Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) Admission Criteria

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

Frequently Approved Prerequisites

• Calculus: general calculus and calculus for business or life sciences majors will be accepted
• Science courses: must be designated for science majors
• Biology: two general biology courses may be substituted with a combination of botany, zoology, cell biology, or genetics upon approval of MUSC COP admissions
• Human Anatomy and Physiology: may include a 3-hour course in anatomy and a 3-hour course in physiology or 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
• Statistics: introductory statistics or a statistics for life sciences, business, mathematics, etc. majors will be accepted
• Public Speaking: public speaking or speech will be accepted
• Liberal Arts electives: courses in humanities and social sciences are accepted. Examples of humanities include: art, business, ethics, creative writing, fine arts, languages, music, religion, and   theater. Examples of social sciences include: anthropology, additional economic courses, child development, geography, history, management, political science, social work, sociology, and women’s studies
 

The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) is no longer offered and is not required for admission.  

Submission of the PharmCAS and supplemental application are required for international applicants. Please refer to our International Admission Requirements 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. Our admissions office is willing to complete a transcript analysis to determine if a candidate's GPA meets the minimum requirements prior to submission of an application. The candidate must supply copies of any and all unofficial college transcripts for an accurate analysis. Please contact Jenny Bagg for more information
• 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 2024 course grades to PharmCAS and update the PharmCAS academic update window as soon as grades are available

To accelerate the processing of fall 2024 course grades, applicants should request an official transcript to be emailed to oesadmis@musc.edu, or official transcripts can be mailed to MUSC Admissions in addition to PharmCAS. Please send official transcripts to:

ATTN: MUSC Admissions
Office of Enrollment Management
45 Courtenay Drive, 3rd Floor, Room 359
MSC 203
Charleston, SC 29425-2030

• Applicants must submit transcripts for coursework taken during spring and summer 2025 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.