Admissions

Applicants must submit the Ohio State supplemental information form to complete their application and have it be reviewed. Upon submission and verification of your PharmCAS application, you will be emailed by the Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions to create an Ohio State user ID and account login information. This email will come approximately 5-10 business days after your verification. The day following your creation and activation of a username, you will then have access to the supplemental information form. 

Ohio State accepts international applicants for the Doctor of Pharmacy program. International applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow time for transcripts to be reviewed.

Key information for applicants with international coursework:

1. Send your original transcripts directly to the Graduate and Professional Admissions Office in a sealed envelope.
2. English language proficiency tests are required for all students who graduated from an institution in a non-English speaking country. (minimum TOEFL score of 577 for the paper-based test, or 4 for the computer-based test)
3. If accepted, international students will need to complete a financial review prior to being able to matriculate to the program.

Students entering the PharmD program at Ohio State are required to complete a bachelor’s degree prior to matriculation. The Office of Graduate & Professional Admissions at Ohio State offers free coursework evaluations to students attending other institutions and will aid in selecting and taking coursework that meets our prerequisite requirements.

Any prerequisite courses requiring evaluation will need to be completed prior to an official offer of admission can be made. If you have courses requiring evaluation, please contact cop-admissions@osu.edu as soon as possible for guidance and next steps.

Common prerequisite courses for Ohio schools can be found here.

The Ohio State University's PharmD program will consider transfer requests from students who meet the requirements outlined below:

• A completed U.S. bachelor's degree or the equivalent
• Completion of all of the prerequisite courses with a C- or higher:
  • Physiology (1 class)
  • Basic Biology (1 class/1 lab)
  • General Chemistry (2 classes/2 labs)
  • Organic Chemistry (2 classes/1 lab)
  • Microbiology (1 class/1 lab)
  • Biochemistry (1 class)
  • Statistics (1 class)
  • Pre-Calculus (1 class)
• Must be in good Academic and Professional Standing at current PharmD program.

PharmD students at other institutions hoping to transfer to the PharmD program at Ohio State University are required to apply by completing the Transfer Student Interest Form. The form will require the student to submit the following materials:

• A copy of their current pharmacy school application (PharmCAS). 
• A copy of the transcript from the current PharmD program.
• Copies of all previous college transcripts. 
• A formal statement outlining the reason they are requesting a transfer. 
• Documentation from the dean or Director of Student Affairs of the pharmacy school that they are attending, summarizing their credentials and verifying they are in good academic standing. 

The deadline to submit the Transfer Student Interest Form and apply to transfer to Ohio State starting Autumn 2027 is March 1, 2027. Transfer requests will not be accepted beyond the deadline. Transfer requests for Autumn 2026 are no longer being accepted.

If deemed eligible for admission following the submission of the Transfer Student Interest Form, the prospective transfer student will be invited to interview with the PharmD Admissions Committee. The interview is a required component.

If deemed admissible following the interview, the PharmD Admissions Team will reach out to the Office of Graduate & Professional Admissions and have them send the Ohio State Supplemental Application to the applicant. Once the OSU Supplemental Application is complete, the student will be admitted within Ohio State's application system, and the applicant will receive their official offer of admission via email and will be prompted to accept or decline admission.   

Important Notes Regarding Transfer Standing

Prospective transfer students should be aware that it is required that students complete no less than 3 years in our PharmD program to earn a degree from The Ohio State University. The latest a transfer student may be approved to start is in the P2 year. It is not possible to transfer directly into the P3 or P4 year. Given the unique nature of the PharmD curriculum at Ohio State, it is not guaranteed that transferred courses will be considered equivalent to required coursework within the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. More often than not, students requesting a transfer are asked to restart the program as a P1 due to inconsistencies in completed coursework. 

If the applicant would like to be considered for P2 standing, this will be determined following the interview process. If the applicant is admitted following their interview, requests to begin the program in the P2 year (as opposed to restarting as a P1) will be reviewed PharmD course syllabi will be requested from the applicant to determine potential equivalency. Course directors will be consulted to assess materials to determine alignment of content and appropriate placement within the PharmD program. This process typically takes 2-4 weeks and is only initiated after the applicant has completed their interview and been deemed admissible. 

Please be aware that all transfer requests will be reviewed pending space in the program. Eligible transfer students are not guaranteed admission to the program, but requests will be considered in light of the capacity of the class the student wishes to transfer into. Admissible transfer students may be placed on a waitlist if the class is at capacity at the time of the transfer request.

Please note: Admitted transfer students may request up to 9 (nine) hours of unused transfer credit be used toward elective course requirements.

• A grade of C- or higher is required in all prerequisite courses

The College of Pharmacy will accept “Pass” grades for Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) prerequisite courses taken in SP20 semester only.

• Performance in prerequisite coursework
• Cumulative and science grade point averages (minimum cumulative GPA of a 2.7)
• Any standardized tests submitted to PharmCAS
• Level of pharmacy experience
• Full disclosure of prior misdemeanor or felony convictions
• Personal statements completed by the applicant
• Extracurricular leadership and work experience
• Letters of recommendation (must submit at least three letters of reference submitted directly to PharmCAS)
  • Three letters are required and should be submitted directly to PharmCAS. We will not accept letters sent to the school.
  • Recommended references are pharmacists, science professors or math professors. We accept references from co-workers, employers, faculty advisors, healthcare professionals, pre-health advisors, supervisors, teaching assistants or liberal arts professors.
  • We do NOT accept references from friends or family members.
• Personal interviews

**International candidates who are non-native English speakers are required to submit test scores for Test of English as a Foreign Language (minimum TOEFL score of 577 for the paper-based test or 90-91 for the computer-based test.

**We consider all applicants who meet our minimum requirements. We review all aspects of your application, including your personal statement and letters of reference, in combination with your academic profile to determine which students are invited to interview. Therefore, we encourage students who fall outside of the listed "most competitive" ranges to apply.

Qualified applicants will be invited to interview prior to admission to the PharmD program. Interviews are offered September through March. Interviews are offered in an in-person or virtual format, and the applicant may choose their preference when invited to schedule an interview. 

All interview days consist of a 40-minute individual interview, a presentation about the PharmD program at Ohio State, and a question-and-answer session with current PharmD students. In-person interview days also include a guided tour of the College of Pharmacy.

Learn more about the PharmD Interview Day Experience!

All students must complete specific vaccinations and health testing prior to and during their four years in the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) Program to participate in required experiential activities. Those who are not compliant with these requirements will encounter difficulty completing the required activities of the PharmD program.

Admitted students must complete and submit documentation to the College of Pharmacy for the following Health Requirements:

• Physical Exam (completed by health care professional)
• Vaccination History of:
  • Completion of hepatitis B vaccinations (2-3 doses) and positive surface antibody titer
  • Completion of measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccinations (2 does) or positive antibody titer
  • Completion of tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap) vaccination
  • Completion of varicella (chicken pox) vaccinations (2 doses) or positive antibody titer
  • Completion of influenza vaccine (administered during autumn semester)
• Tuberculosis Screening Two-step PPD (skin test) or QuantiFERON (blood test) tuberculosis test

Official paperwork and more details will be shared about health requirements after you pay your acceptance fee for the PharmD program.

Any questions should be directed to Allison Harness at COP-ExperCompliance@osu.edu