Print this page.About the Program
USC’s College of Pharmacy provides an exceptional program of study and outstanding teaching and research facilities. While stressing a rigorous academic agenda and individual attention usually associated with smaller institutions, we tap resources available only through a large university. For example, you may collaborate with students and faculty in USC’s College of Nursing, Arnold School of Public Health, and School of Medicine. You will also be able to take advantage of resources in areas such as social work and clinical psychology. Our location in the Coker Life Sciences building places you in close proximity to the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and Physics and Astronomy, and you can join up to one-half dozen professional and national pharmaceutical organizations, including the Academy of Students of Pharmacy, Kappa Epsilon, Kappa Psi, Rho Chi, Phi Lambda Sigma, the Student National Pharmaceutical Association, and Christian Pharmacist Fellowship International.
Career Opportunities
Pharmacists are important links between the patient and other health care providers. They counsel patients about and dispense prescribed and nonprescribed medication. Here are a just a few job opportunities:
• community, independent, chain, or group pharmacist
• institutional practice hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and long-term care sites
• medical/pharmaceutical research, production, and sales/services
• federal, state, and local agencies at all levels
The University Career Center is available to assist you in choosing a career direction and in increasing your marketability upon graduation. For additional information, call the center at 803-777-7280.
Admission/Progression Requirements
To be admitted into the College of Pharmacy, you must meet all University admission requirements, including (for freshmen) a completed application, nonrefundable application fee, high-school record complete up to the time of application (including record of at least 20 units of study earned as required by the University), and entrance examination scores (either SAT or ACT). Details for all applicant categories can be found in the Undergraduate Bulletin. In addition to the general requirements for admission to the University, all students admitted to the prepharmacy or professional pharmacy program must meet the following specialized requirements of the College of Pharmacy.
Prepharmacy
Any entering freshman who wishes to pursue a pharmacy degree and who fulfills general requirements for admission to the University will be accepted into the prepharmacy program of study. Prepharmacy students within the University should be advised by prepharmacy advisors on their respective campuses. The office of the dean of the College of Pharmacy will coordinate advisement for students on the Columbia campus. All prepharmacy courses must be passed with a minimum grade of “C.”
Professional Pharmacy Program (third college year)
Admission to the professional program is limited, and only the most qualified students, as determined by the Admissions, Scholastic Standings, and Petitions Committee of the college, will be accepted. All students who wish to enter the professional program must submit a completed College of Pharmacy application form no later than January 15 of the year in which fall semester admission is desired. The application must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation, official college transcripts to reflect all college-level studies (to be updated as necessary), and a written personal statement by the applicant concerning their aspirations for becoming a pharmacist. Personal interviews may be required. Interested persons should contact the College of Pharmacy for application forms and advisement at the earliest possible date. Transfer applicants for the professional program from other colleges and universities must also apply to the University of South Carolina and fulfill general transfer admission requirements. Applicants seeking admission into the professional program must have successfully completed the first and second college-year courses (or their equivalents) prior to enrolling for the first semester of the professional program. Acceptability of applicants’ qualifications, and their admission status, will be determined by the Admissions, Scholastic Standings, and Petitions Committee of the college.
Program of Study
The Doctorate of Pharmacy degree is offered at the University of South Carolina, requiring six and one half academic years to complete. The pharmacy curriculum is divided between two prepharmacy years and professional study in pharmaceutical sciences. During your first two years, you will take courses in chemistry, biology, mathematics, computer science, economics, English, statistics, and physics. In your third year, which is the first professional year, you will begin your pharmacy course work. Your program of study will include the nature of drugs and dosage forms, the nature of human disease states, and how drugs act to alleviate disease. Also included are studies of the U.S. health care system and how the profession of pharmacy functions as an integral component of health care. During the latter phase of the curriculum, you will participate in community and institutional pharmacy practice experiences in hospitals and family medicine centers.
Of Special Interest
Half of all licensed pharmacists in the state of South Carolina are graduates of USC’s or the South Carolina College of Pharmacy. The college’s integrated practice laboratories are considered national instructional models, and our Ph.D. program is recognized as one of the leading programs in the country for pharmacy administration specialty areas. College faculty and graduate teaching assistants operate the Palmetto Poison Center, the statewide poison control center. The center handles more than 40,000 inquiries per year.