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PharmD Admission Requirements for International Students

If you completed your pre-pharmacy coursework at an institution outside the United States, or you are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, you are welcome to apply to our PharmD program here at Drake! We admit qualified international applicants to our PharmD program using the same standards as U.S. applicants.

Who is considered an international applicant?

You are considered an international applicant if you meet one or both of the following criteria:

You completed or plan to complete your pre-pharmacy coursework/prerequisites at a college or university outside the United States
You are not a U.S. citizen or permanent resident; you are required to hold a non-resident visa to study in the United States

Admission Requirements

International applicants must meet the same admission requirements as all other PharmD applicants. Our PharmD Admission page gives a more detailed list of admission requirements for the PharmD program. Admission requirements for international applicants include

Completing at least 2 years of undergraduate coursework (approximately 64 credit hours)
Completing (or be in the process of completing) the prerequisite coursework outlined on our PharmD Admission page
Earning a minimum iBT TOEFL score of 79 or IELTS score of 6.5 (students who have attended a U.S. college or university, studying in a degree program other than ESL, or have studied in an English-based program abroad, may qualify for an exemption)
No minimum GPA is required, although 3.0 (as calculated by PharmCAS) is considered competitive.

Application Process

International applicants can apply to the Drake PharmD program using the same process as all other PharmD applicants. Our PharmD Admission page gives more detailed information about this process. To apply, you must

Submit an application through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS)
Complete the required Drake-specific questions within the PharmCAS application.
Have an original or certified true copy of all academic records or transcripts in official form submitted directly to Drake University

Drake University's Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program operates on a rolling admission process. We will interview and admit students until the P1 class is full and a sufficient number of applicants have been identified for the wait list. We recommend submitting application materials early in order to ensure your application is processed and considered in a timely manner. Students with strong applications and academic credentials will be invited to complete the second phase of the admission process, which includes a scored on-campus interview and a scored writing assessment.

Transcripts and Academic Records

Please have all official transcripts or academic records from every college or university you have attended outside the U.S. sent directly to Drake University. Please use the following guidelines to assist you:

Transcripts or academic records must be original or certified by the educational institution issuing credit and must be sent in official form
Transcripts or academic records must be sent directly to Drake University by the educational institution issuing credit via mail or electronically
Any translated records should be an exact translation (not interpretive) and be accompanied by the official, original-language document

Admission Interview

Drake University conducts on-campus and virtual admission interviews for all PharmD applicants. Although the nature and structure of the interview process is ideally completed on Drake's campus, virtual interview options are available to applicants for whom travel is a barrier. The admission interview is one part of a full day of programming, designed to showcase Drake, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences and the PharmD program to applicants. Applicants who travel to campus to interview should expect to spend a full day at Drake for this event.

Admitted Students

International students who are admitted to the PharmD program will work with staff in our Office of Global Engagement to determine eligibility for and next steps in obtaining appropriate documentation for study in the United States and at Drake. The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences will provide information about the steps to enrollment, which include

Tuition deposit
Signed technical standards acknowledgement
Criminal background check and drug screen
Health certification and immunizations
Course registration and accessing online student services
Proof of CPR certification
Proof of health insurance - see our health insurance policy for international students
P1 Orientation and other important dates

Financial Certificate

All admitted international students must submit documented evidence of financial support for educational expenses. The Office of Global Engagement will assist you with obtaining the necessary financial certificate for Drake University. This financial certificate must be signed by you and your sponsor. This document must also be either countersigned and sealed by your sponsor's bank, or a separate letter or statement may be issued to support the information provided on the certificate.

Questions regarding admission to the PharmD program should be directed to the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at dupharm@drake.edu.