A Foreign College or University

This page describes how to determine if course work you have taken at foreign institutions will meet our prerequisites.

For course work from other schools or for AP exams, see Verifying Your Prerequisite Course Work.

For details on what documents are required as part of a complete application, see Transcripts.

Foreign Course Work As Part of EAP

If you have taken course work outside of the United States which was part of a formal Education Abroad Program (EAP) offered through a United States institution, then that course work is included on your transcripts already; you do not need to request transcripts from the foreign institution.

All Other Foreign Course Work

Due to the large number of requests received, our office is no longer able to complete a review of your prerequisite status prior to receipt of an application. If you submit an application and are invited to interview, a detailed evaluation of your prerequisite status will be available for you on the day of your interview. We regret that we cannot provide a more detailed analysis at this time and hope you will understand.

Any applicant who has doubts about whether or not prior course work will meet our prerequisites should see Verifying Your Prerequisite Course Work for help in identifying approved course work. Taking approved courses is the only way to guarantee that you will fulfill our prerequisites as required. The UCSF School of Pharmacy does not accept petitions to substitute prerequisite courses at this time.

Required Materials

So that we may evaluate your course work if you are invited for an interview, you should also send along with your Supplemental Application materials -- translated into English if necessary -- course descriptions/syllabi of the course work you hope to apply towards our prerequisites. These course descriptions must come from the institution where the course work was taken.

When do I submit these materials?

These materials should be submitted only when submitting your supplemental application. Do not submit official documents for the purposes of prerequisite evaluation prior to submitting a supplemental application.

How long does it take?

The time necessary to complete a course evaluation depends on a variety of factors and can range from a few weeks to several months.

We complete evaluations as quickly as possible, but we cannot guarantee that this evaluation will be completed prior to your interview date (if so invited).

You must still, however, meet the September 1 deadline by which all prerequisites must be satisfied with approved course work. We strongly advise you to enroll in approved course work until you learn if the course work you submitted for review has been approved.

For established lists of approved courses, see Verifying Your Prerequisite Course Work.

Why do you need these documents?

In order to evaluate the potential of all applicants in a manner as consistent as possible, our policy requires that the first instance of a course be applied toward a prerequisite when calculating GPA. Repeated course work is always noted and considered, but is allowed into GPA calculations only under specific conditions. (Details are provided after an application is received if it is relevant to your academic records.)

What if I can't get the documents or the translations you require?

If the required documents cannot be obtained, then no credit toward the prerequisites may be given.

As official copies would eventually be required as part of your application, this may also make you ineligible for the application process. There are no exceptions to this policy.

What about outside evaluations?

The process outlined above is done to determine if your course work can be applied towards the prerequisites. This is a separate process from the verification of your academic record. The information provided in an outside evaluation can only verify your academic record. Outside evaluations do not provide enough information to determine if your course work meets the prerequisites.

How do I get my academic records verified?

You must submit an evaluation from World Education Services (WES). We require the Comprehensive Course-By-Course Report. At this time, we do not accept evaluations from other services. This verification of records is a required part of a complete application packet.

Related Topic: Information for International Applicants

Go To: Verifying Your Prerequisite Course Work