International Applicants

International applicants are welcome to the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy. In addition to the requirements listed for domestic applicants (Before You Apply | PharmCAS, Checklist for Applicants), international applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English.

On this page:

Requirements

International applicants must complete at least one of the following:

• A minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework in the United States at any regionally-accredited college or university.
  • Of the 30 required semester hours, 6 semester hours must be allocated to English courses, 3 semester hours to Speech/Communication, and 15 semester hours to non-remedial science courses.
• A total score of at least 77 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL)
  • The following TOEFL testing formats are accepted:
    • TOEFL iBT test: Test on a computer at an authorized test center.
    • TOEFL iBT Home Edition: Test on a computer at home.
    • TOEFL iBT Paper Edition: Test in 2 sessions — Reading, Listening, and Writing on paper at an authorized test center, and Speaking on a computer at home (test discontinued in January 2024; scores from this edition will be valid through January 2026).
  • The test must be dated within two years of the application.
• A score of at least 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS)
  • The test must be dated within two years of the application.
• A score of at least 51 on the Pearson Test of English (PTE) academic test.
  • The test must be dated within two years of the application.

Case-by-case exemptions or waivers are considered by the Admissions Committee.

Exemptions

Exemptions may apply to an international applicant who is one of the following:

• A citizen of a country listed by the government of the United Kingdom as exempt from the English proficiency requirement for a UK student, including Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada (except Quebec), Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom
• A graduate from a United States ESL college program
• An applicant who earned a bachelor’s degree in the United States
• An applicant who has earned a post-secondary qualification, comparable to a US bachelor’s degree, in one of the exempt countries listed above; or has earned such a qualification at an institution accredited by an exempt country but located in a non-exempt country
• An applicant who has lived in the U.S. for more than six years and earned a U.S. bachelor’s degree (automatically exempt)
• An applicant who has enrolled in four years of academic college-level coursework with no ESL courses

If the applicant attended a foreign school or earned a degree outside of the United States, we require them to submit their foreign prerequisite coursework to a US-based evaluation service for a course-by-course US equivalency report. This report should then be sent directly to PharmCAS from the evaluation service. PharmCAS only accepts electronic foreign evaluations from World Education Services (WES), Inc. Services can take several weeks to process transcript(s) once received. Do not send foreign transcripts to PharmCAS, including those printed in English or translated into English; they will be discarded.

The U.S. government requires all international applicants to provide proof of ability to pay tuition and living expenses before a formal letter of admission—or the form for obtaining a visa—will be issued. All application materials (PharmCAS and letters of recommendation) must be submitted. International applicants will need to submit the Request for Student FORM I-20 for Foreign Applicants (PDF). This and other resources can be found at the University’s International Student Services, International Admission. All international students are responsible for meeting the requirements to obtain specific states' Pharmacy Intern License.