Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Can I provide application information directly to you if I forgot to include it in my PharmCAS application?

A: We cannot accept information from applicants outside of PharmCAS. We do not accept resumes, additional evaluations (letters of recommendation), etc.

Q: What should I do - I haven’t heard anything about my application for quite some time?

A: It is almost always because your application is missing materials required by Minnesota for a complete application. Review your PharmCAS application and your UMN Applicant Portal to identify missing materials. If you are not missing any materials or cannot determine what is missing, please contact us directly at pharmacy@umn.edu.

Q: When will the application open?

A: PharmCAS generally opens the application in mid-July. We typically begin processing applications in mid- to late August. 

Q: Can I reuse the same evaluations (letters of recommendation) from last year?

A: No. You may ask the same people to submit evaluations, but you must do so through the current PharmCAS application cycle.

Q: Can I transfer to Minnesota from another PharmD program?

A: Applicants wishing to transfer from another pharmacy school must apply as an entry-level applicant through PharmCAS. Due to the unique and integrated nature of our curriculum, all students will begin the program in the first year, regardless of past education or experience. There may be limited opportunities to have curricular requirements via the Course Waiver Policy, but it would still take a transfer student 4 years to complete our program.

Q: Can a lab be taken online?

A: Yes!

Q: Can I use two courses in the same department to fulfill the social and behavioral sciences requirement?

A: Yes, you may, for example, use two courses within Psychology or Economics or Sociology, to fulfill the requirement.

Q: Can I use PSEO to fulfill prerequisite requirements?

A: If they are listed for-credit on an official college transcript from a regionally accredited institution, they are eligible to fulfill requirements.

Q: Can I get financial aid for the prerequisite courses I need to take, even if I’m a non-degree student?

A: Yes - courses required to enter a degree program may be eligible for financial aid. The institution at which you’re taking the course(s) should have a form that we can complete for you. For example, this is the form to use if you are taking prerequisite courses at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. We will complete the list of required courses for you - and will need to review your transcripts in order to complete the form. Please submit a request for a prerequisite evaluation and add a note that you wish to provide a form for financial aid eligibility.

Q: Do prerequisites need to be complete before applying?

A: No, they do not need be complete before applying. They need to be complete by August 1st of the year in which you plan to begin the program.

Q: Is there a preferred school at which I should take the prerequisites?

A: No, no preference is given to any specific school. Coursework must be completed at a regionally accredited U.S. institution; see information about international coursework here.

Q: Can I take a combined human or comparative anatomy and physiology class?

A: Yes, if it is at least 4 semester credits without counting lab credits and covers all systems of the body.

Q: Does a Puerto Rican institution require a foreign transcript evaluation (FTE)?

A: A foreign transcript evaluation is not required for coursework taken at colleges or universities located in the United States or its territories (including Puerto Rico and Guam), or for courses taken at a Canadian college or university at which the language of instruction is English (French Canadian institutions require a foreign transcript evaluation). Unsure of whether a FTE is required? When you enter your institution in PharmCAS, the system will provide a button to download either a Transcript Request Form or Order a WES evaluation.

Q: Am I exempt from the communications and advanced English composition requisite requirements if I hold a Canadian bachelor’s degree?

A: The exemption was only approved for regionally accredited U.S. institutions. If you need to take additional coursework to meet the prerequisite requirements, we suggest looking at MNSCU.edu for affordable options and consulting our prerequisites webpage to ensure a particular course has been approved.

Q: What do I do if my foreign transcript evaluation changed my GPA?

A: We use what is provided by foreign transcript evaluations. The service is intended to put grades into U.S. equivalent grades. You’ll need to contact the evaluation service directly for questions and concerns about their evaluation.

Q: What type of WES course-by-course transcript evaluation do I need?

A: The WES Basic Course-by-course Evaluation is sufficient. The WES ICAP is not necessary.

Q: Why do you only accept foreign transcript evaluations (FTEs) from WES?

A: PharmCAS only accepts FTEs from WES and therefore it is the only option to submit with your application to pharmacy school. Other schools may accept other FTE services, but the University of Minnesota only accepts them from WES, submitted directly to PharmCAS.

Q: Can I learn more about research?

A: Yes! Email us directly at pharmacy@umn.edu and we will connect you with an appropriate member of our faculty. Let us know what area of research you’re interested in based on our different departments: Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Care and Health Systems, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacy Practice and Pharmaceutical Sciences, or Social and Administrative Pharmacy. If you’re unsure, just let us know what you have in mind…researching new drug compounds, examining the pharmaceutical system within our society, investigating optimal patient care, etc.

Q: What campus is notated on my transcript and diploma?

A: The University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus is the accredited institution with the authority to grant Doctor of Pharmacy degrees. All degrees, regardless of campus attended, are issued by the Twin Cities campus.

Q: How long is the program?

A: Our Doctor of Pharmacy program is 4 years. We do not offer a 6-year program; instead students complete prerequisite coursework (and most of our students complete a bachelor's degree) at a college or university of their choice before attending our program.

Q: Is the program available online?

A: No, the Doctor of Pharmacy program is not available online. There are a few select courses - for undergraduate students and PharmD students - that are offered online Learn more here.

Q: Is the program available part-time?

A: No, the PharmD program is not available part-time. PharmD students are required to be enrolled as full-time students.

Q: What is the difference between scholarships and financial aid?

A: Scholarships are money given to a student to cover their educational expenses. The University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy provides scholarships to eligible students and incoming students to cover tuition only. Financial aid is a package of loans provided to eligible students and incoming students; in professional programs such as the PharmD, it may cover tuition and fees, as well as some living expenses. As long as you are eligible to complete the FAFSA, submit it to the campus you are attending and the University will put together a package of loans for you each summer prior to the new school year. The loans will require repayment when you are no longer a full-time student.