Students, faculty, and staff attend the annual Mini Graduate School weekend program

Minimum requirements for admission to the PhD program include a Bachelor's degree in an appropriate field of study such as chemistry, biochemistry, neurobiology, pharmacy, biology, molecular biology or other related fields, and a QPA of 3.0/4.0. Applicants must also provide a personal statement, 3 letters of reference, and official GRE scores (the ETS code for the University of Pittsburgh is 2927). Applications should be submitted using the on-line application system.

Once received, applications are evaluated by committee. Emphasis is placed not only on academic performance, but also on research experience, letters of reference, and fit with the research interests of the graduate faculty and the strategic goals of the program. Students are strongly encouraged to contact faculty to discuss their research interests and to explore possible research projects. Students with a faculty sponsor (i.e., a faculty member who expresses interest in recruiting the student to their laboratory) are given priority.

In addition to evaluating submitted materials, top candidates are further assessed by either an on-site or telephone interview.

Students applying to the PhD Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences must have the following:

• a Bachelor's of Arts or Sciences in a science curriculum;
• the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) ;
  (For more information on the GREs, click here.)
• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)*;
  (For more information on the TOEFL, click here.)

* The TOEFL is required for foreign applicants who are not currently or have not been enrolled in a university in the United States of America and for whom english is not their first language.

Note that the PhD program practices a rolling admissions policy, meaning we do not hold to a specific deadline by which you must apply. Applicants are considered for and informed of admission on a first-come, first-served basis. In most cases, admissions for the Fall term are completed by March 31; however, we will continue to accept applications and admit students until the class is full (up to a few weeks before the beginning of the term). Keep in mind that this is a competitive program with limited openings, so interested students should apply early!