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. Visit the Transfer and Advance Standing page to learn more.
- First-Year International Students: Applicants who received a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an institution outside the U.S. Visit the International Student page to 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*
- Complete all pre-pharmacy required courses with a grade of C or higher at least one week before you enter the program
- 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.
*Biochemistry courses must be taken at a four-year institution. Pre-pharmacy courses from vocational or technical schools are not accepted.
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.
Requirements are subject to change.
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- Biochemistry: One upper-division course for science majors
- General biology: 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
- Human physiology: One course for science majors (if taking a combined anatomy and physiology course for science majors, entire series must be completed)
- Microbiology: One course in the fundamentals of microbiology for science majors (note that microbiology is offered only in the fall at some institutions)
Only courses designed for science majors are accepted. We recommend that math and science courses be completed during the regular academic year rather than during a summer/abbreviated term.
- Calculus: One semester or two quarters (should include differential and integral calculus for science majors)
- General chemistry: One-year course with labs for science majors (should include inorganic chemistry and qualitative analysis)
- Organic chemistry: 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
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:
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We use Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS), which allows you to complete a single application for multiple pharmacy schools and we don’t require a separate USC supplemental application. You can save your work and return to your application as many times as needed until you are ready to submit it.
- Create a PharmCAS account to obtain your PharmCAS ID number
- Enter your transcript information from each higher education institution you’ve attended. All data you enter must match your transcripts
- Complete the information about your pre-pharmacy courses and arrange for your official transcripts to be sent directly to PharmCAS from each institution
- 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.
- Answer the questions in the Program Materials section, including two USC PharmD Essay Questions
- Electronically sign the California State Board of Pharmacy Felony and Misdemeanor Conviction Disclosure Statement, the Essential Characteristics and Abilities form, and the Applicant’s Affidavit
Applicants are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline. This will make you eligible for early interview dates, scholarship considerations, and a reduced deposit fee, if admitted.
It is advisable that you submit your PharmCAS application as early as possible. Generally, PharmCAS takes two to five weeks to process your application and send it to USC Mann. You may use PharmCAS Applicant Help Center for further assistance.
After you have submitted your PharmCAS application, we’ll invite qualified and competitive candidates to an admissions interview. You will be notified one to three weeks in advance in order to have time to prepare.
Your admissions interview will consist of:
- Traditional interview with one faculty member or alumnus plus a current student (approximately 20 minutes)
- Real-life scenario that you must address. The scenario does not test for specific knowledge but offers a holistic view of your reaction skills. We hope to see your proficiency in communication, leadership, interpersonal interactions, critical thinking and ethical decision-making
Once you are admitted to the USC PharmD program, you must submit:
- An official transcript that confirms completion of all pre-pharmacy (prerequisite) coursework and the conferral of a bachelor’s degree. If all requirements were completed at the time of application and the final transcript with degree verification has already been processed and verified by PharmCAS, no additional submission to USC Mann is needed.
If you had pending coursework at the time of your application, you must complete the required prerequisite pre-pharmacy courses and submit an updated transcript. You can upload your transcripts through the PharmCAS Academic Update. After the Academic Update period ends on June 30, any transcripts must be sent directly to the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, either electronically or by mail.
You may have your transcripts emailed through Parchment or directly from your school’s registrar’s office to us at: pharmadm@usc.edu. Note: Do not use the default USC choice. You need to manually type in the email address, pharmadm@usc.edu; otherwise, it will be delayed. Or, mail your transcripts to:
USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
Office of Enrollment and Student Affairs
1985 Zonal Avenue, PSC B10
Los Angeles CA 90033
If you are an international student, submit to USC Graduate School your International Education Research Foundation verification for your international coursework and degree. Learn more
Additional Information
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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.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an American immigration policy that allows certain undocumented immigrants who entered the country before their 16th birthday, and before June 2007, to receive a renewable two-year work permit and exemption from deportation. If you are an undocumented applicant, we welcome your application to the PharmD program.