“Find the reason that is drawing you to pursuing pharmacy and hold onto it. Pharmacy school is very challenging, and it’s important that your ‘why’ is strong and true.”
The USC Mann School accepts applications from students in the following categories:
- First-Year Students: Applicants who have received a bachelor’s degree or will complete their bachelor’s degree by the time of enrollment, and who have not previously been enrolled in a PharmD program.
- Transfers and Advanced Standing: Applicants who are currently enrolled in an accredited PharmD program at another institution and want to seek advanced standing at USC Mann. Learn more
- First-Year International Students: Applicants who received a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an institution outside the U.S. Learn more
Eligibility and Requirements
To be eligible for the PharmD program, you must meet certain academic requirements.
- Hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent before matriculation
- Have achieved a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale) in all college work and pre-pharmacy required courses at an accredited two- or four-year college.
- If you did not achieve a minimum 3.0 GPA but demonstrate the ability to be successful in the program, you may still be considered for admission.
- Complete all pre-pharmacy required courses with a grade of C or higher at least one week before you enter the program.
- Arrange for three letters of recommendation to be sent directly to PharmCAS. One letter must be from a science professor with whom you took a class and/or did research. The remaining two letters may be from professors, advisers, researchers, pharmacists or employers. If you are reapplying from one year prior, you only need to submit one new letter of recommendation.
Required Pre-Pharmacy Courses
You must complete the required pre-pharmacy courses (prerequisites) as an undergraduate student or prior to enrollment in the PharmD program.
Biochemistry is an upper-division course that must be taken at a four-year institution. We also recommend taking physiology and microbiology at a four-year university or college.
Please refer to the Course Equivalencies page for the list of courses offered at your institution that fulfill our pre-pharmacy requirements. If your institution is not listed or you have questions, please contact the admissions office.
Requirements are subject to change.
Accordion Content
- Calculus: One semester or two quarters (should include differential and integral calculus for science majors)
- General Chemistry with labs: One-year course with labs for science majors (should include inorganic chemistry and qualitative analysis)
- Organic Chemistry with labs: One-year course with labs for science majors; if your university offers less than a one-year course, you must complete the second semester at another institution
- General Biology with labs: One-year course for science majors with labs (excluding courses in human anatomy, human physiology, botany and microbiology); if your university offers less than a one-year course, you must complete the second semester at another institution
- Biochemistry: One upper-division course for science majors
- Microbiology: One course in the fundamentals of microbiology for science majors
- Human Physiology: One course for science majors (if taking a combined anatomy and physiology course for science majors, entire series must be completed)
- Communication: One course in communication, public speaking, interpersonal communication, speech or intercultural communication.
The following recommended courses will strengthen your background and your application’s competitiveness:
- Microeconomics
- Molecular biology (upper division)
- Physics (courses that include thermodynamics and electromagnetism)
- Psychology and/or sociology
- Statistics (not business statistics)
How to Apply
Once you confirm you have met the eligibility requirements listed above, follow the following steps to apply:
Accordion Content
The USC Mann PharmD program uses the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS). You can apply through a single PharmCAS application; no separate USC supplemental application is required. To complete your application, ensure you answer the two USC-specific essay questions within PharmCAS and arrange for three letters of recommendation.
Applicants are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline to receive full consideration for earlier interview dates, merit scholarships, and a reduced enrollment deposit, if admitted.
Because PharmCAS processing can take 2 to 5 weeks, we recommend submitting your application as early as possible. For assistance with your application, visit the PharmCAS Applicant Help Center.
Qualified applicants will be invited to interview after their PharmCAS application has been reviewed. Interview invitations are typically sent 1 to 3 weeks in advance.
The interview process includes:
- A 20-minute traditional interview with a faculty member or alumnus and a current PharmD student.
- A scenario-based assessment designed to evaluate your communication, critical thinking, ethical decision-making, leadership, and interpersonal skills. No prior pharmacy-specific knowledge is required.
Additional Information
Accordion Content
The USC Mann School accepts online courses for pre-pharmacy requirements if they are listed on the Course Equivalencies page. These courses must have been taken during or after spring 2020. Any online prerequisites taken prior to spring 2020 will need to be reviewed by the admissions committee. To submit a course for consideration, email a link to the course description to pharmadm@usc.edu.
Pass/no pass grading of prerequisites is only acceptable if taken in 2020. Pass/no pass courses taken any other time may be acceptable upon verification by the admissions committee. To submit a request, email the link to the course description and a brief explanation to pharmadm@usc.edu.
The admissions committee will not accept College Level Examination Program courses. Our Office of Enrollment and Student Affairs may consider Advanced Placement (AP) exam and International Baccalaureate (IB) credit if you have a bachelor’s degree.
An AP score of 3, 4 or 5 or IB scores of 5, 6, or 7 may be used toward the first quarter or semester of a one-year series of pre-pharmacy courses, such as general biology or general chemistry. AP calculus BC can be used to satisfy the calculus requirement. Please submit a copy of all AP scores through your PharmCAS application (Program Materials section) if you are using them to satisfy pre-pharmacy required courses.
If you are an undocumented applicant, we welcome your application to the PharmD program. USC admission, enrollment and tuition policies are not based on your immigration or DACA status.
