Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)

Earning Your PharmD at USC

We established the world’s first Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and remain a trendsetter in enabling future pharmacists to serve patients and communities at the profession’s highest standards.

Earning your PharmD at USC prepares you for leadership in the field—no matter which area of practice you choose. We continually refresh our curriculum with new courses that reflect the pharmacist’s importance as a frontline healthcare provider.

Your PharmD Path

During our innovative, four-year PharmD program, you will enroll in 15 to 18 units each semester. The first three years combine rigorous courses in the biomedical, clinical pharmaceutical, and social-administrative sciences with Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences.

The fourth year focuses on Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences in settings throughout greater Los Angeles and beyond, as well as a capstone project that further expands your expertise to launch your career.

At all stages, you will be mentored by an internationally renowned faculty dedicated to fostering the next generation of pharmacy leaders.

Innovation: Forging New Frontiers

Since our founding in 1905, the school has fueled pioneering initiatives in research, education, and practice while fostering new generations of leaders. Our impact includes groundbreaking laboratory discoveries, novel regulatory approaches, meaningful health policy reforms, and transformative collaborations in medication management and chronic disease prevention. Curricular advances include launching the first PharmD, regulatory science doctorate, and healthcare decision analysis programs, among many others.

• 8th most innovative university, citing research from the school’s Papadopoulos Lab (ranked by Reuters)
• 4 American Pharmacists Awards Pinnacle Awards (a national record)

Full Spectrum

Our programs span the entire pharmaceutical continuum—from discovery and development to regulation and from translation to patient care and outcomes.

Alumni Network: Lifelong, Worldwide

The moment you join the school, you become part of the renowned Trojan Family—a vast, supportive international network. Our alumni hold leadership roles at major pharmaceutical companies, government agencies, top medical centers, NASA and Jet Propulsion Lab, and many other dynamic environments—and are dedicated to helping USC students and fellow graduates. We give you a world of opportunity.

• 20K+ global USC pharmacy alumni
• 32 USC pharmacy global partners
• 8 USC international offices

Community Commitment: Building A Healthier Society

Through health fairs, community clinic partnerships, public health campaigns, and unparalleled collaborations to manage chronic disease, the school’s students, faculty, and alumni demonstrate an ongoing commitment to improving the health of the community we serve. And through our Science, Technology and Research (STAR) program, we help new generations of underrepresented high school students pursue careers in the life sciences.

• 50+ annual health fairs
• 600+ graduates of our STAR program
• 10 fotonovelas in multiple languages on public health issues

Location is Everything: In the Heart of Los Angeles

Our location on a major academic medical center campus in the heart of a vibrant city offers extraordinary opportunities for internships, community engagement, and mentoring. With 140 countries represented and 224 languages spoken, Los Angeles is filled with diverse cuisine, cultural institutions, and recreational offerings. L.A. is home to more theaters, music venues, and museums than any other U.S. city, and you can ski, hike and surf in nearby beaches and mountains.