Chicago State University College of Pharmacy

Chicago State University School of Pharmacy (CSU-SOP), located in Chicago, Illinois, is dedicated to training future pharmacists and advancing the practice of pharmacy through education, research, and community service. Established in 2007, the School of Pharmacy offers a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program designed to prepare students to become highly skilled, compassionate, and ethical healthcare providers. CSU's program emphasizes a strong foundation in the sciences, patient care, and clinical experience, ensuring that graduates are well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of patients and healthcare systems.

The PharmD curriculum at CSU integrates coursework in pharmaceutical sciences, clinical pharmacy practice, and healthcare management. Students gain practical experience through clinical rotations in a variety of settings, including hospitals, community pharmacies, and ambulatory care clinics. The program also incorporates interprofessional education, allowing pharmacy students to collaborate with other healthcare professionals such as physicians, nurses, and social workers, enhancing their ability to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care. The school is known for its commitment to diversity and inclusion, creating an environment where students from all backgrounds feel valued and supported. The rigorous program, coupled with CSU's dedication to social responsibility, helps students develop into leaders in the field of pharmacy. Graduates of the Chicago State University School of Pharmacy are well-prepared to succeed in a variety of pharmacy practice settings, including clinical, community, and industrial pharmacy.

Vision

Chicago State Uiversity will be recognized for innovations in teaching and research, community development, and civic engagement. We will promote excellence, ethical leadership, entrepreneurship, and social and environmental justice. We will embrace, engage, educate, propel, and elevate our students and community to transform lives locally and globally.

Mission

Chicago State University transform student's lives by innovative teaching, research, and community partnerships through excellence in ethical leadership, cultural enhancement, economic development, and justice.

Values

• Personal and academic excellence
• Personal, professional and academic integrity
• Diversity, equity and inclusion
• Leadership, service, philanthropy, social justice and entrepreneurship
• Creative and innovative thinking and learning
• Pride in self, community, and the University
• Lifelong learning

Admissions Requirements

The College of Health Sciences & Pharmacy works on a rolling admissions cycle with the review of applications from August through July.

Holistic Admissions

Within its competitive admissions framework, the CSU-SOP uses multiple criteria to select the most qualified candidates from an applicant pool that exceeds the number of seats available.

To be considered for admission to the CSU-SOP a prospective student must do the following:

• Complete, or be in the process of completing, a minimum of 54 semester hours of non-remedial, prerequisite coursework from a regionally accredited US college or university. It is preferred that all pre-pharmacy coursework requirements be completed in the spring semester prior to matriculation. The student must earn a grade of C or better in each prerequisite course.

Note: If a student has completed coursework at a foreign college or university, the student must provide acceptable proof of US course/degree equivalency.

Pre-Pharmacy Requirements

• All required (prerequisite) courses must be completed with a letter grade of C or better prior to entrance into the professional pharmacy program. Grades of C- or less are not acceptable.
• Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale), a minimum pre-requisite GPA of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale) in the required pre-pharmacy course curriculum, a minimum pre-requisite science and math GPA of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale) in the required science and math pre-pharmacy course curriculum;
  • Grades from all attempts of repeated coursework will be included when calculating the cumulative, pre-requisite and pre-requisite science and math coursework grade point average. It is preferred that science and math prerequisite coursework be completed within the last 5 years. Prerequisite coursework older than 10 years will be considered on a case by case basis. Only pre-requisite courses required by CSU-SOP will be included in pre-requisite GPA calculations.
• Reflect a people/service orientation through community service or extracurricular activities;
• Reflect proper motivation for and commitment to the pharmacy profession as demonstrated by previous work, volunteer, or other life experiences;
• Possess the oral and written communication skills necessary to interact with patients and colleagues;
• Complete CSU-SOP's interview process (by invitation only).
• Students can opt to submit a PCAT score, although it is not required for application review

How To Apply

1. Submit the following to PharmCAS:

• • Transcripts:
• PharmCAS must receive ALL official college transcripts by May 1st. PharmCAS will not release applicant information to the School of Pharmacy until all transcripts, from every institution attended, are received.
• If an applicant completed coursework at a foreign institution, he or she must also submit an official, detailed course-by-course evaluation of this coursework. The student must obtain this evaluation from one of the following services:
  • Education Credential Evaluators (ECE)
  • World Education Service (WES)

• Two(2) letters of recommendation:
• One letter must be from a science professor who has taught the student or a pre-health advisor.
• It is preferred the second letter be from a pharmacist. However, any one of the following recommendations is also acceptable: science professor, another licensed health care professional, employer/supervisor or mentor.

2. Interview: Qualified applicants will receive an email invitation for an interview.

3. Complete a Background Check and Drug Screen upon acceptance.

International Students

To be considered for admission to the Chicago State University School of Pharmacy (CSU-SOP), a prospective student must do the following:

• Complete, or be in the process of completing, a minimum of 54 semester hours of non-remedial, prerequisite coursework from a regionally accredited US college or university. It is preferred that all pre-pharmacy coursework requirements be completed in the spring semester prior to matriculation. The student must earn a grade of C or better in each prerequisite course. (A grade of C- or less will not be accepted)
• Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale), a minimum pre-requisite GPA of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale) in the required pre-pharmacy course curriculum, a minimum pre-requisite science and math GPA of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale) in the required science and math pre-pharmacy course curriculum;
  • Grades from all attempts of repeated coursework will be included when calculating the cumulative, pre-requisite and pre-requisite science and math coursework grade point average. It is preferred that science and math prerequisite coursework be completed within the last 5 years. Prerequisite coursework older than 10 years will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Only pre-requisite courses required by CSU-SOP will be included in pre-requisite GPA calculations.

Students who have completed coursework at a college or university outside of the United States or Canada must submit an official, detailed course-by-course evaluation of this work. You must obtain an evaluation from one of the following services:

• Educational Credential Evaluation (ECE)
• World Education Service (WES)

Non-native English speakers must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

• Internet-based TOEFL (TOEFL iBT) with a minimum composite score of 80, and a minimum score of 20 in each section of the test (reading, listening, writing and speaking) is required.
• TOEFL is not required if the applicants earned their bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in the United States. Submit results to PharmCAS, using code 8246.

International applicants must furnish evidence indicating that money (amount in U.S. dollars) is available to meet the financial needs of the student. For more information, please visit the school website.

International Applicants

1. Complete Online Application
2. Submit English Language Proficiency - Individuals that have not completed education from the countries listed on page 31 of the Academic Catalog must submit a valid score from one of the following companies, taken within the last 2 years for their application:
   • TOEFL (iBT)- 68
   • IELTS (Academic)- 6
   • PTE-A (Academic)- 47
   • iTEP- (Academic Plus)- 3.7
   • ACT- 18
   • SAT- 960
3. Complete a Foreign Credential Evaluation - Evaluation must be completed with a NACES-approved foreign credential evaluation company, showing equivalency to high school diploma and cumulative overall GPA of 2.5. Individuals commonly select from one of the following below:
   • Educational Perspectives
   • Educational Credential Evaluators
   • International Education Evaluations
   • Josef Silny & Associates
   • SpanTran
   • WES
4. Transcript or Official Academic Credentials - All documents from institutions outside of the United States must be accompanied by an evaluation from a NACES-approved organization.
5. Additional Required Documents
   • ACT or SAT score (optional)
   • $50 application fee

Transfer applicants who do not meet the minimum of 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of earned college-level coursework from a regionally accredited institution will be considered as transfer freshman applicant and will be required to submit documents as required for Freshman applicants.

Applicants who provide evidence of one of the following below will not be required to submit proof of language proficiency:

• • Completed secondary education in a country where English is recognized as a primary language or as a medium of instruction, as recognized in the Academic Catalog, on page 31, OR
  • Completed a minimum of 24 semester credit hours or 36 quarter hours of earned credit from an accredited U.S. college or university.

The F-1 Student Visa

How does your F-1 Student Visa Work?

The F-1 student visa allows non-immigrants to pursue a course of study in the U.S. After the F-1 visa holder completes their program, they are expected to return to their home country. You may apply for you F-1 student visa after you have been admitted to CSU and received an I-20 document from us.

The dependents of an F-1 visa holder are granted an F-2 visa. F-2 visa holders are not allowed to work but may study in a non-degree manner. If you receive an I-20 document from CSU, you should apply for an F-1 visa at your local U.S. Embassy/Consultate. Caution: Individuals are not legally able to register for a full-time course of study if their visa status is currently B1/B2, WB/WT-Visa Waiver.

Ranked 1 of the Top schools in the Midwest to educate underrepresented minority students in pharmacy**

Higher Learning Commission Accreditation

CSU is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Higher Learning Commission (HLC) accreditation assures the public, students, faculty, and staff that our University meets stated HLC criteria. Accreditation signifies the certification of acceptable institutional quality and integrity, and it acknowledges that the institution has undergone rigorous internal and external evaluation.