Before You Apply
Accordion Content
No. The school uses the same criteria to evaluate out-of-state applicants as California residents.
The school also does not give preference to any major. However, most applicants are science majors, with common majors in biology, chemistry, biochemistry, and psychobiology.
USC is a private university; therefore, tuition and fees are the same for all students regardless of state or country of residence.
Over the past three years, on average, we received about 500 applications, interviewed about 300 students and enrolled about 170 students per year.
Application Requirements
Accordion Content
A bachelor’s degree is required to apply for the PharmD program. All applicants must also complete all pre-pharmacy courses (prerequisites), regardless of degree or major, before they enter the PharmD program.
The minimum GPA requirement for the cumulative and the pre-pharmacy courses is 3.0. The average GPA of admitted students is approximately 3.4 for both. All pre-pharmacy required courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher. To see which courses at your institution fulfill our pre-pharmacy requirements, please refer to the course equivalencies page.
The school’s admission criteria include academic strength, motivation to pursue pharmacy, maturity, communication skills, special talents, achievements, and the unique contribution you will be expected to make to the profession. For more information, see the school’s admission requirements.
The PharmD program does not require PCAT or GRE.
International students must submit TOEFL scores directly to USC when applying through PharmCAS.
Yes. You should have completed most of your pre-pharmacy coursework by the time you submit your application. You must indicate on your application when and where you will be taking the remaining prerequisites. All pre-pharmacy courses must be completed by the end of the spring of your entering year.
Yes. Please submit an updated schedule of courses by email to USC Mann Office of Admission and Student Affairs. Make sure you are taking equivalent courses as listed on the Course Equivalencies page.
We highly recommend that all pre-pharmacy courses (including your bachelor’s degree) are completed by the end of the spring term or by June 30 in your entering year. If you have any pre-requisite courses that will not be completed by June 30, you will need to request an extension with the Admission Committee. To request an extension until August 15, email pharmadm@usc.edu with your course information and the requirement it intends to fulfill.
No. The school admits in the fall semester only.
Interviews
Accordion Content
Competitive applicants who meet a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average and above, possess strong communication and interpersonal skills, and have a general knowledge of the field of pharmacy are the most sought-after candidates. Students who fall below our minimum 3.0 GPA but otherwise demonstrate the ability to be successful in the PharmD program will still be reviewed for admission on a case-by-case basis by the admission committee.
No. If you miss your assigned interview or arrive late, your application will be canceled. However, under some rare circumstances, such as a medical emergency, the Admission Committee will make an exception. If you know you will be attending an important event or studying abroad during one of the school’s interview sessions, please inform us early so that we will not schedule your interview during that session.
Professional attire is recommended. For more information about the interview process, please see the Admissions page and read through the How to Apply section.
After You Apply
Accordion Content
You should notify PharmCAS and the admission office of all changes of mailing and e-mail addresses, as well as phone numbers.
You should notify the admission office as soon as possible of your decision to withdraw. An explanation and/or information about what school you choose to attend is greatly appreciated and provides us with information that reflects our admission results. You do not need to notify PharmCAS separately about your decision to withdraw.
Yes. Each year, the school receives applications from previous applicants. Re-applicants must submit following the same process as new applicants, including the PharmCAS Application. However, you are required to send only one new letter of recommendation.
The Admissions Committee may accept you “conditionally” if you have one or more incomplete pre-pharmacy course(s), if your bachelor’s degree is not yet completed or if your final degree is not yet posted to your transcript. For more information on the required next steps please see our Admissions page and read through the How to Apply section.
Active consideration is a status for those candidates who have been interviewed but are not admitted after an interview. Candidates on active consideration are placed on hold/wait list until a final admission decision can be made. They are re-evaluated after each additional interview session, and could receive admission, denial, or continued active consideration status.
If you are on active consideration, you should continue with your unfinished coursework. When you finish a term, please send in your updated transcript(s) to PharmCAS for Academic Update as soon as the grades and/or your degree are posted.
All admitted students to the PharmD program are required to be fingerprinted for criminal background checks by the California Board of Pharmacy as a requirement of licensure. Students must obtain a license from the Board of Pharmacy to participate in the clinical portions of the PharmD Program.
The USC Mann School does not participate in drug testing for admitted PharmD students.
Many of the clinical facilities affiliated with USC may require additional background checks and/or drug testing for student placements. Therefore, USC participates in the PharmCAS-facilitated Centralized Criminal Background Check (CBC) Service Program through Certiphi Screening.
Upon admission to our program, you will be emailed by Certiphi to initiate the background check. Please follow the instructions in the email to proceed with your background check. It is highly recommended that international applicants apply as early as possible, since it takes longer for you to complete a background check after admission.
Reach out to pharmadm@usc.edu to request a deferral. However, these requests are reviewed on a case by case basis by the admission committee.