Admissions

Technical Standards Policy

One of the primary missions of the College of Pharmacy is to prepare outstanding pharmacists and pharmaceutical scientists to meet the health care needs of the state and society and to enhance the delivery of essential pharmacy services for all citizens. The faculty of the College of Pharmacy strive to deliver an education that will, through the graduates of the Doctor of Pharmacy Program, attain the highest levels of this goal. 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 entrance, progression, retention and completion of the program. A primary role of the pharmacist is to provide safe and effective health care to the patients served. Patient safety must be considered throughout all educational components of student pharmacists. In order to foster patient safety, the College of Pharmacy requires all student pharmacists to demonstrate the ability to meet the minimum standards set forth herein. Standards are developed as criteria to achieve the Doctor of Pharmacy degree in preparation for licensure as a practicing pharmacist and for postgraduate professional training and education in any of the varied fields of pharmacy. Student pharmacists must reasonably contribute to a safe environment through their personal physical and mental health and social behavior. Students must complete the academic program in a reasonable length of time, must be able to acquire a pharmacist intern license by their first semester in the College and maintain the pharmacist intern license during their educational program, and must be eligible for a pharmacist license after they complete the Doctor of Pharmacy program. All students are expected to successfully fulfill the same core educational requirements. The College will provide reasonable accommodations as required by federal law and university policies in cooperation with the university’s Student Disability Resource Center. The technical standards listed below describe the essential functions students must demonstrate in order to fulfill the requirements of a general pharmacy education, and thus are prerequisites for entrance to, continuation in, and graduation from the College of Pharmacy. A student must meet or exceed the required aptitude, abilities, and skills outlined in the technical standards to complete the essential functions of the program and as a pharmacist, ensure patient safety, and meet the expected levels of engagement throughout the program in both curricular and co-curricular activities.

Technical Standards

Observation: Observation necessitates the functional use of visual, auditory and somatic senses. Students must have the ability to observe and evaluate, in classrooms and patient care areas, demonstrations, experiments and patients, including performing physical assessments. Observation of the technical quality of pre-manufactured as well as compounded medications is essential.

Communication Skills: As appropriate for each stage of their education, student pharmacists must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written English, to hear, and to listen to patients in order to elicit information; describe changes in mood, activity, and posture, and perceive verbal as well as non-verbal communications. Students must also communicate effectively and efficiently in oral and written English, to hear, and to listen to faculty, staff, other health care professionals, and preceptors. Communication includes not only speech, but also reading, writing, hearing, and computer literacy. They must be capable of completing professional communication activities in a timely manner.

Motor: Student pharmacists must have the coordination of muscular movement with accommodation, if necessary, to undertake the preparation of all routine forms of medication orders, the use of diagnostic equipment for patient assessment, and the direct delivery of patient therapies. Such actions require coordination of both gross and fine muscular movement, equilibrium, and functional use of the senses of touch and vision.

Intellectual, Conceptual, Integrative and Quantitative Abilities: As appropriate for each stage of their education, student pharmacists must demonstrate a fundamental and continuing ability to use analytical reasoning to independently and in collaboration with a health care team synthesize knowledge, solve problems and explain health care situations. Information must be obtained, retrieved, evaluated and delivered in an efficient and timely manner. Students must be able to demonstrate good judgment in patient care and assessment and have the ability to incorporate new and changing information obtained from the practice environment.

Behavioral and Social Attributes: Student pharmacists must demonstrate professional and ethical demeanor appropriate to their educational level. Students must be able to function within the regulatory and institutional limits of the educational environment and modify behaviors based on criticism. Students must demonstrate compassion and integrity and a concern for others. This requires responsibility for personal action and emotional stability under the stressful conditions that may come from their professional education.

Individuals with questions or concerns about their ability to meet these standards are encouraged to contact the College of Pharmacy Dean’s Office.

Pharm.D. Program Prerequisite Course Requirements

Preparation
Subject	Requirements
General Chemistry I & II (2 labs included)	8 Semester Hours/12 Quarter Hours
Organic Chemistry I & II (2 labs included)	8 Semester Hours/12 Quarter Hours
General Biology I & II (2 labs included)**	8 Semester Hours/12 Quarter Hours
Human Anatomy/Physiology I & II*	6 Semester Hours/9 Quarter Hours
General Physics I	3 Semester Hours/4.5 Quarter Hours
Microbiology	3 Semester Hours/4.5 Quarter Hours
Calculus	3 Semester Hours/4.5 Quarter Hours
Statistics	3 Semester Hours/4.5 Quarter Hours
English Composition	3 Semester Hours/4.5 Quarter Hours
English Literature/Composition	3 Semester Hours/4.5 Quarter Hours
Public Speaking/Speech	3 Semester Hours/4.5 Quarter Hours
Economics	3 Semester Hours/4.5 Quarter Hours
Psychology	3 Semester Hours/4.5 Quarter Hours
Liberal Arts Electives	9 Semester Hours/13.5 Quarter Hours

*: A combination of separate Human Anatomy (3 hours) and Human Physiology (3 hours) courses will fulfill this requirement.
**: A combination of separate Botany (4 hours) and Zoology (4 hours) OR Cell Biology (4 hours) and Genetics (4 hours) courses will fulfill this requirement.

Notes:

All pharmacy prerequisites must be successfully completed with a “C-” or better by the start of P1 Orientation, which occurs directly prior to the Fall semester of professional year one.
Science courses must be designed for science majors.
Pass/Fail courses will be evaluated for fulfilling pharmacy prerequisite requirements if documentation is provided showing that a ‘Pass’ indication at the institution is equivalent to a C- or higher.
Online public speaking and laboratory courses may not be accepted to fulfill pharmacy prerequisite requirements.
The College of Pharmacy has a 10-year limit for math and science courses.

Entrance Requirements

Traditional Admissions Pathway

Traditional admission to the College of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy program is competitive and based on the applicant’s completion of pharmacy prerequisite courses, GPA, academic record, letters of recommendation, interview evaluations, optional test scores, honors/awards, extracurricular activities, pharmacy exposure, student personal statement concerning their goals for a career in pharmacy and application submitted through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS).

Applicants must provide an official copy of all college transcripts to PharmCAS at the time of application submission. The College of Pharmacy must have official, final transcripts for all students matriculating into the Doctor of Pharmacy program.

As a state-supported institution, preference will be given to in-state applicants. In-state applicants are defined as S.C. residents or non-S.C. residents attending a college or university in South Carolina. In-state status as defined here only applies to the admission process. Residency for the purpose of tuition will be determined by the Office of the University Registrar.

Applicants admitted to the Doctor of Pharmacy program must comply with all student policies and requirements as detailed in the College of Pharmacy Academic Bulletin & Student Handbook and all admission procedure requirements, including a criminal background review, drug screen, health/immunization policies and University requirements.

Early Assurance Program Admissions Pathway

Admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program through the Gamecock Pharmacy Assurance (GPA) pathway is competitive and based on the applicant’s admittance into the B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pre-Pharmacy) major at the Columbia campus of the University of South Carolina. Additional admissions criteria may include, but are not limited to ACT/SAT scores, high school grade point average, letters of recommendation, interview evaluations, honors/awards, extracurricular activities, pharmacy exposure, student personal statement concerning their goals for a career in pharmacy, and GPA application.

Candidates admitted through this pathway must meet all maintenance requirements by the specified deadlines and complete progression applications in order to matriculate into the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the beginning of their third collegiate year as expected. The GPA pathway maintenance requirements include that the student:

Must earn a grade of C or higher in each prerequisite course taken at the University of South Carolina on the first attempt. In the event that a prerequisite course is taken at an outside institution that utilizes the +/- grading system, a grade of C- will be accepted as a grade of C for GPA maintenance requirement purposes.
Must maintain continuous, full-time enrollment at the University of South Carolina as a Pharmaceutical Sciences major.
Must adhere to the University of South Carolina Code of Conduct and Honor Code, self-reporting any potential violation to the Student Services Manager or Director of Admissions within 48 hours.
Must follow all federal, state, and local laws. Any student arrested or convicted for violation of federal, state, or local laws will self-report to the Student Services Manager or Director of Admissions within 48 hours of the arrest or conviction.
Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.25 by the conclusion of each academic year during the first and second collegiate years.
Successfully complete pharmacy preparation courses with a C or higher including University 101 (UNIV 101), Introduction to Pharmacy in the U.S. (PHAR 401), Gamecock Pharmacy Assurance to PharmD Bridge Course I (PHAR 402), and Gamecock Pharmacy Assurance to PharmD Bridge Course II (PHAR 403).

International Admissions to the Pharm.D. Program Policy

The College of Pharmacy is welcoming to international students within the policy described below. Individual Doctor of Pharmacy program applicants who meet these requirements may apply. The College of Pharmacy also considers a limited number of international applicants to the Doctor of Pharmacy program who have completed at least a 5-year bachelor of science in pharmacy degree and when there is a prior written agreement between the College of Pharmacy and an international sponsoring university, government, or agency (International Partnership Program).

Individual International Applicant Requirements

For admission of individual international applicants, general admission criteria in addition to requirements below must be met:

Foreign transcript evaluation reports must be sent through PharmCAS. Once a PharmCAS application is verified, coursework will be evaluated at the college level to determine equivalency and applicability to pharmacy prerequisite courses. Courses must have been completed with a C- or higher to be considered equivalent and/or applicable to a pharmacy prerequisite requirement.
English language/literature and public speaking pharmacy prerequisites must be completed at a college or university accredited in the United States, excluding courses delivered via electronic media.
An international student admitted to the College must be proficient in English with a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) paper-based exam or 77 on the internet-based TOEFL. Alternatively, the College will accept a score of at least 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or a score of at least 53 on the PTE academic test. If the applicant has taken the equivalent of USC’s English 101 and English 102 and received a letter grade of ‘B’ or higher in each course, they may be exempt from submitting additional forms of English proficiency.
Applicants must be eligible to receive a Pharmacy Intern Certificate based on the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy requirements. The Pharmacy Intern Certificate is a requirement for students to complete Introductory and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences portions of the Pharm.D. curriculum.
Accepted students must work directly the USC International Student Services Office to complete requirements necessary for enrollment at the university. International students may not be eligible for student loans through the FAFSA process. All international students will be considered out-of-state during the admissions processes and for tuition purposes.
The applicant is responsible for obtaining a proper visa, if accepted.

International Partnership Program Applicant Requirements

International Partnership Applicants to the College of Pharmacy Doctor of Pharmacy program may apply only after a written agreement between the USC College of Pharmacy and the international sponsoring university, government, or agency has been completed. The number of international partnership applicants admitted each year will be determined by the College of Pharmacy, and a signed partnership agreement does not guarantee admission of individual applicants. For admission of international BS degree pharmacists, applicants must meet general admission criteria in addition to requirements below. The College of Pharmacy may grant advanced status, depending on the individual’s academic record or practice experience. International applicants must have graduated within 10 years of the date of application.

An international partnership program student admitted to the College must be proficient in English with a score of at least 550 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) paper-based exam, or 77 on the internet-based TOEFL. Alternatively, we will accept a score of at least 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or a score of at least 53 on the PTE academic test.
Applicants must be eligible to receive a Pharmacy Intern Certificate based on the South Carolina Board of Pharmacy requirements. The Pharmacy Intern Certificate is a requirement for students to complete Introductory and Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences portions of the Pharm.D. curriculum.
Applicants who have attended post-secondary educational institutions, colleges or universities outside of the United States are required to submit a foreign transcript evaluation of all work completed from World Education Services (WES) through the PharmCAS application.
Accepted students must work directly with the USC International Student Services Office to complete requirements necessary for enrollment at the university. International students may not be eligible for student loans through the FAFSA process. All international students will be considered out-of-state during the admissions processes and for tuition purposes.
The applicant is responsible for obtaining a proper visa, if accepted.

Transfer Policies

Admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy Program from another Domestic College of Pharmacy

Applications for transfer students from an accredited professional pharmacy program, within the United States, into the USC College of Pharmacy professional Pharm.D. program will be evaluated on an individual basis. The student applying for transfer must be currently enrolled and in good academic and professional standing in their current Pharm.D. program. As the student must complete at least two years of study at the USC College of Pharmacy in order to be eligible for a degree from the institution, students must complete, at minimum, their third and fourth professional years at the USC College of Pharmacy.

Process to Request Transfer:

Step 1: Submit the following items no later than February 1 to begin the transfer evaluation process:

Submit the Doctor of Pharmacy Transfer Admission Application that includes:
- Reason for the transfer request
- Desired entrance level into the program (i.e., 1^st year, 2^nd year)
Letter from the current pharmacy school Dean’s Office stating the student is currently enrolled and in good academic and professional standing.

Step 2: If eligible for transfer consideration, the following items must be submitted to the Director of Admissions no later than March 1:

Submit current program’s Pharm.D. program curriculum;
Submit course descriptions and syllabi for all completed Pharm.D. courses; and
Submit transcripts from all institutions attended for undergraduate and Pharm.D. courses.

Step 3: Following evaluation of completed curriculum and transcripts by the College, the student will be notified no later than April 1 of the professional year placement, if space permits, that would be offered in the case of transfer acceptance.

Step 4: If a student chooses to continue with the transfer request, the following must be completed no later than April 30:

Admission interview process dependent upon available interview dates.
Submit a current resume/CV to the Director of Admissions prior to your scheduled interview.
Submit optional official test scores such as PCAT, GRE, SAT, ACT, etc.
Provide the names and email addresses for three individuals to provide letters of recommendation.

Step 5: The Admissions Committee will evaluate all information obtained during the transfer request process to determine whether a transfer acceptance will be extended. Applicants will be notified no later than June 1.

Step 6: If a transfer request is extended, the student must submit the following items no later than July 1 to secure their acceptance:

Seat confirmation fee;
Clear criminal background review
Negative drug screen

Step 7: The following must be submitted prior to matriculation into the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the direction and timeframe of the Director of Admissions:

Complete college transcript from transferring institution

Applicants matriculating into the Doctor of Pharmacy program must comply with all student policies and requirements as detailed in the College of Pharmacy Academic Bulletin & Student Handbook and all admission procedure requirements, including a criminal background review, drug screen, health/immunization, intern certificate policies, and University requirements. Inability of an applicant to meet any transfer criteria will cause the applicant to be removed from admission consideration or have their transfer acceptance rescinded.

Admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy Program from an International College of Pharmacy

Students enrolled in an international professional pharmacy program are ineligible to request transfer to the USC College of Pharmacy professional Pharm.D. program. These students should follow the admissions processes for International Applicants.

Transfer to Greenville (Prisma Health - Upstate) Campus

A campus located in Greenville, South Carolina is available for student transfer for the third and fourth professional years of the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Greenville campus transfer approval is designated upon acceptance to the Pharm.D. program. This transfer is binding and documented in a second acceptance letter from the USC College of Pharmacy. Students transferring to the Greenville campus are still considered USC students for the purposes of tuition, curriculum, and other academic and professional policies. Extracurricular and co-curricular opportunities are available on the Greenville campus, but may differ from those available on the Columbia campus. Not all opportunities on the respective campuses are available to students residing on the distant campus. Students electing to transfer to the Greenville campus should seek guidance from the Associate Dean of Student Affairs and Diversity regarding these opportunities prior to committing to a Columbia campus-based academic, co-curricular, or extracurricular opportunity. A required Greenville campus-specific orientation will occur prior to each Fall semester.

Pre-Matriculation Requirements: Criminal Background Check and Drug Screening

Background Check

The practice of performing criminal background checks and drug screenings on accepted applicants to pharmacy programs helps protect the safety and well-being of the University community and patients, and in so doing, bolsters the public’s continuing trust in the pharmacy profession, and to ascertain the ability of accepted applicants to complete their pharmacy education and eventually become licensed pharmacists.

All applicants, including transfer students, will be notified of the initial criminal background check requirement as a mandatory component of the pre-matriculation process when offered admission to the PharmD program at the USC College of Pharmacy. Applicants obtaining future arrests, convictions, and/or charges after completion of the initial background check must notify the Director of Admissions within 2 business days of the event occurring; failure to do so may result in an offer of admission being revoked.

Accepted applicants will answer the following questions when completing the Seat Reservation Form indicating their intent to enroll in the PharmD program at the USC College of Pharmacy:

Have you ever been convicted of any violation of law by any court law?
Are there currently any criminal charges pending against you?

When answering the questions above, applicants should include guilty pleas entered, plea of no contest/nolo contendere, juvenile offenses in which you were tried as an adult, and/or traffic violations, excluding minor traffic violations. Minor traffic violations are generally non-moving violations or a traffic offense in which only a citation was written. Any traffic violation involving drugs or alcohol, driving while license is suspended, failure to appear, reckless driving and/or assault with a motor vehicle are not generally minor offenses and should be disclosed. Applicants answering yes to either question will have the opportunity to provide information related to the incident(s) including a description of the incident, specific charges, terms or conditions of any plea, penalty, punishment, sentence, probation, or parole, and a reflection of the incident. Applicants who fail to provide accurate information when answering these questions may jeopardize their application.

Applicants admitted to the USC College of Pharmacy will receive an email from an external vendor with instructions on how to complete the background check screening automatically when an Accepted action is entered into the application system by the College of Pharmacy. Applicants should consult the PharmCAS website and/or the AACP PharmCAS Applicant Instructions for more additional details such as the background checks included in the screening and descriptions for each.

When the criminal background check is complete, the applicant will have 10 calendar days to view the results and dispute any inaccuracy prior to the report being provided to the College. If the applicant does not review the report within the specified 10 days, the report will be distributed to the College after the 10 calendar days has elapsed.

The Admissions Committee will review and discuss all positive findings to determine applicability of an applicant continuing in the admission process, taking into account the requirements of affiliated clinical facilities and other educational sites where students might be trained.

The College of Pharmacy will take both the type of offense and its classification into consideration during the review process of a criminal background check report. The following criteria will be used when evaluating a criminal record and reflects the requirements of experiential sites, licensure restrictions, and the need for campus and patient safety. There are five main areas that provide a context for reviewing criminal background information, or represent considerations against which an applicant or student’s criminal history can be judged.

Applicant/student may pose a threat to the institution or the community at large.
Applicant/student may pose a threat to individual patients.
Applicant/student may not be allowed to complete certain clinical rotations.
Applicant/student may not be eligible for licensure.
Applicant/student may not be an appropriate member of the profession.

In addition, the following factors will be considered during the criminal background check report review process:

Nature and seriousness of the offense.
Circumstances under which the offense occurred.
Age of the person when the offense was committed.
Number of offenses.
Length of time that has passed since the offense was committed.
Evidence of successful rehabilitation.
Accuracy of the information provided by the applicant when disclosing information.
Evidence of a pending offense that has not been fully adjudicated, in which case, the individual might be found innocent.
Experiential site and state board licensure policies.

Applicants would be denied admission or have an offer of admission revoked if a conviction is potentially incompatible with the ability of the applicant to fulfill the requirements of the program related to experiential education, the eligibility of the applicant to become licensed, and/or the applicant refuses to undergo a background check at the time of admission. If an applicant does not fully disclose a past offense(s) as required by the USC College of Pharmacy (regardless of category or severity), the applicant’s offer of admission may be revoked based on the falsification of admission documents.

All reports of criminal background checks conducted as part of the admissions process will be stored electronically by the external vendor and therefore held separate from the applicant’s academic records at the USC College of Pharmacy. No paper records will be kept as part of the admissions process. Access to reports of criminal background checks conducted as part of the admissions process will be restricted to the Director of Admissions and shared with no unauthorized staff, faculty, administrators, students, volunteers, or parents. Authorized parties include only the Admissions Committee and members of the Office of Experiential Education. The external vendor will retain background check records for 7 years.

All offers of admission to the PharmD program are conditional based on the applicant's completion of a criminal background check with satisfactory results as defined by the USC College of Pharmacy. An acceptable criminal background check, as defined by the USC College of Pharmacy, does not guarantee an admitted student will be eligible to complete the program, obtain a license to practice pharmacy upon graduation, or guarantee the safety of students, patients, faculty, or staff. As experiential sites and boards of pharmacy may have a different interpretation of the criminal background check, students may face obstacles to complete the pharmacy curriculum and/or accessing the licensing exam. Final decisions about matriculation will be made only after review of the criminal background check report on the applicant.

Employers must obtain permission of an employee (or applicant) before obtaining reports through a CBC vendor and disclose any possible actions of activities related to obtaining these reports. A copy of an individual’s rights under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. is available online at https://www.ftc.gov/legal-library/browse/statutes/fair-credit-reporting-act. Applicants receive a Notice to Users of Consumer Reports and Summary of Rights electronically before providing their consent and authorization of the FCRA for the background check when completing the application via the Application Station.

Fees for the individual background checks completed at the time of admission are paid directly from the applicant to the agency performing the screening and are non-refundable.

Drug Screening

The practice of performing drug screenings on accepted applicants to pharmacy programs helps protect the safety and well-being of the University community and patients, and in so doing, bolsters the public’s continuing trust in the pharmacy profession, and to ascertain the ability of accepted applicants to complete their pharmacy education and eventually become licensed pharmacists.

All applicants, including transfer students, will be notified of the initial drug screening requirement as a mandatory component of the pre-matriculation process when offered admission to the PharmD program at the USC College of Pharmacy.

Applicants admitted to the USC College of Pharmacy will receive an email from an external vendor with instructions on how to complete the drug screening automatically when an Accepted action is entered into the application system by the College of Pharmacy. Students should consult the PharmCAS website and/or the AACP PharmCAS Applicant Instructions for more details.

When the drug screening is complete, the applicant will have 10 calendar days to view the results and dispute any inaccuracy prior to the report being provided to the College. If the applicant does not review the report within the specified 10 days, the report will be distributed to the College after the 10 calendar days has elapsed. Results of drug screenings that are reported as negative dilute are not considered negative and applicants will need to conduct a subsequent drug screening.

The Admissions Committee will review and discuss all positive findings to determine the applicability of an applicant continuing in the admissions process, taking into account the requirements of affiliated clinical facilities and other educational sites where students might be trained.

Applicants would be denied admission or have an offer of admission revoked if drug screening results are potentially incompatible with the ability of the applicant to fulfill the requirements of the program related to experiential education, the eligibility of the applicant to become licensed, and/or the applicant refuses to undergo a drug screening at the time of admission.

All reports of drug screenings conducted as part of the admission process will be stored electronically by the external vendor and therefore held separate from the applicant’s academic records at the USC College of Pharmacy. No paper records will be kept as part of the admissions process. Access to reports of drug screenings conducted as part of the admissions process will be restricted to the Director of Admissions and shared with no unauthorized staff, faculty, administrators, students, volunteers, or parents. Authorized parties include only the Admissions Committee and members of the Office of Experiential Education. The external vendor will retain drug screen records for 7 years.

All offers of admission to the PharmD program are conditional based on the applicant’s completion of a drug screening with satisfactory results as defined by the USC College of Pharmacy. An acceptable drug screening, as defined by the USC College of Pharmacy, does not guarantee an admitted student will be eligible to complete the program, obtain a license to practice pharmacy upon graduation, or guarantee the safety of students, patients, faculty, or staff. Final decisions about matriculation will be made only after review of the drug screening report on the applicant.

Employers must obtain permission of an employee (or applicant) before obtaining reports through a CBC vendor and disclose any possible actions of activities related to obtaining these reports. A copy of an individual’s rights under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. is available online . Applicants receive a Notice to Users of Consumer Reports and Summary of Rights electronically before providing their consent and authorization of the FCRA for the drug screening when completing the application via the Application Station.

Fees for the individual drug screening(s) completed at the time of admission are paid directly from the applicant to the agency performing the screening(s) and are non-refundable.

2023-2024 Academic Bulletin