Early Assurance Program (EAP)

1. Must have a strong interest in a career in pharmacy.
2. Must be admitted to the Columbus campus and declare BSPS as your major.
3. EAP application and 3 Recommendation Forms must be submitted by no later than April 4, 2025.
4. Interview on campus or virtual

For an EAP application to be considered complete, three recommendation forms must be submitted. Recommenders are also invited to submit a letter of recommendation to supplement the recommendation form.

When selecting your recommenders, look for individuals who:

• Have a strong understanding of your character, work ethic, skills and other qualities
• Can provide specific examples to support their recommendation
• Are a current or past supervisor, teacher, coach, volunteer coordinator, mentor, etc. (not a family member or friend)

If you have questions about this, please email cop-admissions@osu.edu and we will be happy to discuss.

This policy describes the requirements which EAP students must meet to be eligible for matriculation into the PharmD program and is subject to changes since it is reviewed on an annual basis.

1. Undergraduate Major:  
Ohio State EAP students are required to follow the Healthcare Professions Pathway within the Bachelor of Science in the Pharmaceutical Sciences (BSPS) degree or the BSPS/PharmD Combined pathway. See next section for details about the BSPS/PharmD Combined pathway.

2. Prerequisite Coursework:  
All EAP students should consult Ohio State’s College of Pharmacy advisors about the prerequisite courses for the PharmD. Ohio State EAP students are required to complete PHR 2510 or PHR 2511H, Introduction to Pharmacy.

3. Pharmacy House:  
Incoming first year Ohio State EAP students are required to live in the Pharmacy House Learning Community during their first year and are expected to participate in at least 50% of EAP programming. Exceptions may be granted for students who demonstrate a compelling need to live in a different environment, which may include a medical need to live in another setting, a need to live in another learning community, and students who commute. Students who are granted this approval are still expected to participate in EAP programming.

4. GPA Requirement:  
All EAP students who started at Ohio State in Autumn 2025 or after are required to earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a C- or higher in all PharmD prerequisite course by the start of the semester for which they intend to matriculate to the PharmD. EAP students who entered Ohio State prior to Autumn 2025 must meet the 2.7 cumulative undergraduate GPA requirement by the start of the semester for which they intend to matriculate to the PharmD. This calculation includes grades for all coursework taken at other institutions as well as Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) and OSU Academy credits.

5. EAP Admission Deferral:  
Should the university approve the deferral of an incoming, first-year EAP student due to extenuating circumstances, the student must notify Katie Watkins, Director of Recruitment & Admissions, Watkins.541@osu.edu, so that the EAP admission may also be deferred.

6. International EAP students:  
International EAP students must successfully complete a financial review before being able to matriculate into the PharmD program.

7. PharmD Matriculation Deferral: 
EAP students must declare PharmD matriculation intentions by Oct. 1 of the year prior to PharmD matriculation. EAP students may request an extension or deferral at any time before Oct. 1 by emailing Katie Watkins, Director of Recruitment & Admissions, Watkins.541@osu.edu.

8. PharmCAS: 
AACP (the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy) requires that all students matriculating into a Doctor of Pharmacy program submit a PharmCAS application. Therefore, all EAP students are responsible for submitting a PharmCAS application prior to matriculation into the PharmD program. The deadline to submit this application will be November 1 in the Autumn term prior to matriculation into the PharmD program. This application will not be used to make an admissions decision, as EAP students are already admitted and may matriculate if all requirements are met. EAP students will be responsible for paying the $180.00 application fee associated with the PharmCAS application.

9. Supplemental Application:
To complete the Doctor of Pharmacy enrollment process, EAP students will be required to complete the Graduate & Professional Admissions supplemental application. The supplemental application will be assigned to the EAP student upon completion of the PharmCAS application. There is a $60 processing fee, a $25 acceptance fee and a $500 deposit required at the time of completion of the supplemental application, but the $500 deposit will be credited toward the student’s first semester of tuition in the PharmD program.

Once students are admitted to The Ohio State University and the EAP program, they will be guaranteed a spot in the PharmD program assuming all matriculation criteria is met.

EAP students will have the option of choosing to complete their BSPS degree prior to beginning their PharmD on the traditional path, or they may choose to complete the combined BSPS/PharmD program. Due to the lock-step nature of the combined degree path, EAP students must decide if they want to opt-in by October 1 of their third year in the BSPS program.

The combined degree program is meant only to serve as an option and not limit a student’s educational experience in any way. For example, if an EAP student prefers to complete their undergraduate degree in the traditional four years in order to take advantage of study abroad, internships, or minor/double major program opportunities, that student would be encouraged to do so.