<p>For anyone who attends UCI or has done research on the major, anyone know how competitive it is to get into? I'm a transfer. Also, is it incredibly specialized, or does it also include a spectrum of other science aspects?</p>
<p>I’m going to say it’s not that competitive just based on the fact that there’s barely any of them here, just a handful, so yeah…There’s a site out there, don’t have it on me right now, but it gave the chances of getting in as a transfer into UCI depending on what major you have and such. Might want to look into that…</p>
<p>It is not competitive but there are A LOT of requirements needed to declare the major.</p>
<p>[UCI</a> Change of Major Criteria: College of Health Sciences](<a href=“http://www.changeofmajor.uci.edu/CoM_HlthSci.html#pharm]UCI”>http://www.changeofmajor.uci.edu/CoM_HlthSci.html#pharm)</p>
<p>
It only deviates from a regular bio major after you get to your upper division. You will still get your survey of the basic sciences. G-chem, o-chem, physics, biology (cell, evo, genetics, biochem, molecular). Then when you get to your upper division, you start to focus mainly on pharm stuff.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think the major is not worth it. The classes are smaller and more specialized. Meaning that your GPA might suffer a whole lot more if you decide to pursue it. Pharmd programs only care about your GPA and not your major so that is one thing to consider.</p>
<p>However, I think the major will prepare you REALLY well for a pharmd program because they offer courses that are taught in a pharmd program. Pharmacology, med chem, and pharmaceutics.</p>
<p>But just because you didn’t major in pharm sci, doesn’t mean you won’t do well in a pharm d program.</p>
<p>Also you don’t need to be a pharm sci major to take pharm sci classes. They are open to bio sci majors. So you can be a bio major and take so pharm electives if you choose too.</p>
<p>Thanks for the info, guys. I’d love to transfer in as a bio major, but I’m coming from a 4 year university, so I’m lowest priority for transfer. Aka, denied for anything remotely impacted. I want to do something microbiology or MD/PhD related, so I’m trying to find some way to have any sort of chance at getting into UCI at all. How about Public Health Sci? Any word on admissions stats or merit of the program?</p>
<p>Bio is not impacted. It is actually easier to get into bio than the other programs you are looking into. Bio is huge while the other programs are really small with small number of admissions.</p>
<p>Really? I had heard from almost everyone on the transfer forum that (though I haven’t been rejected yet), I have pretty much zero chance at getting in as a bio major from a non-UC 4 year. Especially since my 3.6 GPA is apparently incredibly lacking. I totally felt good about that GPA before coming here, too. Haha.</p>
<p>3.6 is not lacking. It is about how many pre-reqs you finished and your gpa. Not gpa alone. 4.0 GPA with only 1/4 pre-reqs is not appealing.</p>
<p>If you really want to get in, then just apply to a unimpacted major where you finished your pre-reqs for it and apply then switch to bio when you get in.</p>
<p>Bio is not impacted anywhere except UCSD. That means you can enter as another major and change to a bio major. However, there are time limits on when you have to graduate. Like for UCI bio, if you are a transfer you have 3 years to finish. They will force you to take summer classes just to meet the deadline. For regular UCI students (freshman admits), they only get 4 years total to finish bio sci. So if they enter undeclared and changed to bio, you still have to finish in 4 years. I am pretty the other UC’s have similar time policies.</p>
<p>You are about the only person on this site that’s given me any hope. Haha. I was quoted that I had >0.01% chance of getting in to bio sci. Right now, I’m kind of counting on making an appeal to accept me to a less impacted major, as I was never planning on staying bio in the first place, instead switching to microbio right away instead. When I applied, I put bio as my main major and pharm as my second choice. There’s a few other things on my side for an appeal to work, but I’m primarily trying to sort out which major gives me the best chance of getting in at all.</p>
<p>As a pharmacist for over 20 years, my experience told me it doesn’t matter what major you have in order to apply pharmacy school as long as you took all the pre-requisite classes. </p>
<p>Moreover, some of my helpers got accepted to pharmacy schools in USC, UOP, Western when they finished their junior year with high GPA (3.9 to 4.0). My pharmacy is in the San Fernando Valley, and these students go to Cal State Northridge and LA Pierce College. My Point is which undergraduate school is not that important.</p>