Applicants that are conditionally accepted to the Doctor of Pharmacy program will be required to submit a $500.00 good faith payment for a Seat Deposit. The Seat Deposit will be credited to your program costs. The University will retain a maximum of $175.00 of this deposit should you cancel your enrollment within seven calendar days (excluding holidays) of enrollment or by the seventh calendar day of the first term, whichever is later. Deposits may be paid by money order or cashier's check made out to West Coast University.
Students enrolled in the PharmD program will be required to provide evidence of health insurance during their education at West Coast University. Students are required to carry and maintain personal health insurance during their entire tenure.
Students enrolled in the PharmD program are required to have a laptop. West Coast University does not provide laptops for rent or for sale.
School of Pharmacy Transfer and Advanced Standing Credit Policy
Individuals previously enrolled in a Doctor of Pharmacy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education may request advanced standing transfer into the West Coast University (WCU) PharmD program. Requests for transfer into the WCU School of Pharmacy PharmD program will be reviewed in a case-by-case basis in accordance with the requirements noted below, and is contingent upon space availability. Acceptance of transfer credit does not guarantee that student will enter the same academic year as the Pharmacy School they are transferring from.
Only grades of C (73%) or better are eligible for transfer.
In addition to meeting all requirements for admission to the WCU School of Pharmacy, the following documentation must be submitted for review.
- West Coast University Center for Graduate Study (CGS) Admission Application
- Application Fee
- Personal statement to the Dean outlining reasons for seeking a transfer to West Coast University School of Pharmacy.
- A letter from the Dean of the originating College/School of Pharmacy outlining details of the applicant’s academic performance, and statement that transfer candidate is in good academic and professional standing. This letter must be in a sealed envelope with the respective Dean’s signature, addressed to the WCU School of Pharmacy Dean.
- Two Letters of Recommendation from a Professional Reference (Faculty, Healthcare Professional, or University Administrator).
- Official Transcripts from applicant’s current school/college/institution.
- Official Transcripts from all institutions where prerequisite course work was completed.
- Course syllabi for each pharmacy course completed at the school/college of origin.
Upon satisfactory submission and evaluation of the above documents, the transfer candidate will be notified to meet with the Assistant/Associate Dean of Student Affairs and the Assistant/Associate Dean of Academic Affairs for an interview.
If approval to transfer to WCU SOP is granted, the candidate will be contacted by the School of Pharmacy Student Affairs.
Admissions Requirements
Doctor of Pharmacy Admissions Requirements
Applicants for the Doctor of Pharmacy program must:
- Have completed specific prerequisite coursework (63 semester credit hours or 94.5 quarter hour equivalents) from a regionally accredited institution in the United States.
- Required prerequisite courses:
- Two (2) courses in General Chemistry (four semester credit hours each, including a lab).
- Two (2) courses in Organic Chemistry (four semester credit hours each including a lab)
- Two (2) course in General Biology (with Cell Biology) (four semester credit hours each including a lab).
- One (1) course in Human/Mammalian Physiology (three semester credit hours each including lab).
- One (1) course in Human Anatomy (three semester credit hours each including a lab).
- One (1) course in Economics (Micro, Macro, or General) (three semester credit hours).
- One (1) course in Calculus (with Analytical Geometry) (three semester credit hours).
- One (1) course in Statistics (three semester credit hours).
- One (1) course in Speech Communication/Public Speaking/Interpersonal Communication or Debate (three semester credit hours).
- Two (2) courses in English Composition (three semester credit hours each).
- One (1) course in Psychology or Sociology (three semester credit hours).
- Two (2) courses in Humanities and Social/Behavioral Sciences (three semester credit hours each).
- One (1) course in Biochemistry (three semester credit hours each).
- One (1) course in Microbiology (three semester credit hours each including a lab).
Preferred Coursework (not required):
Physics with Laboratory (may be non-calculus based) 4 credits/6 credits
- Completion of prerequisite coursework with cumulative and math/science grade point averages (GPA) of 2.50 or higher is preferred.
- Submit 3 letters of recommendation (two from a math/science professor and a third letter from a pharmacist (supervisor), math/science professor, employer (supervisor), healthcare professional (supervisor), liberal arts professor).
- Submit a complete PharmCAS application.
- Complete the interview process.
Admissions Waitlist
Based on the Admissions Committee recommendations, the School of Pharmacy may offer candidates to be placed on a Waitlist status. A Waitlist decision is neither an offer of admission nor a decision to deny admission. The School of Pharmacy will notify Waitlisted students of their final status no later than July 30th. Changes in Wait List status will take place in order of interview session attendance.
Applicants with an undergraduate GPA of 2.30-2.50 may be considered for probationary admission after meeting the following admissions requirements:
- The applicant must provide a letter of intent.
- The applicant must be approved for admission following an interview with the Program Director/Dean.
- The applicant must satisfy program prerequisites.
A student admitted under the probationary admissions pathway must achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on all coursework attempted over the first trimester (two terms). Students who meet this standard will be converted to a full admit status and will be subject to the standard Satisfactory Academic Progress requirement for the duration of their program. Students failing to meet this requirement by the end of the first trimester (two terms) will be withdrawn from the university.
Students accepted under the probationary admissions pathway will be considered regular students and eligible for Title IV, if the student otherwise qualifies for funding, for the first trimester of their program of study while completing the requirements for full admission to their program.
Pharmacy Curriculum & Graduation Requirements
Accelerated Hybrid Curriculum
* Professional electives include PHRM 901, PHRM 902, PHRM 903, PHRM 904, PHRM 905, PHRM 906, PHRM 907, PHRM 908, PHRM 909, PHRM 910, PHRM 911, PHRM 912, PHRM 913, PHRM 914, PHRM 915, PHRM 916, PHRM 917, PHRM 918, PHRM 919, PHRM 920, PHRM 921, PHRM 922, PHRM 923, PHRM 924, PHRM 925, PHRM 926, PHRM 927, PHRM 928, PHRM 929, PHRM 930, PHRM 931, PHRM 933, PHRM 934, PHRM 935, PHRM 936, PHRM 937, PHRM 938, PHRM 939, PHRM 940, PHRM 941, PHRM 942, PHRM 943, PHRM 944, PHRM 945, PHRM 946, PHRM 947, PHRM 948, PHRM 949, PHRM 950
Graduation Requirements
To fulfill requirements for graduation, beyond successful completion of coursework, all students are required to successfully complete all programmatic co-curricular and non-credit requirements (e.g., outreach activities, course reflections, PCOA, up-to-date e-Portfolio, Board Preparation exams). In the event of an excused or unexcused absence, students are required to contact the course or event coordinator to determine how missed co-curricular activities will be made up. The format and completion date of any missed co-curricular activity (e.g., project work, evaluations, and assignments) is at the discretion of the course or event coordinator. Failure to successfully complete any required co-curricular work may compromise a student's ability to graduate.
Pharmacy Curriculum - On ground
Integrated Patient Care (IPC) courses are designed as an integrated course drawing from pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, and therapeutics concepts.
Explanation of Variable Credits
In the second and third professional year of the curriculum, students are divided into two groups each semester. Half the cohort is engaged in Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE) and the other half will be engaged in Interprofessional Patient Simulation Exercises (IPE). Also, from the Fall semester of the second year students start their professional elective courses, and are required to complete a total of 6 semester units of electives by the end of the third professional year. These factors will result in variable credit units each semester during the second and third year of the curriculum.
*Please note that the curriculum of the program is subject to change. Students should refer to the program handbook and/or syllabus for updated information.