Admission

Course substitutions will be considered on a case-by-case basis and for select prerequisites.

Frequently Approved Prerequisites

• Sciences courses: must be designated for science majors.
• Biology: two general biology courses or a combination of botany, zoology, cell biology, genetics, or biochemistry.
• Human Anatomy & Physiology: may include a 3-hour course in anatomy and a 3-hour course in physiology or a 6-hour anatomy integrated with physiology courses; 6 hours of comparative vertebrate anatomy and animal physiology will be accepted; 6 hours must come from two lecture courses.
• Microbiology: microbiology lab is not required• Physics: algebra or calculus based physics will be accepted. A physics lab is not required.
• Calculus: general calculus and calculus for business or life sciences majors will be accepted• Statistics: introductory statistics or a statistics for life sciences, business, mathematics, majors will be accepted.
• English Composition/Communication: additional courses that meet this requirement include English literature, English composition, speech, communications, or other linguistics courses.
• Social Sciences: courses include anthropology, child development, economics, geography, history, linguistics, management, political science, psychology, social work, sociology, and women's studies.
• Electives: may be obtained from any college level course. Additional training in science, math, biochemistry, and English/communication are recommended to prepare for success in the Pharm.D. curriculum.

Submission of the PharmCAS and supplemental application are required for international applicants. Please refer to our International Admission Requirements below for more information.

• In order to apply, a candidate must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 OR a minimum prerequisite GPA of 3.0 (undergraduate and graduate GPAs will be combined).
• It is the candidate's responsibility to verify that minimum GPA requirements are met. An application fee refund will not be issued if application requirements are not met.
• Applicants must submit transcripts from all institutions attended for all coursework (including outside of Pharm.D. prerequisites) taken through the last semester when applying to PharmCAS.
• Applicants must submit transcripts of completed fall 2025 course grades to PharmCAS and update the PharmCAS academic update window as soon as grades are available.

To accelerate the processing of fall 2025 course grades, applicants should update their course grades within their PharmCAS application during the academic update window. Please refer to the PharmCAS website for this process. Applicants must also send an updated official transcript to PharmCAS so their semester grade(s) can be verified. 

• Applicants must submit transcripts for coursework taken during spring and summer 2026 semesters (if applicable) to the MUSC Admissions Office as soon as grades are available.
• PharmCAS prefers electronic transcripts but only accepts these through Parchment and National Clearinghouse. To determine if your registrar participates in any of these services, please check their directories. More information on Transcripts can be found on the PharmCAS website. If your school is not listed in Parchment or National Clearinghouse, arrange for your registrar to mail an official paper transcript directly to PharmCAS.
• It can take up to four weeks to process transcripts via PharmCAS. It is recommended that applicants apply early to prevent any delays in processing.
• AP scores must be submitted by the applicant to MUSC Admissions, College Code 5407 to the Office of Enrollment Management address above.
• AP scores may be requested through College Board.

The professional program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree and eligibility for pharmacist licensure requires a certain level of cognitive, behavioral and technical skill and ability inherent in a professional education. These principles and standards hold for admission, progression, retention and completion of the program. Pharmacy Technical Standards (PDF)

MUSC’s Pharm.D. degree program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. ACPE accreditation means that our degree program meets or exceeds established standards for a professional program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Whereas accreditation applies to training programs, licensure applies to individuals. Our program prepares students for and makes them eligible to take the North American Pharmacist Licensure Examination (NAPLEX), which all individuals must pass in order to practice pharmacy. Passing the NAPLEX is necessary, but it may not be sufficient to practice pharmacy in a given state. You can view additional requirements for practicing pharmacy in each state through the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.

• At least 42 of the 60 hours of prerequisite coursework, including all English language courses, must be completed at a college or university accredited in the United States.
• Online courses are not permitted.

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for all international applicants.
• A score of 77 on the internet-based TOEFL is required for admission consideration.

• Applicants who have completed coursework outside of the United States are required to submit a course-by-course transcript analysis through their PharmCAS application.
• PharmCAS requires applicants to use World Education Services.

• Applicants must be eligible to receive a Pharmacy Intern Certificate based on the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy requirements.
• Official documents (photocopies are acceptable) certifying that the student will have sufficient funding to attend the MUSC College of Pharmacy for one academic year are required. This will be used to issue the student an immigration document (I-20) which will be required to obtain the F-1 or J-1 student visa at a US embassy or consulate. If you are a permanent resident, you do not need to provide this information.
• International students may not be eligible for student loans through the FAFSA process.
• International students pay an annual tuition rate of $40,056. 
• The applicant is responsible for obtaining a proper visa, if accepted.
• Applicants admitted to the doctor of pharmacy program must comply with all student policies and requirements as detailed in the MUSC Bulletin and all admission procedure requirements including a background check and heath/immunization policies.
• We recommend all international applicants apply by February 2, 2026, to allow adequate time to process the additional paperwork and requirements with our Center for Global Health office, if an offer of admission is extended. The Center for Global Health Office requires all incoming international student paperwork to be complete with their office by April 30, 2026, for fall 2026 enrollment. 

• PharmCAS processing may take up to 2 weeks once all required materials are received.
• Applicants will be notified via email from PharmCAS of their "mailed application status."
• In order to be eligible for an interview, a completed PharmCAS application and MUSC supplemental application must be received by MUSC.
• It is the applicant's responsibility to track the progress of their application and ensure official transcripts are received by PharmCAS.

• Once the complete application has been evaluated, selected applicants are interviewed.
• The MUSC Admissions Committee will begin selecting candidates for interviews in September and will continue to review submitted applications and conduct interviews through May.
• Candidates are interviewed using the multiple mini interview (MMI) method.
• Each candidate moves through a series of one-on-one interviews with a faculty member where they are asked to read a scenario and discuss this with the interviewer.
• Interviews will be offered both in-person and virtually. In-person and virtual interview dates are the same process, with the exception of a campus tour for in-person dates. Candidates that choose to interview virtually will be given the opportunity to schedule a one-on-one campus tour at a time that fits their schedule. In-person dates are typically offered in the fall semester, so we recommend applying early if you prefer an in-person interview. 

• Accepted applicants will be notified via phone and email.
• Denied applicants will be notified via email.
• A non-refundable seat confirmation fee of $485 is required to secure admission.
• An official transcript from all institutions attended will be required when admitted and prerequisite coursework is completed - this will be a separate transcript request from those submitted to PharmCAS and will be submitted to the MUSC Office of Enrollment Management.
• All prerequisite coursework must be successfully completed prior to the start of Pharm.D. classes (fall 2026 semester).