Admission Requirements

NOTE: 

1) Candidates for the Doctor of Pharmacy Program, please be sure to complete the PharmCAS and Medical Sciences Campus Applications.

2) It is the responsibility of each student to verify and follow up that both applications and required documents (transcripts, letters of recommendations, etc) are completed in all its parts on or before December 1, 2023 in the Office of Admissions with Ms. Vilma Santiago (Tel. 787-758-2525 Extensions 5215, 5228; email: vilma.santiago@upr.edu)

PharmD Program Brochure

Complete a minimum of 75 – 80 semester credits from among the following courses, or their equivalents, at any accredited college or university:

Course
Credits
Basic English
6
Basic Spanish
6
Languages (English or Spanish)
3
Humanities
6
Social Sciences
6
Pre-calculus
4-6
Calculus I
4-5
General Chemistry
8
Organic Chemistry
8
General Biology
6
Anatomy and Physiology
4-6
General Physics with lab
8
General Psychology
3
Introduction to Economics
3
Total
75 – 80 credits
  • The advanced placement tests will substitute the requisites of basic English and Spanish.
  • The three credits in languages (English or Spanish) must be taken in courses that develop oral and written communication skills.
  • Humanities – 3 credits in Western Culture are required. The other 3 credits can be in any other Humanities or History course, including History of Puerto Rico.
  • Social Sciences – Use as reference CISO 3121 and CISO 3122 of the University of Puerto Rico. The Political Science course will also be accepted. Please visit http://farmacia.rcm.upr.edu (Admission-Doctor of Pharmacy Program), to verify other courses that can be validated by these courses.
  • Mathematics credits through Calculus I are required for admission. Calculus I should include up to integrals. Mathematics 3151 offered by the University of Puerto Rico System must be used as standard of reference.
  • General Biology does not include the Biological Sciences course offered by the General Studies Faculty of the University of Puerto Rico.
  • Biology 3711 and 3712 offered by the University of Puerto Rico System must be used as standards of reference for Anatomy and Physiology.
  • General Physics requirement may not be satisfied by the Physical Sciences course offered by the General Studies Faculty of the University of Puerto Rico. Physics 3001, 3002, 3003, 3004 offered by the University of Puerto Rico System must be used as standards of reference.
  • For Psychology use PSIC 3005 offered by the University of Puerto Rico as standard of reference.
  • For Economics a course with basic concepts in microeconomics is required.

Example of Courses From Other Institutions

NOTE: For courses from any other university not shown in this table, please contact the Office of Academic Affairs at the School of Pharmacy for verification (josephine.picorelly@upr.edu or 787-758-2525 ext. 5429).

To Qualify For Admission

  • Fluency of the Spanish and English languages is required.
  • Applicants must present academic and personal records indicating good preparation and ability to undertake a professional college degree program. Applicants are required a general grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.75 (on a scale of 4.00), and a specific grade point average of at least 2.75 (on a scale of 4.00) in chemistry, mathematics, biology, and physics courses (sciences index).
  • The Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT) is optional. If candidate decide to take PCAT:
    • A bonus will be given to those applicants that decide to take the exam based on the results obtained.
    • A minimum percentile of 10 must be obtained in all areas of the exam.
    • PCAT must be taken no later than October on the year prior to which the candidate is applying for admission.
    • The oldest PCAT to be considered for admission is three (3) years prior to the deadline for application. o For more information about PCAT, access www.pcatweb.info.
  • The applicant must submit three recommendation forms in the format specified at PharmCAS site. Two of these recommendation forms must be from former professors. Recommendations from the School of Pharmacy faculty will not be accepted.
  • The most qualified candidates will be invited for an interview.

Admission Documents

Transfers

Students from Schools with Program Accredited by ACPE

Students from other ACPE accredited pharmacy programs requesting admission will be evaluated individually by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs using transcripts and other documents requested by the School. All academic rules established by the School in accordance with the rules and regulations of the University will apply. No one will be admitted after the second year (PY2) of the Pharm.D. Program. Command of the Spanish and English languages is required. To start the transfer process the student must:

  1. Submit a written letter to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs which states the reason (s) for requesting a transfer.
  2. Submit official pharmacy school transcripts.
  3. Submit certificate of completion of introductory pharmacy practice experiences (hours completed).
  4. Be in good standing at the transferring institution and have a general academic average of not less than 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale).
  5. Submit three (3) letters of recommendation (Dean and two faculty members) to the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
  6. Submit a non-refundable application fee of $250.00.

 

Students that qualify for evaluation will be interviewed by the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Final decision on transfer applications will be made by the Dean. The decision will be based on factors that include, but are not limited to, the student’s academic record, the circumstances leading to the transfer request, available space, and the interview. The application fee of $250.00 should be made payable to the University of Puerto Rico School of Pharmacy.

 

All documents should be addressed to:
Associate Dean of Academic Affairs
School of Pharmacy
University of Puerto Rico
PO Box 365067
San Juan, PR 00936-5067

Students from Schools Not-Accredited by ACPE

Students from institutions with program not accredited by ACPE will be evaluated by the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs taking into consideration the prestige of the institution of origin, its recognition by the international academic community, and the same requisites that apply to students from accredited ACPE programs and the University of Puerto Rico System. All cases would be referred to the Admissions Committee for final approval.

 

Undergraduate coursework taken at a foreign institution must be evaluated for U.S. institution equivalence. Foreign coursework must be evaluated by one of the services listed below.

World Education Services, Inc.
PO Box 745
Old Chelsea Station
New York, New York 10113-0745
(212) 966-6311
https://www.wes.org/

Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
PO Box 51407
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203-3470
(414) 289-3400
https://www.ece.org/

Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
International Education Consultants
7101 SW 102nd Avenue
Miami, Florida 33173
(305) 273-1616
https://www.jsilny.org/

It is the applicant’s responsibility to have their coursework evaluated. An official course-by-course evaluation must be sent to the School of Pharmacy.

For more information, you can contact Josephine Picorelly, Student Affairs Officer, at josephine.picorelly@upr.edu or Sacha Rivera Sárate, RPh, Pharm.D, BCGP, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at sacha.rivera1@upr.edu or:

Physical Address:
School of Pharmacy Building
Medical Sciences Campus
San Juan, PR 00931

Telephone: (787) 758-2525 Ext. 5407, 5422

Fax: (787) 751-5680

Mailing Address:
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
School of Pharmacy
University of Puerto Rico
Medical Sciences Campus
PO Box 365067
San Juan, PR 00936-5067