“ACP’s well-rounded curriculum, that emphasized community engagement and dedication to patient care, prepared me for my career as a community pharmacist.” -Dr. Jenna Pruitt, Class of 2014
Application Process
Applicants who plan to apply for admission to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy are required to submit an application through the Pharmacy College Application Service (PharmCAS). PharmCAS is a web-based application service which applicants use to submit their application, supplemental application, official transcripts or transcript evaluations, English language proficiency score, and letters of recommendation. The Appalachian College of Pharmacy does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, disability, marital status, gender, or sexual orientation.
Application Deadlines for Fall 2024
The deadlines to submit completed PharmCAS and supplemental application are as follows: Priority Consideration Applicants: January 4, 2024 Regular Applicants: June 3, 2024
Step 2: Monitor your PharmCAS account to ensure the application process proceeds timely and that transcripts and letters of recommendation have been submitted.
Application to the Doctor of Pharmacy program is highly competitive. Priority is given to candidates who complete their application early.
Transfer Policy
Students who have previously attended another pharmacy school in the United States and are seeking to transfer to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy must meet the same admission requirements as first-time applicants. This includes successful completion of all prerequisite coursework and submission of the application by the application deadline. Transfer students must be in good academic and professional standing at their current school in order to be considered for admission. Due to differences between PharmD academic and experiential education requirements between pharmacy schools, transfer credit may not be awarded for all previously taken coursework.
Requests regarding transfer credit for course work completed at another institution MUST be made at the time of application and will be evaluated by ACP. Requests for transfer of course work must include an official transcript from the college or university where the course work was completed with a grade of “C” or better along with a letter from the current/previous institution stating that they are in good academic and professional standing at their current/previous school. Students must identify the specific ACP course(s) they believe are equivalent to previous courses they have taken, and must provide the course name, credit hours, and syllabus, including a daily schedule from the other institution to the Admissions Committee for evaluation by the College. To transfer, the number of credit hours for the previous course must be equal to or greater than the number of credit hours for the ACP course. Courses deemed equivalent shall be awarded transfer credit. Credit for a previously taken course may only be transferred to a single ACP course. ACP may award credit by examination for courses designated by the College.
The ACP transcript will indicate the transfer credits accepted toward the Doctor of Pharmacy degree.
The State Counsel of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV):
• A student shall complete a minimum of 30% of course work at the institution in order to be granted a degree from that institution. • An institution that awards life or work experience credit shall have its related transfer policy approved by the council. No more than 30% of the credit in a student’s degree program may be awarded for life or work experience.
Prerequisite Academic Requirements
To be eligible for admission to the Doctor of Pharmacy program, applicants must meet the following criteria:
Complete a minimum of 72 semester credit hours of pre-pharmacy study. Courses completed in the United States must be from an accredited college or university.
Achieve a recommended cumulative grade point average of 2.5/4.0 or its equivalent. ***Experience and other evidence may be considered.
Have a grade of “C-” (or its equivalent) or better in all prerequisite courses.
All applicants meeting the minimum criteria will have their files evaluated. Because a large number of candidates apply for admission each year, only the most qualified applicants will be invited for an interview.
All applicants meeting the minimum criteria will have their files evaluated. Because a large number of candidates apply for admission each year, only the most qualified applicants will be invited for an interview.
Prerequisites Completed Outside the United States
Applicants who have completed any of the core prerequisites from a non-U.S. institution must submit transcript evaluations from either World Educational Services, Josef Silny & Associates, or AACRAO International Education Services.
Note:
Transcript evaluations from World Education Services (WES) should be submitted to PharmCAS along with your PharmCAS application and not to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy.
World Education Services (WES) Bowling Green Station P.O. Box 5087 New York, NY 10274-5087 Phone: (212) 966-6311 Fax: (212) 739-6100 http://www.wes.org
Transcript evaluations from Joseph Silney and Associates and AACRAO International Education Services will not be accepted by PharmCAS and should be submitted directly to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy.
Joseph Silny and Associates 7101 SW 102 Avenue Miami, FL 33173 Phone: (305) 273-1616 Fax: (305) 273-1338 http://www.jsilny.com
AACRAO International Education Services One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 520 Washington, DC 20036 Tel: (202) 296-3359 Fax: (202) 822-3940 aacrao.org
Prerequisites Courses
Prerequisite Courses
General Biology I and II with labs
8.0 Sem. Hrs.*
College Chemistry I and II with labs
8.0 Sem. Hrs.*
Organic Chemistry I and II with labs
8.0 Sem. Hrs.*
College Physics I with lab
4.0 Sem. Hrs.
College Physics II or Advanced Biological Science with lab
4.0 Sem. Hrs.**
Human Anatomy
3.0 Sem. Hrs.
Human Physiology
3.0 Sem. Hrs.
General Microbiology
3.0 Sem. Hrs.
English Composition I and II
6.0 Sem. Hrs.***
College Mathematics
6.0 Sem. Hrs.****
Electives
19.0 Sem. Hrs.*****
Total
72.0 Sem. Hrs.
Prerequisite courses taken under quarter hour systems will be evaluated for equivalency and may be deemed to fulfill the required semester credit hours. * Two semester terms or three quarter terms. ** Advanced Biological Science (e.g. biochemistry, cell biology, molecular biology, immunology, genetics). *** Similar coursework will be evaluated and may be deemed to fulfill the required semester credit hours. **** The mathematics component must include a minimum of 3 semester hours of advanced math. ***** In order to fulfill the Electives requirement, an applicant must complete at least one course in social/behavioral sciences (3 semester credits) such as psychology or sociology, one course in the humanities/fine arts (3 semester credits) such as literature, art, or music, and at least one course in mathematics/sciences (3 semester credits) such as economics. Humanities courses are content-based courses rather than skilled-based courses such as English Composition or a foreign language course. Skill-based courses will not fulfill the Humanities requirements. The remaining 4 semester credits can be fulfilled by the successful completion of any of the three categories described above.
Applicants may not exclude any part of their college-level educational history. An applicant who fails to report all institutions attended will forfeit his/her eligibility for admission to Appalachian College of Pharmacy or may be dismissed. Records and documents submitted for admission to Appalachian College of Pharmacy will not be returned.
Evidence of English Language Proficiency
Applicants are required to provide evidence of English language proficiency. One of the following can be used as certification of English proficiency:
Diploma or degree from an English speaking school – a degree or diploma from an accepted accredited college or university in which the primary language of instruction for the entire institution is English.
You have graduated from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States.
You have taken English composition prerequisites from a regionally accredited college or university in the United States, and have earned a “B” or better.
The TOEFL – The recommended minimum scores for admissions are:
Internet-based test score of 79 or higher
The date of taking the TOEFL should not be more than 24 months prior to the date of enrollment.
The TOEFL score should be included in your PharmCAS application and not submitted to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy.
The IELTS – The recommended minimum scores for admissions are:
Internet-based test score of 6.5 or higher
The date of taking the IELTS should not be more than 24 months prior to the date of enrollment.
The IELTS score should be included in your PharmCAS application and not submitted to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy.
Letters of Recommendation
Appalachian College of Pharmacy requires two letters of recommendation. One letter should be written by a science professor or pharmacist and the other is at your discretion. Note: ACP does not accept letters of recommendations from friends, family members, clergy, or politicians.
Please follow the PharmCAS instructions for submitting letters of recommendation.
Interview
Once an applicant’s file is evaluated, the Office of Admissions will select candidates that meet the College’s admissions criteria and may invite those applicants for an interview. Candidates will be interviewed by a student panel and a faculty/preceptor panel. During the interview, the panels will assess the candidate’s oral communication skills, motivation, accomplishments, professionalism, compassion, and cooperation skills. The interview will be conducted in person on the Appalachian College of Pharmacy campus.
Applying to the Appalachian College of Pharmacy is easy! You have taken the first step in doing your part to improve the health and wellbeing of your community through your career choice in the field of pharmacy. From scheduling a visit, to filling out your application, we are here to assist you every step of the way.