How to Apply


At every level of study, choosing the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy positions you within a small, mission-driven professional school while giving you the impressive resources of Rutgers, a top-100 world university and powerhouse academic health center. It also puts you in the New York metropolitan region, the epicenter of the global pharmaceutical industry and an ideal place to launch—or advance—a pharmacy career.

Students interested in our PharmD program apply through Undergraduate Admissions, while students planning to pursue advanced degrees apply through Graduate and Professional Admissions. Application procedures for residencies, fellowships, and continuing education vary from program to program.

Students who are currently or were previously enrolled at Rutgers should review information on school-to-school transfer and on reenrollment, respectively.

PharmD Students

With pass rates near 100% on the pharmacy licensure exam, graduates of our Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) professional degree program are well positioned to launch rewarding careers or pursue advanced study in the nation’s best graduate and professional schools. Admission is highly competitive.

We welcome applications from high school students, students transferring credits from other schools, and students who already hold bachelor’s or advanced degrees. The six-year program comprises two years of pre-professional study and four years of professional study leading to the doctoral degree. All students must complete the pre-professional requirements before admission to the four-year professional program.

High School Students
Ours is one of the few 0-6 PharmD programs in the country, allowing students to enroll in the Rutgers program directly from high school and complete the professional degree in six years.

Apply in your senior year by these priority deadlines:

  • Early Action: November 1
  • Regular Action: December 1

Another pathway to Rutgers is the seven-year BS/PharmD program, offered in partnerships with Montclair State UniversitySaint Peter’s University, and Stockton University.

Apply directly to the BS/PharmD program of your choice through our partner schools.

Transfer Students
Build on the college coursework you already have, whether you are transferring from another Rutgers school or from another college or university. International students should note that coursework from institutions outside the United States is not transferable to the PharmD program.

Apply by February 1 of the year of expected fall enrollment.

Degree Holders
Have you completed a bachelor’s or graduate program in a field other than pharmacy? Leverage your degree into a rewarding new career in pharmacy. All students, regardless of prior degrees obtained, must complete the preprofessional requirements before admission to the four-year, full-time professional program.

Apply by February 1 of the year of expected fall enrollment.

Graduate Students

Pursue an advanced degree at Rutgers, a major public research university and academic health center. Our graduate students study alongside a world-class, multidisciplinary faculty and enjoy access to sophisticated laboratory facilities and resources that support cutting-edge work in a broad range of research areas. Our graduates are highly competitive candidates for positions in academia, government, healthcare, and industry.

Medicinal Chemistry (MS and PhD)

The Graduate Program in Medicinal Chemistry prepares outstanding young scientists for careers that advance drug discovery through the integration of synthetic organic chemistry with biochemistry, molecular biology, pharmacology, and computational chemistry. Most successful applicants have undergraduate degrees in chemistry, pharmacy, or biochemistry

Apply by these priority deadlines:

  • February 1: for full consideration of financial support
  • June 1: for fall admission
  • December 1: for spring admission
Pharmaceutical Science (MS and PhD)

The Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Science is ranked among the top programs in the field, offering a challenging research environment where funded, cutting-edge work in molecular and cellular pharmaceutics is pursued in collaboration with a multidisciplinary faculty of respected scientists. Most successful applicants have undergraduate degrees in the physical or biological sciences, including pharmacy, engineering, chemistry, or biochemistry.

Apply by these priority deadlines:

  • March 1: for fall admission
  • November 1: for spring admission
Toxicology

The Graduate Program in Toxicology is an interdisciplinary research program with a long-standing mission to educate and train scientists in mechanistic toxicology and its application to environmental health sciences. Candidates are required to have a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate physical, biological, or environmental science.

Apply by the priority application deadline of December 1. Applications may continue to be accepted and reviewed after this date.

Health Outcomes, Policy and Economics (MS)
The Master of Science Degree in Health Outcomes, Policy and Economics is one of the few programs preparing highly trained professionals to meet the increasing demand for expertise in health outcomes research and analysis. Competitive applicants demonstrate the strong quantitative skills and aptitudes required in the core disciplines of biostatistics, epidemiology, economics, and research design. Candidates are required to have a bachelor’s degree; many of our candidates also hold graduate or professional degrees.

Apply by these priority deadlines for fall admission:

  • February 15: for early decision
  • May 5: for regular decision

Post-Graduate Pharmacy Residents and Fellows

Our post-graduate pharmacy residencies and fellowships are nationally competitive positions open to those holding a PharmD, whether the degree is from Rutgers or another institution. We encourage our students to broaden their experience and perspectives by looking beyond Rutgers to the many positions available across the country, in a variety of practice settings and social environments.

Apply directly to the residency program of your choice. These highly competitive positions are awarded through a national match process.

Pharmacy Industry Fellowships
In both scale and variety of opportunity, the Rutgers Institute for Pharmaceutical Industry Fellows is the preeminent program of its kind in the country. Through partnerships with 20 global pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies, the institute provides promising PharmD graduates with one- and two-year fellowships in specialized industry positions. In addition to work experience, fellows enjoy structured mentorship, networking, and career development as well as opportunities for clinical research and other scholarly activities.

Apply and submit application materials online by the December 15 priority deadline.

Continuing Education Participant

Each year about 1,500 pharmacists and other professionals choose Rutgers to fulfill their continuing education requirements. Programs are offered throughout the year and focus on critical emerging topics, for example, specialty drugs for rare diseases and judicious use of new antimicrobials. Of particular interest is the annual Roy A. Bowers Conference, which, for more than 70 years, has brought together multiple stakeholders—healthcare providers and payers as well as industry, government, and academic partners—to hear from top-name experts on cutting-edge trends and specialized healthcare fields.

Not only are our programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, the endorsement includes special recognition for innovation in teaching and learning methods.