Admissions Information

Pharmacy School Transfer Policy: We do not accept transfer credits from other Schools/Colleges of Pharmacy. Applicants to the University of Colorado School of Pharmacy must complete all prerequisites with a grade of C or higher (C- or below is not acceptable) at a college or university that is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges or one of its regional affiliates.

• Prerequisite coursework must be completed prior to starting the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Courses may be listed as “in-progress” at the time of application.
• Applicants may complete no more than 3 courses in the summer prior to matriculation. A Summer Extension Waiver must be submitted and approved by the Admissions Team to utilize this option.
• Science and Calculus prerequisite coursework must have been completed within the last 10 years of the semester in which the applicant intends to enroll.
• In many cases, applicants may be admitted while they are completing their coursework but the number of courses in progress may affect the decision of the admissions committee should there not be sufficient coursework to evaluate.

Transcripts

All transcripts must be submitted to PharmCAS regardless of the age or transferability of courses. The admissions committee considers all coursework completed and derives a cumulative GPA from all colleges and universities attended. Failure to reveal all transcripts will result in disqualification.

Once admitted, official transcripts from all previous colleges and university (including other University of Colorado campuses) attended must be updated in the candidates PharmCAS application using the Academic Update. Updated official transcripts must be provided as soon as each subsequent term is completed. (Summer transcripts are due directly to the Admissions Team).

Two Evaluations (letters of recommendation) are required as part of the PharmCAS application. Letters submitted in lieu of completing the form will not be accepted. The applicant should seek recommendations attesting to their academic performance (academic recommendation) or on the applicant’s professional skills and potential for success in a rigorous professional degree program (professional recommendation).

Evaluations from friends/family/coworkers are not accepted. Please see full list of acceptable evaluator categories on the University of Colorado’s School Directory Page.

Two recommendation forms are required as part of the PharmCAS application. Letters submitted in lieu of completing the form will not be accepted. The applicant should seek recommendations attesting to their academic performance (academic recommendation) or on the applicant’s professional skills and potential for success in a rigorous professional degree program (professional recommendation).

Interview Options

• Qualified applicants will have the option to complete an on-site or virtual interview, and if eligible, receive an offer of admission. A partial travel reimbursement is available for eligible candidates.
• Interviews will begin in August with multiple dates offered throughout the remainder of the year.

When a candidate meets the threshold to be invited for an interview, the school’s admissions team will contact the candidate directly with a summary of available interview dates (via email).

Please see more information regarding interviews on our Interviews page.

GPA
The average GPA of our admitted students is typically around 3.4. Competition is typically the strongest among out-of-state applicants. ​​

PCAT Requirement
The PCAT is not required. If the PCAT (or MCAT) is submitted, it will be considered supplementary information only.

English Proficiency

• Excellent oral and written English communication skills are necessary prerequisites for admission to the school, success in the program, and competent practice in the field of pharmacy. Applicants who meet one or more of the criteria in the review process will be required to undergo an evaluation of your English language proficiency. This will be completed via an Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) as part of the application process.
• The purpose of this computerized OPI is to assess and rate a speaker’s level of oral proficiency in English. Please be aware that for your application to continue through the admissions process, an OPI is required. Aspects of this evaluation include pronunciation, grammar usage, and coherent discourse.
• Due to the rigorous communicative demands of the PharmD program, the minimum English oral proficiency admission standard is “advanced low” according to the ACTFL Oral Proficiency Guidelines for Speaking. Applicants rated at an oral proficiency level below “advanced low” via the OPI are disqualified from the pool of applicants considered for admission.
• This requirement is not waived with any other standardized test or degree completion.

Confirmation Deposit

• Within two weeks after receiving a letter of acceptance, applicants must submit a $200 initial confirmation deposit to hold their position in the entering class. By March 1, an additional $200 confirmation deposit will be required (totaling $400). If the applicant submitted their application prior to November 1, no deposit is required.
• Applicants that receive a letter of acceptance after March 1 will be required to submit the total admission deposit of $400.
• Deposits will be credited after the first semester of matriculation.

Criminal Background Check

• Each admitted student must submit to a national background check upon initial, conditional acceptance to pharmacy school. The rationale for performing criminal background checks on accepted pharmacy school applicants is based on a number of issues, including 1) the need to enhance the safety and well-being of patients and, in so doing, to bolster the public’s continuing trust in the pharmacy profession, 2) to ascertain the ability of accepted applicants to complete their pharmacy education (students are required to maintain a State of Colorado pharmacy intern license while participating in the pharmacy curriculum which includes direct patient care activities) and to eventually become licensed pharmacists.
• In support of this recommendation, AACP has initiated a PharmCAS-facilitated national background check service through which Certiphi Screening, Inc. (a Vertical Screen ® Company) will procure a national background report on applicants at the point of acceptance. AACP has initiated this service in order to recognize the desire of pharmacy schools to procure appropriate national criminal history reports and to prevent applicants from paying additional fees at each pharmacy school at which they are accepted.

Drug Testing

• All matriculated students are required to undergo drug testing and will receive further information regarding this requirement after they are enrolled in the program.

Technical Standards for Admission, Advancement and Graduation

• SSPPS Technical Standards (Download)
  

• The School of Pharmacy reserves the right to choose to correspond with applicants via e-mail, phone, or by U.S. Postal Services. It is incumbent upon the applicant to ensure a current email, phone, and postal address are currently on file. The School of Pharmacy cannot be held accountable if the candidate does not receive or respond to application or admission related correspondence.
• E-mail messages generated by the School of Pharmacy and related services may be sent simultaneously to multiple applicants. To avoid missing important e-mails, turn the “spam” or “junk” email filters off during the application cycle or periodically check your spam/junk e-mail file for the School of Pharmacy-related messages.