Program Admissions | MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences

The Application is now available through PharmGRAD

Applicants for the MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences program must achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher and/or pre-requisite or last 45 credit GPA of 3.0 or higher. At the time of applying, students must have or expect to earn a bachelor’s degree prior to the start of the program. Students pursuing an approved Pacific University School of Pharmacy Bridge Program are eligible to apply.  Also, applicants need to complete 62 credits of prerequisite coursework in addition to the following requirements below for consideration to the MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences program:

All applicants need to provide:

  • Resume/CV
  • Essay: Students need to submit a one-page essay detailing their research interests and professional aspirations.
  • Transcripts:

 

Prerequisite Courses

Conversion of hours | All quarter hours must be converted to semester hours. Quarter hours divided by 1.5 = semester hours. Example: 12 quarter hours = 8 semester hours

Biological Sciences | Minimum 19 semester credits

General Biology with labs | 8 semester credits

  • Year-long series of general biology with labs intended for science majors.

Microbiology (lab not required) | 3 semester credits

Anatomy and Physiology with labs | 8 semester credits

  • Prefer: Human Anatomy, Human Physiology; yearlong series; courses taken at the same institution preferred. Combined A&P courses accepted.

Recommended additional courses | Molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, immunology

Chemistry | Minimum 16 semester credits

General Chemistry with labs | 8 semester credits

  • Yearlong series of general chemistry with labs intended for science majors.

Organic Chemistry with labs | 8 semester credits

Recommended additional course | Biochemistry

Physics | 3 semester credits

General or upper-level Physics with lab

Calculus | 3 semester credits
2.67 semester credits acceptable
English | 6 semester credits

English Composition | 3 semester credits

Other English | 3 semester credits

  • May include composition, literature, creative writing, poetry, etc.
Speech | 3 semester credits
2.67 semester credits acceptable

May include speech, communication, debate

Psychology | 3 semester credits
2.67 semester credits acceptable

General or Abnormal Psychology

Economics | 3 semester credits
2.67 semester credits acceptable

Microeconomics or Macroeconomics

Social/Behavioral Sciences | 3 semester credits
2.67 semester credits acceptable

May include anthropology, geography, government, history, human development, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology

Humanities/Fine Arts | 3 semester credits
2.67 semester credits acceptable

May include foreign language, drama, geography, history, religion, philosophy, literature, performance arts, visual arts

FAQs

How much does the program cost?  The total cost of the two-year program is $34,440 at the 2023-24 per credit tuition rate. There is also an additional $182 in fees to cover costs related to examination software (ExamSoft), personal digital learning space (PebblePad), and academic progression software (ProgressIQ).

Is the GRE required?  No.  There is good evidence that GRE scores do not correlate to success in graduate programs.  Here's an interesting article about this topic for your consideration.  

What is your application deadline?  The Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences program subscribes to a rolling admissions cycle, meaning that we evaluate applications as they are received ("roll in"), rather than waiting to review applications after a hard deadline.  Based on this format, we encourage prospective students to apply as early as possible.

Do prospective students need to contact faculty mentors with whom they’re interested in working prior to submitting their MS application? We certainly encourage students to contact principal investigators prior to applying.  That way applicants get a better idea of who they'd be working with and more detail on their potential projects.  However, this is not required.

Do you offer waivers or paid assistantships to cover tuition costs?  Unfortunately, we do not offer any tuition waivers or assistantships at this point; however, it is something we are currently working on developing.

Is valid proof of English language proficiency required? A satisfactory command of the English language is required for admission?  Applicants for whom English is not their native language, must achieve an official score of 80 or higher on the International Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or a score of 6.0 or higher on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam.

Is the MSPS program STEM Extension eligible?  Yes F-1 applicants are eligible for two years of work without needing a work visa.

Contact Us

Tony Potter | Assistant Director of Graduate & Professional Admissions
503-352-7229 | MSPS@pacificu.edu