Prospective Student FAQ

  1. When are applications accepted?
  2. What do I need to submit?
  3. What are the requirements to apply to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy (PharmD) program?
  4. What if my school does not award an Associate of Arts (AA) degree?
  5. If I have an upper level degree (baccalaureate, masters, MD, JD, PhD) or am currently attending another pharmacy school, does this make me exempt from having the pre-professional courses?
  6. How do I know if a course is equivalent?
  7. What does the PCAT consist of?
  8. What do I need to do to prepare for the PCAT?
  9. When is the PCAT offered and where can I find more information?
  10. How many times can I take the PCAT?
  11. What is the required gpa to apply?
  12. What is the required PCAT score to apply?
  13. Do you accept the January PCAT even though your office won’t receive the scores until after the deadline?
  14. What if I already have a bachelor of pharmacy from another country?
  15. Where do I send my foreign transcripts to be evaluated?
  16. I am not doing well in one of my pre-professional courses, is it okay to withdraw?
  17. Does the UF College of Pharmacy have scholarships?
  18. I submitted my application. Why haven’t I received a confirmation that your office received it?
  19. I submitted my application already. When will I know my file has been reviewed?
  20. When is the latest I might hear from the College?
  21. Where is the University of Florida College of Pharmacy?
  22. How many students are accepted each year?
  23. What percent of out of state applicants are accepted each year?

When are applications accepted?

Application materials are accepted from the beginning of June (when PharmCAS makes it available) until February 1st of the following year. There are no exceptions. All applications must be submitted by 11:59PM on February 1st. You may apply and still be in the process of completing coursework during the fall semester or the following spring and/or summer semesters. Your conditional acceptance can be based on you completing coursework during the spring and/or summer semesters prior to beginning the program in the fall, if admitted.

What do I need to submit?

Please refer to the Application Procedures at http://www.cop.ufl.edu/education/student-affairs/admissions/application-procedures for a detailed, step-by-step list of all application information. The components to having a completed application are: 1) PharmCAS, 2) UF application, 3) Personal Profile Essay/Campus Ranking Form and 4) PCAT score.

What are the requirements to apply to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy (PharmD) program?

What if my school does not award an Associate of Arts (AA) degree?

You should first check with the Registrar’s Office at your institution to be certain they do not award an AA degree. Most public schools in the State of Florida award one. If they do not, you need to have completed a minimum of 60 college credit hours including the general education course requirements. Please follow the guidelines set by the University of Florida.

If I have an upper level degree (baccalaureate, masters, MD, JD, PhD) or am currently attending another pharmacy school, does this make me exempt from having the pre-professional courses?

No. Everyone must have met the admission requirements, including all pre-professional courses, to be admitted  to the UF Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program.

How do I know if a course is equivalent?

In-state public institutions: The course prefix and the last three digits must be the same (e.g. CHM 2045=CHM 1045)

Out-of-state or private institutions: The course title must be the same/similar or course description must show to be equivalent.  For example: General Chemistry I = Fundamentals of Chemistry or Chemistry I, etc.   When in doubt, compare your course description with those for the University of Florida — https://catalog.ufl.edu/ugrad/current/courses/descriptions/chemistry.aspx

What is on the PCAT?

The five subtests of the PCAT are: Biology, Chemistry, Quantitative Ability, Reading Comprehension and Verbal Ability along with 2 essays.

What do I need to do to prepare for the PCAT?

You should complete Biology I and II, General Chemistry I and II, Calculus and be enrolled or have completed Organic Chemistry I.

When is the PCAT offered and where can I find more information?

There are 2 testing windows in July, 5 testing windows in September and 2 testing windows in January.  It has changed from a paper/pencil test to online.  This requires you to take it at a PearsonVUE testing center.  For further details including registration dates, deadlines, test locations, and any new updates, please visit http://www.pcatweb.info.

How many times can I take the PCAT?

You may take the PCAT as many times as you choose.  The Admissions Committee will review the highest score.  However, after the first attempt, you should evaluate your scores and review for the sections where you did not score well.  The PCAT content has been changed effective for tests beginning in July 2012.  All test scores from June 2007 to January 2013 will be viewed by the Admissions Committee with primary attention to the highest one set of PCAT scores.

What is the required gpa to apply?

The Admissions Committee for the University of Florida Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program examines the science gpa as calculated by PharmCAS, using their grading scale.  They review all applicants and give consideration to Florida resident applicants with a 3.0-4.0 science gpa and non-resident applicants with a 3.5-4.0 science gpa.  The College does not have grade forgiveness, therefore, if you have taken a class more than once, the grades will be averaged together.  If you have questions about the grade calculation, please contact PharmCAS.

What is the required PCAT score to apply?

The Admissions Committee for the University of Florida Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program reviews the percentile score, not the scaled score.  They review all applicants and give consideration to Florida resident applicants with a 70th percentile composite or higher and non-resident applicants with an 85th percentile composite or higher.

Does the University of Florida College of Pharmacy accept scores from the January PCAT even though your office won’t receive the scores until after the February 1st deadline?

Yes.  We do accept scores from the January PCAT.  You must have all of your other application materials submitted to the respective locations by 11:59PM on February 1st and your application will be reviewed once our office receives the January PCAT score.

What if I already have a bachelor of pharmacy from another country?

You should contact the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (http://www.nabp.net) to see if you are eligible to take the Foreign Pharmacy Equivalency Exam and the NAPLEX.  If you are eligible to take those and you receive passing scores, then you would be able to sit for the state licensing exam. If you are not eligible to take the FPGEE and you want to apply to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, you would have to go through the regular Doctor of Pharmacy program which is 4 years. We do not have an accelerated program for those who already have a degree in pharmacy from another country.

Where do I send my foreign transcripts to be evaluated?

Two of the most frequently used agencies that are recognized by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (http://www.naces.org) are Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. http://www.jsilny.com and World Education Services http://www.wes.org.

I am not doing well in one of my pre-professional courses, is it okay to withdraw?

If it is a science course, it is better for your gpa to take the ‘W’ than receive a failing grade. However, please keep in mind, the Admissions Committee does not look favorably upon numerous ‘W’s.

Does the UF College of Pharmacy have scholarships?

The College does have a number of scholarships provided through several sources.  You must be enrolled in the program to apply for these.  Students should not rely on scholarships to pay their full tuition.  If you should require financial assistance, please visit http://www.fafsa.ed.gov for information regarding federal financial aid.  For tuition (in-state and out-of-state), fees, etc., please visit http://www.cop.ufl.edu/education/student-affairs/financial-aid.

I submitted my application. Why haven’t I received a confirmation that your office received it?

Our office receives close to 1,000 applications.  Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to contact each individual to let them know we received or are missing parts to the application.  Therefore, it is the applicant’s responsibility to contact our office.  You may email the Office for Student Affairs at yokomi@cop.ufl.edu to check on the status.  Please understand that PharmCAS takes 4-6 weeks to verify.  Therefore, once you submit your PharmCAS application, please allow sufficient time for it to be processed and uploaded into the system.

I submitted my application already. When will I know my file has been reviewed?

The Admissions Committee reviews applications beginning in October.  If your file is complete (i.e. PharmCAS, UF application, Personal Profile Essay/Campus Ranking form and PCAT scores) and considered competitive, it will be placed in line to be reviewed.  Please make sure you have your email address on the PharmCAS application.  After your application has been reviewed, you will receive an email either to invite your for an interview, to let you know your application is being deferred or to deny you.

When is the latest I might hear from the College?

You could receive an email as early as January or as late as June.  It depends on when your application is complete and reviewed by the Committee.  If you are placed on the alternate list, you could be selected from this list well into June or early July.  Everyone will be notified via email with a decision by the end of June.

Where is the University of Florida College of Pharmacy?

The main campus is located in Gainesville, Florida.  The satellite campuses are located in Jacksonville (Shands at Jax), Orlando (UF Research and Academic Center at Lake Nona) and St. Petersburg (on the St. Petersburg College campus in Seminole, Florida).  For information pertaining to the distance sites, please visit http://www.cop.ufl.edu/the-college/campuses.

How many students are accepted each year?

We accept approximately 300 students each year: 115 to Gainesville, approximately 55-60 each at the Jacksonville and St. Petersburg campuses and 70 to the Orlando Campus.

What percent of out of state applicants are accepted each year?

We accept 5-10% applicants from out of state.