Admissions: General Information

Pharmacy Building

Welcome to our Admissions and Outreach general webpage.  There are a lot of resources available on our website including our Admissions Requirements.  If you have any questions, please contact us at sppsadmissions@health.ucsd.edu. We are excited to share that UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences will enroll approximately 70 students into each entering class. Our current pharmacy students really enjoy the smaller class size compared to other schools of pharmacy, especially the higher faculty to student ratio.

To be eligible for acceptance to the UC San Diego Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, you must fall into one of these categories:

  • United States Citizen
  • Permanent Resident (i.e. you have a "Green Card")
  • DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). Applicants that are "DACA approved" with AB 540 eligibility re: California residency (AB 540 nonresident tuition exemption) will be considered. More details about AB540 can be found here

If you are not a U.S. citizen and/or are in the U.S. on a work visa or student visa that does not fit the categories above and/or if you are DACA approved but NOT AB540 eligible, we will not be able to consider your application.

The Admissions Committee’s mission is to seek a diverse pool of applicants and admit those who are qualified, highly accomplished, likely to successfully complete our rigorous Pharm.D. program, and make positive contributions to the profession of pharmacy. In addition, the committee selects applicants for matriculation who have demonstrated the personal qualities of intelligence, maturity, integrity, dedication to the ideal of service to society, and who are best suited for meeting the educational goals of our School. The ability to express oneself clearly in both oral and written English is important.

The Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is committed to admitting students with diverse cultural, economic and social backgrounds. Although a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and science GPA of 2.8 is required, it is not the sole criterion for acceptance. In addition to intellectual and academic competence, the Admissions Committee considers exploration of pharmacy and pharmacy insight, communication skills, leadership ability, community service, research, health care related experience, and extracurricular activities. Students are urged to note on their PharmCAS application any personal extenuating or unique circumstances that may have influenced their academic performance and which they believe the Admissions Committee should be aware of when reviewing their application.

Applicants must complete the requirements for the Bachelor's Degree (B.A. or B.S.) from an accredited college and/or university prior to matriculation to the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Applicants who have not earned a degree or who will not have earned one prior to matriculation will not be considered. Students currently enrolled in a community college must transfer to a four-year college or university to complete the requirements for the Bachelor's Degree prior to application to the School.

Applicants who have earned a degree from a school outside of the United States must have completed at least one year of full-time study at a four-year college or university in the United States prior to application. A four-year college or university is one that is accredited to award bachelor’s degrees. Enrollment in a community college does not satisfy this requirement. To learn more about the admissions requirements for applicants with international coursework and or degrees, please click here.

All students will enter at the first-year level in our unique and innovative Doctorate of Pharmacy curriculum.  We do not accept transfer students.           

Visit our Admissions FAQ for more information.