PhD Program

PhD Admission

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  • PhD Program

    • All prospective students will apply through the single umbrella program in Pharmaceutical & Translational Sciences (PHTS). Application materials will be reviewed by a joint admission committee, with equal representation of faculty from each track, evaluating applications on the basis of academic excellence and scientific research commitment.

    Application Deadline

    Applications and all supporting materials may be submitted anytime between September 1 and January 15 for consideration for admission for the following Fall semester. Program deadline expires on January 15 at 11:59:59 pm PST. 

    Consideration for certain USC Scholarships and Fellowships begins in December. Applications must be received by December 1 to receive full consideration for these opportunities. Admission decisions will continue to be made until the class is filled, usually by mid to late spring. Applications are only considered for admission beginning in the Fall term, except under exceptional circumstances.

    Applications to PHTS require the following:

    Apply through USC Graduate Admission Application

    From an accredited four-year college or university. Candidates with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in pharmacy, chemistry, biology or other related disciplines are invited to apply.

    A brief and focused essay about your career and research goals, and how you intend to achieve these goals. It should also describe your accomplishments thus far along your projected career path (500 words or less).

    Three letters from faculty knowledgeable of the student’s ability and capability are required. These letters should provide a thorough assessment of the student’s experience in laboratory research, ability to communicate in verbal and written English, motivation, creativity and other qualities in the student’s academic performance.

    Must be submitted online. Hard copies will not be accepted.

    From all institutions attended. Upload copies of official transcripts to the online application system. Mail official transcripts to the USC Office of Graduate Admission.  For instructions, click here.

    TOEFL, IELTS, PTE:  This is required for all international applicants. Scores must be submitted electronically (hard copies are not accepted). For instructions on how to submit your test scores, click here. For exemption information, please click here.

    The student’s research and professional experience should be well described within the application. A personal statement summarizing career objectives and research interests, published manuscripts and letters of reference should be included. These documents will help the admissions committee in their evaluation of the candidate’s background preparation for success in the PhD program. For those interested in pursuing PhD training in the Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics Track, special emphasis will be given to applicants with an advanced professional degree (e.g. PharmD, MD, DDS).

    When listing undergraduate/graduate GPAs (grade point averages) on the application, please use the system of your university. If you received a percentage grade, provide the average percentage. If you were graded on a scale other than 4.0 (with 4.0 equal to an “A”), please indicate the average grade AND indicate the scale (for example, 8.5/10). All international students are required to submit TOEFL/IELTS scores even if a master’s degree was received from an English speaking country. The minimum TOEFL score is 100 for the internet-based test (iBT) or an IELTS score of 7, with at least 6 on each band. For more exemption information, click here.

    Please visit the Graduate Admission FAQ page for more helpful information on the USC application process.

    All applications will be reviewed holistically, taking into consideration all components of the candidate’s application. Proficiency in the English language is essential.

    ETS Institution code: 4852
    TOEFL code: 4852

    How to Apply

    Applications must be submitted through USC’s online graduate application system. After you have created an account and have logged into the online application system, please refer to the following basic instructions:

    Application Fee Waivers

    For information on application fee waivers, go to the “Add Program” tab or click here.

    Application Process

    We strongly encourage you to visit our FAQ webpage and the Graduate Admission website to understand the application process for beginning to end.