Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

Yes, applicants must submit an application through PharmCAS.

Every year, PharmCAS launches instructions in mid-July to support the application submission process. We highly encourage you to review their application instructions as you are working on the application.

In previous years, our PharmD application process has required prospective students to complete two applications: One through PharmCAS, and one through UCI Graduate Division. We are happy to report that both applications have been consolidated into the PharmCAS application. However, please note that a supplemental application fee to UCI Graduate Division is required. Both PharmCAS and UCI Graduate Division offer a fee waiver application.

The personal history section under the UCI PharmD Supplemental Questionnaire section is optional; however, we encourage any applicant who would like to be considered for scholarships to complete this section.  Please use this section to explain how you may meet merit, financial need, and/or social impact criteria.

Applicants should aim to have all application materials prepared well before the application deadline to prevent processing delays and submission issues. If the recommender plans to submit the letter of recommendation on the day of the application deadline, applicants are able to submit their PharmCAS application with pending evaluations. Please note that a review process will not begin until all letters of recommendation are received and verified through the PharmCAS “Liaison Letters” Evaluation Portal.

Both PharmCAS and UCI Graduate Division have their own application fee waiver processes.  Since they have their own criteria, it is possible that you may qualify for one and not the other. Please review fee waiver instructions for PharmCAS and/or UC Irvine Graduate Division and directly to apply.

Any specific admissions questions may be directed to the PharmD Admissions Office at pharmd@uci.edu.

Prospective UCI PharmD students do not need to complete the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) nor the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). PCAT and GRE scores will not be evaluated in the admissions consideration review.

If you earned your Bachelor’s degree from a non-US based institution, the TOEFL may be required, according to UCI Graduate Division Admission Policies. Applicants are waived from the English Language Proficiency requirement if they have earned an undergraduate or master’s degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Database (WHED). Applicants must obtain a minimum TOEFL iBT score of 80 or minimum IELTS scores of 7, with a score of no less than 6 on any individual module.

Applicants who are non-native English speakers, but completed a bachelor’s degree from an accredited United States institution will not need to submit a TOEFL/IELTS.

Yes, a Bachelor’s degree is required.

No, we will consider applicants with any undergraduate major if they complete all the prerequisite courses with the minimum “C grade” requirement.

A minimum grade of C is required.

To matriculate in Fall 2026, prerequisite courses may be in progress with final grades posted no later than August 7, 2026.

Applicants who apply in later admissions cycles can have prerequisites in progress with official grades posted by mid-August prior to starting in the fall.

Visit our list of course equivalencies on the Admissions webpage to search for your enrollment institution. If a course or institution is not evaluated, feel free to email pharmd@uci.edu. The email should include the following information to assist with our review:

• The name of the institution where courses have been completed (or plan to be completed)
• Course title, prefix, and number; and direct catalog URL with a course description or attached syllabus.
• Due to the large volume of emails we receive, we are not able to review transcripts before the admissions review process. We also recommend reviewing your transcripts with a pre-health advisor at your undergraduate institution to ensure you are meeting admissions pre-requisites.

No, a single course cannot be counted twice for prerequisites.

Online coursework is acceptable, but courses completed in-person are highly preferred.

The preferred cumulative GPA for admission is 3.0 or above.

We plan to enroll 60 students each year.

Our priority deadline is December 1, 2025. Applicants who apply by our priority deadline, December 1, 2025 may qualify for supplemental application fee incentives. We encourage all applicants to apply early since we have a rolling admissions process.

The final application deadline, is March 2, 2026, but we encourage you to apply before this date.

Yes, we will be offering rolling admissions.

We encourage applicants to seek letters of support from those who can evaluate their academic ability, communication skills, work, research, or volunteer experiences, and personal characteristics. Examples of people who may be able to address these areas in detail include professors, mentors, academic advisors, employers, or volunteer supervisors. Letters from family members or friends are not suitable.

The UCI PharmD program does not accept transfer students. All students must apply through the regular admissions process and enroll in the PharmD program as a first-year student.

More information about the PharmD program and our admissions requirements can be found on the following pages:

UCI PharmD Department Home Page

PharmCAS Directory: UCI PharmD Program

Our office welcomes you to fill out the PharmD interest form to be kept up to date with admissions information and outreach opportunities for prospective students. Prospective students who fill out the form will be contacted regarding upcoming outreach opportunities.

In previous years, our PharmD application process has required prospective students to complete two applications: One through PharmCAS, and one through UCI Graduate Division. We are happy to report that both applications have been consolidated into the PharmCAS application. However, please note that a supplemental application fee to UCI Graduate Division is required. Fee waivers are available for both the PharmCAS application and UCI Graduate Division supplemental application fee. 

Both PharmCAS and UCI Graduate Division have their own application fee waiver processes.  Since they have their own criteria, it is possible that you may qualify for one and not the other. Please review fee waiver instructions for the PharmCAS and/or UC Irvine Graduate Division application fees and complete their instructions.

We plan to begin interviewing in October and will continue interviewing throughout the spring.

More information will be sent to invited applicants prior to their scheduled interview date.

Applicants generally choose to wear professional attire; however, we do not have a dress code requirement.

It is important for all eligible domestic prospective students to complete a FAFSA or Dream Act application for the planned matriculation year.  The application opens annually in December. Click here to check for important dates and deadlines.  All admitted students must complete a FAFSA for the entering academic year.

We will be offering a limited number of “need-based,” “merit-based,” “leadership” and “social impact” scholarship opportunities. Recipients must be permanent residents of the United States to be eligible for consideration.

AB-540/DACA/Undocumented candidates should refer to the California Dream Act Application and the UCI DREAM Center for financial aid resources.

Program-Related Questions

Many of our rotations will take place at the UCI Medical Center. Students will also benefit from a diversity of rotations in Southern California.

Please refer to our accreditation page.

UCI Medical Center has several residencies you can apply for. To learn more, visit UCI Health Pharmacy Residency..

We encourage you to visit Pharmacy Online Residency Centralized Application Service (PhORCAS) and the ASHP residency directory.