Doctor of Pharmacy/Juris Doctor (PharmD/JD)

Admission Requirements

Admission to the dual Doctor of Pharmacy/Juris Doctor (PharmD/JD) program is competitive, and involves meeting admission requirements and gaining acceptance to both the School of Pharmacy and the USC Gould School of Law. Students will not be given special consideration for admission to either program because they are applying for the dual degree. Students who have a baccalaureate degree may apply to the dual PharmD/JD degree program in two ways. First, they may apply at the time they submit their PharmD application by concurrently submitting applications to both schools. Students who elect this approach must identify themselves on their PharmD applications as potential dual PharmD/JD degree students. Students who are admitted to both schools will be offered admission to the dual degree contingent on passing all courses in their first year of the PharmD with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Students pursuing the dual PharmD/JD degree must notify the law school in a timely fashion that they will be enrolling in the dual PharmD/JD degree program and will not matriculate at the law school until the following year. Students who are accepted by only one school may choose to attend that school but will not be eligible for the dual degree. Second, students can apply to the dual degree by submitting an application to the Gould School of Law during their first year of enrollment in the PharmD program prior to the law school’s published application deadline. Students who elect this approach must apply through the School of Pharmacy. Students who are admitted to the law school using this approach would be offered admission to the dual degree contingent on passing all courses in their first year of the PharmD with a minimum 3.0 GPA. See the admissions section of the School of Pharmacy and the Gould School of Law for specific requirements.

PharmD Requirements

Dual degree students must successfully complete 144 units of PharmD and acceptable JD units to receive the PharmD degree. The 144 units must include 132 units of required and elective pharmacy course work plus 12 units of JD course work deemed acceptable to meet PharmD elective requirements. Dual degree students should graduate with their PharmD degrees at the completion of the first semester of the sixth academic year of the dual degree program. Students will be eligible to sit for the Pharmacy Board Exams after completion of the PharmD degree requirements. However, dual degree students will not actually be awarded their PharmD degrees until they complete requirements for both degrees.

Juris Doctor Requirements

Dual degree students must successfully complete 88 units of JD and acceptable PharmD course work during the second to sixth years of the dual degree program to receive the JD degree. The 88 units must be composed of 76 units of JD course work, including satisfaction of the upper-division writing requirement and any other substantive requirements, plus 12 units of PharmD course work deemed acceptable to meet JD elective requirements. No JD credit will be awarded for PharmD course work completed prior to matriculation in the law school. Students cannot receive the JD degree under requirements for the dual degree program without prior or simultaneous completion of the PharmD degree.

Both professions require passing a state board or bar exam to practice the respective professions. Neither of these professional doctoral degrees requires a thesis or comprehensive final exam.