Office for Student Affairs
Office for Student Affairs
Prospective Student
Frequently Asked Questions
- When are applications accepted?
- What do I need to submit?
- What are the requirements to apply to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy (PharmD) program?
- What if my school does not award an Associate of Arts (AA) degree?
- If I have an upper level degree (baccalaureate, masters, MD, JD, PhD) or am currently attending another pharmacy school, does this make me exempt from having the pre-professional courses?
- How do I know if a course is equivalent?
- What does the PCAT consist of?
- What do I need to do to prepare for the PCAT?
- When is the PCAT offered and where can I find more information?
- How many times can I take the PCAT?
- What is the required gpa to apply?
- What is the required PCAT score to apply?
- Do you accept the January PCAT even though your office won’t receive the scores until after the deadline?
- What if I already have a bachelor of pharmacy from another country?
- Where do I send my foreign transcripts to be evaluated?
- I am not doing well in one of my pre-professional courses, is it okay to withdraw?
- Does the UF College of Pharmacy have scholarships?
- I submitted my application. Why haven’t I received a confirmation that your office received it?
- I submitted my application already. When will I know my file has been reviewed?
- When is the latest I might hear from the College?
- Where is the University of Florida College of Pharmacy?
- How many students are accepted each year?
- What percent of out of state applicants are accepted each year?
When are applications accepted?
Application materials may be submitted from August to February 1st of the following year. There will be no exceptions. Everything must be submitted by February 1st. For example, if you want to apply for fall 2008 and know you will be finished with all coursework by fall 2008, you can apply as early as August 2007. You do not have to have all of your courses finished or have taken the PCAT to apply. However, you must be certain you will have all of the courses finished by the following fall.
What do I need to submit?
Please refer to the Application Procedures on the College of Pharmacy Student Affairs website
http://www.cop.ufl.edu/studaff
for a detailed, step-by-step list of all application information.
What are the requirements to apply to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy (PharmD) program?
- Associate of Arts (AA) degree
- Pre-professional courses http://www.cop.ufl.edu/studaff/admission.pdf
- Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT) http://www.pcatweb.info
- TOEFL iBT (if English is not your native language) or a foreign language (either 2 years in high school or 2 consecutive semesters in college) http://www.ets.org
What if my school does not award an Associate of Arts (AA) degree?
You need to have at least 60 credit hours of general education courses. Please follow the guidelines
http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/advisinggened.html
set by the University of Florida.
If I have an upper level degree (baccalaureate, masters, MD, JD, PhD) or am currently attending another pharmacy school, does this make me exempt from having the pre-professional courses?
No. Everyone must have the pre-professional courses to apply.
How do I know if a course is equivalent?
In-state public universities: The course prefix and the last three digits must be the same. For example: CHM 2045=CHM 1045
Out-of-state or private universities: The course title must be the same/similar or course description must show to be equivalent. For example: General Chemistry I = Fundamentals of Chemistry or Chemistry I, etc. When in doubt, compare your course description with those for the University of Florida courses
http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/programs/courses/
What does the PCAT consist of?
Biology, Chemistry, Quantitative, Reading Comprehension and Verbal.
What do I need to do to prepare for the PCAT?
You should take General Chemistry I and II, Biology I and II, Calculus and be enrolled or have completed Organic Chemistry I.
When is the PCAT offered and where can I find more information?
It is offered: January, June, August and October. Please visit
www.pcatweb.info
for registration dates, deadlines, test locations, new updates, etc.
How many times can I take the PCAT?
You can take the PCAT as many times as you want. The College accepts the highest score. The scores are usually good for five years; however, changes were made to the June 2005 test so we only accept scores dating back to June 2005.
What is the required gpa to apply?
The gpa is calculated using the grades from the pre-professional courses only. The College does not have grade forgiveness therefore if you have taken a class more than once, the college will average the grades together. The minimum gpa to apply is a 2.5. Based on the fall 2006 admitted class, the average gpa was a 3.5; competitive is a 3.3 and above. Out of state applicants should have at least a 3.6.
What is the required PCAT score to apply?
The required PCAT score is a 50% composite. The average of the admitted fall 2006 class was an 86% composite; competitive is a 75% composite and above. Out of state applicants should have at least a 90% composite.
Do you accept the January PCAT even though your office won’t receive the scores until after the deadline?
Yes. We do accept the January PCAT. You must have all of your other application materials sent to the respective locations by February 1st but we will accept the January PCAT scores.
What if I already have a bachelor of pharmacy from another country?
You should contact the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy
http://www.nabp.net
to see if you are eligible to take the Foreign Pharmacy Equivalency Exam and the NAPLEX. If you can take those and receive passing scores, then you would be able to take the state licensing exam. If you are not eligible to take the FPGEE and you want to apply to the University of Florida College of Pharmacy, you would have to go through the regular Doctor of Pharmacy program which is 4 years. We do not have an accelerated program for those who already have a degree in pharmacy from another country.
Where do I send my foreign transcripts to be evaluated?
Two of the most frequently used agencies are Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
http://www.jsilny.com
and World Education Services
http://www.wes.org
I am not doing well in one of my pre-professional courses, is it okay to withdraw?
It is better for your pre-professional gpa to take the ‘W’ than receive a failing grade. However, please keep in mind, the Admissions Committee does not look favorably upon numerous ‘W’s.
Does the UF College of Pharmacy have scholarships?
The college does have a number of scholarships provided through several sources. You must be enrolled in the program to apply for these. Students should not rely on scholarships to pay their full tuition. If you should require financial assistance, please visit
www.fafsa.ed.gov
for information regarding federal financial aid.
I submitted my application. Why haven’t I received a confirmation that your office received it?
Our office receives close to 2,000 applications. Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to contact each individual to let them know we received or are missing parts to the application. Therefore, it is the applicant’s responsibility to contact our office. Please allow sufficient time to be reviewed and forwarded by PharmCAS
http://www.pharmcas.com
before contacting the office. This is usually 4-6 weeks.
I submitted my application already. When will I know my file has been reviewed?
The admissions committee does not start reviewing applications until late December. If your file is complete and considered competitive, it will be placed in line to be reviewed. Please make sure you indicate the correct mailing address on your PharmCAS application. You will then receive either a letter inviting you for an interview, a letter letting you know your application is being deferred or a denial letter.
When is the latest I might hear from the College?
You could receive a letter as early as January or as late as June. It depends on when your application is complete and reviewed by the Committee. If you are placed on the alternate list, you could be selected from this list well into June or early July. Everyone should have a letter in hand by the end of June.
Where is the University of Florida College of Pharmacy?
The main campus is located in Gainesville, FL. The distance campuses are located in Jacksonville (Shands at Jax), Orlando (the Mid-Florida Research & Education Center) and St. Petersburg (by the St. Petersburg College campus). For information pertaining to the distance sites, please visit
http://www.cop.ufl.edu/studaff/disted.htm
How many students are accepted each year?
We accept 130 to Gainesville and approximately 50-60 to each of the distance campuses located in Jacksonville, Orlando and St. Petersburg.
What percent of out of state applicants are accepted each year?
We accept 5-10% applicants from out of state.
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