How to Apply

The following checklist is designed to help guide you through timely completion of the entire application process. If you have any questions along the way, admission staff are available to help you at (323) 442-1466 or pharmadm@usc.edu.

Check that you meet minimum eligibility requirements.

  1. Bachelor's degree completed.
  2. Minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at an accredited two- or four-year college or university—with all pre-pharmacy required courses preferably taken at four-year institutions.
  3. Check that you meet the Course Equivalencies and pre-pharmacy course requirements.

Complete your PharmCAS application.

Like many other leading schools of pharmacy, the USC School of Pharmacy uses the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS), which allows prospective students to complete one primary application that may be submitted to multiple schools.

  1. Familiarize yourself with the PharmCAS website in advance, so you can gather all the materials you will need to complete the application process. You will find a step-by-step checklist and other helpful materials on the PharmCAS website.
  2. Create your PharmCAS login account to obtain your PharmCAS ID number.
  3. Allow three to six hours to fill out your application. You do not have to complete the application in one sitting; you may save your work and return to your application repeatedly until you are ready to submit it.
  4. Enter your transcript information from each higher education institution you have attended. All data you enter must match your transcripts.
  5. You must use the same email address for both the PharmCAS and USC Supplemental Application.
  6. Arrange for your official transcripts to be sent directly to PharmCAS from each institution.
  7. Arrange for two or three letters of recommendation to be sent directly to PharmCAS.
  8. Submit your PharmCAS application as early as possible. Generally it takes two to five weeks for PharmCAS to process your application and send it to the School of Pharmacy.
  9. Submit no later than the deadline of November 1, 2011 (11:59 p.m. EASTERN time).

Complete Both Parts of Your USC School of Pharmacy Supplemental Application

The USC Supplemental Application for Fall 2012 is a two-part process. Part One is the USC Graduate Admission Application and Part Two is the PharmD Supplemental Application.

1. Create an account (re-applicants must create a new account for the 2012 application).

2. Ensure you meet all of the eligibility requirements outlined above, including the pre-pharmacy requirements and course equivalencies for your college/university.

3. Complete Part One, the USC Graduate Admission Application. (The PharmD Supplemental Application becomes accessible after you submit Part One.)

  • You must fill out each section of the application denoted by an asterisk, which indicates required information.
  • You may skip the sections not required by the PharmD program, such as Test Information, Additional Questions for Viterbi or PhD programs, Supporting Documents, Supplemental Forms or Recommendations.
  • A Statement of Purpose is NOT required for the PharmD application. Instead, you will be asked to submit your answers to the "PharmD Essays" in Part Two.
  • Please ignore the "Recommendation" link on the left-hand side of the Part One Supplemental Application. Arrange for two letters of recommendation to be submitted online through PharmCAS. One letter should be from a faculty member and a second from a person who can best describe your capabilities and fitness for a pharmacy education and career. Re-applicants from one year prior only need to send in one new letter of recommendation.

4. Complete Part Two, the Doctor of Pharmacy Supplemental application.

  • Enter your PharmCAS identification number on the USC PharmD Supplemental Application. Remember you must use the same email address for both the PharmCAS and the USC Supplemental Application.
  • Have transcripts available from each higher education institution you attended. From those transcripts, you will select the courses used to satisfy the pre-pharmacy requirements.
  • You may use PharmCAS rules to calculate your cumulative undergraduate GPA.
  • Please note that the PharmD program is a full-time program. The "Distance Education" option is not available for this program.
  • Submit your résumé through the USC Supplemental Application online under "Employment Information/Résumé." Any format is acceptable.
  • You must respond to two of three PharmD Essays in the PharmD Supplemental Application. You may write your responses in a separate Word file and cut and paste it onto the online application form. Please limit your answer to the space provided in the online application, generally no more than 300 words. The cut-and-paste function will not work if your answer goes beyond the space provided.
  • You must sign electronically the California State Board of Pharmacy Felony and Misdemeanor Conviction Disclosure Statement.
  • You will be required to submit electronically a (non-refundable) Supplemental Application Fee of $85.00. The School of Pharmacy does not grant fee waivers. If you select the fee waiver option due to financial difficulty, you will be asked to provide supporting documents. Please note that the request of a fee waiver may delay the evaluation of your application.

5. Submit no later than the deadline of November 1, 2011 (11:59 p.m. EASTERN time).

Interview Process

Applicants must be interviewed before admission to the PharmD program.
The interview consists of two parts: an oral interview and a writing test. The purpose of the interview is to assess your oral communication skills, writing skills, leadership ability and your motivation or potential to be a pharmacist.

If you are offered an interview, you will be notified two to three weeks in advance. Please keep the following dates available because, except for rare circumstances, appointments are not rescheduled. The 2011-2012 interview sessions are on the following dates:

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Saturday, January 21, 2012

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Following Admission

If you are admitted into the PharmD program, at that time, you will be required to submit:

  1. One official transcript from each higher education institution attended, including your most recent spring grades.
  2. One copy of a certified (original) transcript, comprehensive course descriptions and syllabi directly to the University of Southern California School of Pharmacy’s Admission Office (ONLY for applicants with international coursework). Such applicants also must submit certified English translations of international transcripts.
  3. Proof of Permanent Residency (Alien Registration) (two photocopies of the front and back of your registration card) for those not born in the US but who hold an Alien Registration Card.

The above items should be mailed directly to the USC School of Pharmacy, Office of Admission and Student Affairs, 1985 Zonal Avenue, PSC 206A, Los Angeles CA 90089-9121. Please do not submit these items during the application process—only upon admission.

Background/Drug Checks

Many of the clinical facilities affiliated with USC require background checks and/or drug testing, and/or urine tests for student placements at their sites. Therefore, all students admitted into the Pharm.D program must agree to undergo an initial criminal background check, as well as updated checks as required by clinical facilities during enrollment in the program. The USC School of Pharmacy participates in the initial background check with The PharmCAS Centralized Criminal Background Check program. Students are responsible for the cost of all background checks.

All students admitted to the USC Pharm.D program will be notified via PharmCAS that they are required to have a background check completed. The results of the checks will be forwarded to the applicants for review. The applicants have the right to agree or not to agree to the background checks and/or have the results forwarded to USC. Issues which may adversely affect the students’ abilities to participate successfully in the IPPE’s (Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences) and APPE’s (Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences) will be reviewed by the Associate Dean, Faculty / Student Affairs & Admission. Applicants who fail to complete background checks, or it is determined to have unprofessional conduct issues may have their admission decisions revoked. All revoked admission decisions related to background checks are final.