Graduate Admissions
All the VCU School of Pharmacy Graduate Programs are administered by the VCU School of Pharmacy Office of Research and Graduate Studies. Prospective students should consult the following VCU websites to learn about our graduate program application and admissions:
- VCU Graduate School Bulletin
- VCU School of Pharmacy Office of Research and Graduate Studies
- VCU Admissions Homepage
Non-US students should also consult the VCU Global Education Office.
Application Deadlines
The VCU Department of Pharmaceutics admits graduate students to commence their graduate studies only in the Fall semester. Prospective students who submit their graduate application to the Spring semester admission are deferred to consideration for the subsequent Fall semester admission.
The VCU Department of Pharmaceutics has a rolling admission and notification policy. Application review commences in December and continues until all positions are filled. Therefore, for consideration of the School-funded Ph.D. admission, it is recommended that applications be submitted as early as possible.
Graduate Student Funding
The VCU Department of Pharmaceutics offers graduate funding support only to Ph.D. program students in a form of teaching or research assistantship, and does not provide funding to M.S. program students
For prospective students who seek financial support for their graduate studies from resources other than School of Pharmacy support, see Find Funding for Graduate Research on the VCU Library website.
Selection Process
Our general selection process for admission is described on the VCU School of Pharmacy Office of Research and Graduate Studies website. Graduate application should include transcripts of prior education (e.g., undergraduate), personal statement, recommendation letters, and TOEFL or IELTS score (non-US students only), and be submitted through the VCU Graduate School portal below. GRE score is optional.
Admission to the VCU Department of Pharmaceutics graduate program is a selective process and targeted towards specific research areas. Applications are reviewed and ranked on certain selection criteria:
- Academic performance
- Class rank during undergraduate education
- Advanced degrees
- Research experience (either work related or through formal education)
- TOEFL or IELTS score
- Candidate interviews
It should be noted that no single criterion is given priority, and applications are evaluated based on overall strengths, and credentials and interest in research. Applicants are encouraged to provide additional information beyond the criteria listed above, if they feel that such information may strengthen their application.
Due to our research area-targeted admission, applicants are strongly encouraged to review different research areas in the VCU Department of Pharmaceutics and describe the area(s) of their research interest in the Personal Statement, if any.