A special program for current undergraduate students at USC who are interested in pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences upon completion of a bachelor’s degree at USC.
The Trojan Admission Pre-Pharmacy (TAP) program provides talented USC undergraduates with priority consideration of admission to the USC Mann School of Pharmacy’s four-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.
TAP students complete their pre-pharmacy coursework while earning their bachelor’s degree at USC. All TAP students are required to complete their bachelor’s degree before entering the PharmD program.
TAP Eligibility
- A current undergraduate student at USC with a minimum 3.0 GPA
- Newly admitted students – freshmen and transfer are eligible to apply. Students must certify their intent to enroll at USC prior to applying to TAP. A TAP application is separate from the application to USC.
TAP Requirements
- Complete all pre-pharmacy coursework according to USC and the policies.
- Enroll as a full-time student at USC each fall and spring semester (at least 12 units).
- Earn a bachelor’s degree from USC with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of each semester.
- Earn at least a C in all courses at USC, keeping in mind the GPA minimum. A grade of C- or lower in any course (taken at USC or any other institution) is an automatic disqualification from TAP.
- Complete BISC-300: Microbiology, BISC-307: Physiology and BISC-330: Biochemistry (or approved equivalents) at USC.
- Main active membership in the USC Pre-Pharmacy Society (PPS). Attendance is taken and service is tracked.
- Participate in at least one health fair event per year and other pharmacy-approved events (service points) via PPS.
- Maintain contact with the TAP program and meet with the TAP advisor, Whitney Hadiwono Ibarra (she/her/hers) to ensure enrollment in the appropriate courses.
- Fulfill a minimum of four (4-unit) RXRS and/or BPSI upper division courses, not including RXRS/BPSI-490.
TAP students are strongly encouraged to pursue a Pharmacy major or minor as part of their undergraduate training to best prepare them for pharmacy school. TAP’s RXRS/BPSI course requirements apply towards a major and minor offered by the USC Mann School.
The majors and minors provide preparatory training to undergraduate students in fields related to pharmacy and medicine. Courses offered in the various Pharmacy undergraduate programs introduce undergraduate students to drug and device development by presenting topics and case studies related to the regulatory challenges associated with the discovery and development of biomedical products. Overall, the courses will provide foundational knowledge that will lead to new opportunities in careers in the biomedical industry, life sciences, nutrition and food sciences, diagnostics, drug, and medical devices.
These programs include:
- Majors
- Minors
Together, these programs set the stage for advanced translational and clinical training to help better prepare undergraduates focused on pre-pharmacy, pre-medicine, and other health-related professions.
Faculty Advisors
Daryl L. Davies, PhD
- Associate Dean for Undergraduate Education & Professor of Clinical Pharmacy
Eunjoo Pacifici, PharmD, PhD
- Chair & Associate Professor of the Department of Regulatory and Quality Sciences