Admission requirements and procedures for study and entry into professions in the United States vary from those in home countries of international students. The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD degree) is a four-year entry level graduate professional program that prepares students for practice in pharmacy. Applicants are required to complete two years of pre-pharmacy course work from an accredited college/university to qualify for admission. Some pharmacy schools may prefer to enroll students who have an undergraduate pharmacy degree while others may not. 

Graduate programs

All PharmD programs must be accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). Around 75% of U.S. pharmacy schools require Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) scores as part of the application process. Some U.S. schools of pharmacy do not consider international (non-U.S.) applicants for admission and some further restrict admissions to applicants who live in the same state as the school.

Schools of Pharmacy offering the traditional MS and PhD programs prepare students for teaching and research careers. Areas of study include pharmaceutical sciences, pharmacy care sciences, pharmacology and toxicology, and experimental and clinical pharmacology, among others. Students may also consider intensive joint degree tracks.

Seeking admissions to accredited pharmacy schools is a competitive process. Learn the admissions requirements, trends, and current developments in the profession to identify programs that meet your preferences and goals. International students should consider the applicability and recognition of such programs in their home country. The Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS) is a centralized application system with participation from around two-thirds of all U.S. colleges of pharmacy. For information on participating pharmacy schools, eligibility and application procedures visit http://www.pharmcas.org/. International students should browse through the website of each program on the PharmCAS website to determine whether the program admits international students.