a significant amount of reading, critical thinking, analysis, and writing. The following are important considerations when choosing a course to fulfill the English academic requirement for admission:

• The course must be offered by the English Department.*
• Must have writing assignments, exclusive of exams, that comprise a minimum of 30% of the final course grade.
• High school English courses (such as IB, AP or British A-level) cannot be used to satisfy this requirement, but instead may be used to fulfil one of the two half-credit Social Science/Humanities requirements.

*COMMST or Social Science/Humanities courses may be used to satisfy the ENGL course requirement, however the course must meet the criteria listed above. In addition, honour’s thesis and master’s thesis courses may also be considered for meeting the requirement.

Social Sciences and/or Humanities 

Any two Social Sciences and Humanities courses are required. The following are considerations when choosing a course to fulfil this requirement:

• Courses should focus on society and how humans interact and develop as a culture. They should not focus on natural sciences, mathematics, computing, or finance.
• Courses can be introductory (100-level) or advanced level (200+ level).
• No more than one in English may be used to satisfy this requirement.
• You may combine one term/semester of Humanities with one term/semester of Social Sciences, or two terms/semesters in the same discipline or subject area.

To complete Stage 1 of your PharmD application, you must upload unofficial transcripts to the Applicant Portal. Official copies are not required at this stage.

• Upload transcripts from all post-secondary schools you've attended. If you are currently in school, please ensure your uploaded transcript(s) include final fall grades and winter course enrolment if you plan to enrol in winter studies.
• High school transcripts are not required, unless you received transfer credit for IB, AP, or A-level courses. If this applies to you, upload a copy of your exam results to the high school upload section in the Applicant Portal.
• Waterloo students (current or former) do not need to upload your UW transcript, as we have access to your academic records and transfer credit information.
• Meet the Submission Deadline: Make sure all required transcripts are uploaded before the Stage 1 deadline.

Please visit the University of Waterloo’s English Language Requirements webpage to determine if you are exempt from submitting an English language test. This webpage also details which test scores are accepted and the required minimums.   

After submitting your application, you’ll gain access to the Applicant Portal, where you must complete and submit the following three forms:

• Declaration of Academic Experience Form
• PharmD Prerequisite Courses Form
• PharmD Extracurricular Experience Form

These forms replace the previous Admission Information Form (AIF) and serve the same purpose: to provide the admissions committee with a comprehensive understanding of your academic background, confirmation of prerequisite course completion, and insight into your personal qualities, extracurricular involvement, and motivation for pursuing a career in pharmacy.

Pharmacy-related experience should be documented on the PharmD Extracurricular Experience Form. Competitive applicants typically have 200+ hours of pharmacy-related experience.

While the platform has changed, the information collected remains essentially the same—now presented through a more streamlined and user-friendly system.

The reference form serves to help the Admissions Committee understand the applicant’s suitability for a career in pharmacy.

As part of your form submission through the Applicant Portal, you will be asked to provide the name and contact information of one person who will serve as your reference. This individual is required to be a member of a regulated health profession.

References from pharmacists are likely to offer better insights into the applicant’s fit for the profession, and are therefore preferred. Those from other health professionals likely to be familiar with the role of pharmacists (i.e. physicians and nurses) are also acceptable, if they speak to the candidate's likely success as a pharmacist.

You must indicate one Reference Type when completing the form. When filling out the information for your reference, you do not need to use the Occupation pull-down menu items, as you have already chosen the Reference Type.

When you submit, your reference will receive an email from Waterloo that will direct them to submit your reference by the deadline indicated in the admissions timeline. It is your responsibility to ensure your reference submits the online form by this deadline. If your reference has not received their reference email within 3 business days of submitting your form, please email pharmacy.application@uwaterloo.ca .  

Your references will receive a confirmation email after they have submitted the form (normally within 3 business days), and will be provided with an electronic copy of their letter.

When the reference form has been received, the Applicant Portal will be updated to show its receipt (normally within 3 business days).

IMPORTANT: References must be submitted using the online reference system. Letters on stationery and hard copy forms are NOT acceptable. Relatives are not accepted as references.

Casper is an online, open-response, situational judgment test that takes 90-110 minutes to complete. All applicants are required to complete Casper as part of their application for the January 2027 admissions cycle.

You will register for: Casper 2 (CSP – 10211)

Casper measures different personal and professional skills that we believe are important for successful students and graduates of Waterloo’s PharmD program. It will complement the other tools we use for applicant review and evaluation, and we require Casper as part of our efforts to enhance fairness and objectivity in our selection process. 

Casper is administered by Acuity Insights.

How to sign up for Casper

• Create an Acuity Insights account and register to complete Casper.
  • You will register for Casper 2 (CSP-10211) using your 9-digit Waterloo Applicant Number and a piece of government-issued photo ID.
    • Note: If you do not have a 9-digit Waterloo Applicant Number yet, you can start the process, but you will have to update your file with your accurate 9-digit Waterloo Applicant Number by the distribution deadline.
  • Please register with the email address you are using for your application and check it regularly, as there may be updates to the test schedule.
• Select a Casper test date from the available testing dates and times, which have been approved in line with our admissions timelines. 
• Register for your test at least 3 days before your preferred test date and time to allow time to perform a system requirements check and take the sample test in your account. Last-minute bookings are not recommended.
• Ensure you have selected University of Waterloo Pharmacy for distribution before the distribution deadline listed on the Dates and Fees page.

Technical requirements for Casper

To take the assessments, you will need a:

• Valid email address (the same one you will use to submit your application).
• Desktop or laptop computer, ideally using Windows or macOS.
  • Smartphones and tablets are not supported.
• Working webcam and microphone.
  • Wired inputs or your computer’s built-in microphone are recommended.
• Reliable high-speed internet connection with download speeds of at least 1.5 Mbps and upload speeds of at least 2 Mbps.

Learn more about technical requirements.

Accommodations

Applicants requiring testing accommodations to complete Casper should submit an Initial Request Form (Part 1 and 2) at least four (4) weeks prior to your scheduled Casper test date. 

Learn more about the accommodations policy.

Help with Casper

If you have any questions, please contact the Acuity Insights team via the chat bubble on the bottom right of your Acuity Insights account or the Casper site. You can also review their collection of Frequently Asked Questions.

Resources to help you prepare

• Webinar for applicants-- Everything You Need to Know About Taking Casper
• Dates and Fees
• Prepare for Casper
• FAQ

*Acuity Insights is not affiliated with any test prep company, nor does Acuity Insights endorse any third-party services for preparing for Casper. Because Casper is designed to elicit authentic responses, applicants don’t need anything to prepare other than taking the free practice test in their Acuity Insights account or reviewing the information provided on the Casper site.

• Select applicants will move to the second stage of the admissions process. These applicants will be invited to participate in a virtual synchronous interview.
• The assessment dates are pre-determined, and no exceptions will be made. Candidates are expected to be available as per the application timeline.
• The virtual interview will be hosted live in a synchronous fashion using the Kira Talent online platform. Candidates will be interviewed by practicing pharmacists and current pharmacy students in a panel-style interview. Candidates will be given a set date/time to participate in their interview. More details will be provided closer to interview weekend to applicants who were specifically selected and confirmed their interview offer.

Only applicants who are enrolled in winter term studies and who receive an invitation for an interview are required to upload an updated transcript to the Applicant Portal at the end of the winter term.

• Upload your updated transcript with final winter term grades. If you will be enrolled in spring/summer term studies, please ensure your uploaded transcript shows spring/summer term course enrolment.
  • Note: uploads submitted will add to your application and not overwrite previous submissions.
• High school transcripts are not required, unless you received transfer credit for IB, AP, or A-level courses. If this applies to you, upload a copy of your exam results to the high school upload section in the Applicant Portal.
• Waterloo students (current or former) do not need to upload winter grades, as we have access to your updated academic record.
• Meet the Submission Deadline: Make sure all required transcripts are uploaded before the Stage 2 deadline.