I’ll start with the statistics of accepted students for the University of Southern California PhD in Pharmacy in 2009. 460 students were offered for interviews from a pool of over 2000 applicants. The enrollment is 240 students (11 non-government students) and the expected class size for 2009 is 190. It is important to note that USC offers its students guaranteed admission as long as they meet their requirements in the TAP program (These students take take up a large proportion of the places available to other applicants).
Earning a bachelor’s degree is now a requirement for admission to USC. The minimum GPA requirement is 3.0 (average GPA of accepted students is 3.60). Because USC does not require a PCAT, other eligibility criteria are given more weight (GPA, interview performance, extracurricular activities, personal statements, etc.).
It is very important to the application process that you note that the University of Southern California is constantly sending out interview invitations, so it is important that you submit your PharmCAS application and supplemental application as soon as possible. The deadlines for both are early November, but I strongly recommend that you submit both by early August at the latest (I submitted my applications by mid-July, just 1.5 months after the application was made available).
During your interview, you will be asked questions by a current pharmacy student and a faculty member. Think of it more like a conversation where you both also ask questions. When you arrive for the interview for the first time, you will be greeted by several current pharmacy students who will do an excellent job of putting your mind at ease before your interview. Use this opportunity to ask questions and warm up your oral communication skills. Don’t worry too much about the “essay” part, as it’s just a test of how well you take notes on any article you read. Be sure to follow any instructions given to you, as this is also a test of how well you pay attention to detail.
Here are the requirements for USC’s pharmacy program:
Analysis (for science)
Statistics (non-business)
Physics with laboratory (main subjects natural sciences/life sciences – thermodynamics & electromagnetism recommended)
General biology with laboratory (excluding human anatomy and physiology, botany and microbiology)
Mammalian Physiology with Laboratory (Human preferred – plant, cell and marine physiology excluded)
Microbiology with Laboratory (Fundamentals of Microbiology for Natural Sciences)
Molecular or Cellular Biology (for science majors – an upper division course)
General Chemistry with Laboratory (for science majors – including inorganic and qualitative analysis)
Organic chemistry with laboratory (for natural sciences)
Biochemistry (an advanced level course for science courses)
Human Behavior (General Psychology or Introductory Sociology)
microeconomics
For internationals (holders of a foreign US bachelor’s equivalent):
English (writing explanatory notes)
Interpersonal communication or public speaking
For course equivalences specific to your institution, please check the available forms below USC website.
The Pharm.D. program at USC is a 4-year program. USC is a private school and our estimated tuition and cost of living for 2009 is approximately $60,000.
The University of Southern California offers students the opportunity to earn a double degree in addition to their Doctor of Pharmacy degree. These include the following:
Pharm.D./Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Pharm.D./Juris Doctor(JD)
Pharm.D./Master of Public Health (MPH)
Pharm.D./Master of Science in Regulatory Science (MS Regulatory Science)
Pharm.D./ Master of Science Gerontology (MSG)
Pharm.D./Graduate Certificate in Gerontology
Pharm.D./Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Thanks to David E. Thompson | #USC #Pharmacy #School #Application #Requirements #Tips #Accepted #Student
