Honors Admissions

7-Year B.S./Pharm.D. Program

*As you review the information below, feel free to reach out to Mr. Carter Harbert with additional questions at BSMD@honors.usf.edu.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Welcome to the Future of Pharmacy! First Time in College (FTIC) USF Judy Genshaft Honors College students and are interested in attending pharmacy school have an opportunity to receive admission to USF Health's Taneja College of Pharmacy (TCOP) and complete a doctorate in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) in seven years, provided that the student continues to meet all the benchmarks of the program, including a successful interview with TCOP.

THIS COULD BE YOU!

Group Image of Pharmacy White Coat Ceremony - Class of 2021. This class contains 101 students.
The first three years of study will be completed at the Judy Genshaft Honors College at USF and Years 4-7 will be completed at the Taneja College of Pharmacy. A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) will be conferred following successful completion of undergraduate requirements (typically after the fourth year of study). Students applying for this accelerated program will complete a major in Biomedical Sciences (BMS). The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) will be conferred after the successful completion of the pharmacy program. 

Judy Genshaft Honors College academic advisors will provide oversight of the student's progress in meeting Honors requirements and will coordinate overall completion of the first three years of the program. The Taneja College of Pharmacy will provide oversight of the four-year pharmacy school curricular components of the program.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

For admission to the program a student must: 

  • be admitted to the Judy Genshaft Honors College as a first-year student.
  • hold US Citizenship or Permanent Resident status (TCOP does not admit international applicants).

APPLICATION PROCESS

Eligible students must:

  1. Follow the 7-Year Pharm.D. Track during their first year of undergraduate enrollment. By a specified date at the end of the first year, students must submit a declaration of intent to formally continue the 7-Year B.S./Pharm.D. Program. The declaration of intent is not an official application. The official application must be submitted through PharmCAS after the second year of undergraduate study. 
  2. Finish their first year at USF with a USF GPA of 3.5+ overall and in the sciences.
  3. Meet with the USF Taneja College of Pharmacy Admissions Advisor/Recruiter between the end of Year 1 and start of Year 2.
  4. Meet with the USF TCOP Director of Admissions at least once prior to the end of the second year.

  5. Submit two letters of recommendation from USF faculty prior to the beginning of the third year; one letter must be from a science professor.

Students who meet all of the above specified benchmarks will officially apply to the Taneja College of Pharmacy during the summer between their second and third undergraduate years.  Students will apply by the priority deadline outlined by USF TCOP for the application cycle in which the applicant is set to apply. All required items can be reviewed in the catalog, here. Apply through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS). 

PharmCAS applications may be submitted beginning in July of each year. Since PharmCAS reviewers need four to six (4-6) weeks to verify applications prior to forwarding information to medical schools, it is strongly encouraged that students submit their applications by the end of July.

For students entering the program, a 65th percentile composite PCAT score is preferred, with no individual sub-score lower than 40 permitted. Students with lower scores that may have other strong academic indicators providing evidence of success will be reviewed.

Applicants who have met all GPA, PCAT, and co-curricular benchmarks, and have submitted required application materials by the deadlines will receive an invitation for a formal interview by TCOP. Successful completion of the interview is a requirement for acceptance into the Taneja College of Pharmacy.

USF PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS (FIRST THREE YEARS)

1. Grade Point Average

  • At the end of the Spring semester of each year, students must attain both an overall and science/math GPA of 3.5, without the use of grade forgiveness. If students transfer in a GPA from dual enrollment or transient coursework completed at another institution, the overall and science/math GPAs from all coursework completed at USF must also be 3.5 or higher.
  • GPAs are not rounded.

2. Pharmacy College Admissions Test (PCAT)

  • The PCAT must be taken at least one month prior to the primary application deadline. A minimum sub-score of 40 is required.
  • It is recommended that students begin preparing a year in advance for the exam. More information on the PCAT may be found here.

3. Non-Medical Community Service Volunteering

  • Completion of a minimum of 60 contact hours of volunteering is required. Community service is defined as involvement in a service activity without receiving monetary compensation. Service performed as part of employment or a service-learning course will NOT satisfy this requirement. This requirement must be completed by the end of the second year.
  • Students must document hours through the appropriate online forms. Hours must be verified by an on-site supervisor; an email confirmation from the volunteer/site coordinator is required.
  • Service may be completed on or off campus, but must be affiliated with a recognized non-profit organization which provides donated services for public benefit. Examples of appropriate service activities include Habitat for Humanity, Reach Out and Read, Relay for Life, United Way, and Metropolitan Ministries.

Note: Volunteer activities that are religious or political in nature are not accepted toward this requirement. If you are unsure whether or not your intended service experience is appropriate to meet the 7-Year B.S./Pharm.D. requirement, please check with one of the program advisors.

4. Judy Genshaft Honors College Curriculum

Students pursuing the 7-Year BS/Pharm.D. Pathway must also complete Judy Genshaft Honors College requirements and co-curricular program benchmarks which may be found here.

5. Letters of Recommendation

Students must submit a minimum of two letters of recommendation as part of the secondary application to TCOP (required letter amounts vary among other pharmacy schools).

6. Taneja College of Pharmacy Interview

Students must have a successful formal interview with the Taneja College of Pharmacy. Interviews are typically conducted between September and December of Year three, depending upon when students submit their primary PharmCAS application. Judy Genshaft Honors College advisors are available to assist students in preparing for the formal interview.

UNDERGRADUATE DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE B.S. IN BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES (BMS)

All BMS students will complete FLENT and Summer Enrollment requirements as well as graduation requirements listed in the catalog. Specifically, according to the BOG Articulation Regulation 6A-10.030; earn a minimum of 48 semester hours of upper-level work (courses numbered 3000 and above), therefore, BMS students will take 21 credits of additional 3000+ level coursework in addition to their required major and exit courses listed below.

Of these 21 credits, up to 10 credits will be shared with the Pharm.D. program. The entire undergraduate program will total no more than 120 credits. All BMS coursework can be found in the catalog, here.

CONFERRING OF B.S. DEGREE (FOURTH YEAR; FIRST PROFESSIONAL YEAR OF PHARMACY)  

Students must successfully complete all requirements of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum to graduate. Successful completion of the academic program of study contained within the first professional pharmacy year is required for the completion of the bachelor’s degree in the accelerated (3+4) program and to continue in the pharmacy program. Curricular revision is an ongoing process at USF TCOP, so the courses listed may change. Please refer to the TCOP Pharm.D. section within the catalog for the most up-to-date course listing.

 SHARED B.S./PHARM.D. REQUIREMENTS

According to the BOG Articulation Regulation 6A-10.030; earn a minimum of 42 semester hours of upper-level work (courses numbered 3000 and above), therefore, the B.S. in Biomedical Sciences students will take up to 21 credits of additional 3000+ level coursework in addition to their required major and exit courses listed here. Out of these 21 credits, up to 10 credits will be shared with the PharmD.