All applications to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy's PhD in pharmaceutical sciences program must be made through the UNC Graduate School. Please apply using the online application. Follow the Graduate School's instructions to complete the application. For Question 2 of the application form, make sure you scroll down the list until you see School of Pharmacy. In the dropdown menu for School of Pharmacy, please select Pharmaceutical Sciences. For more information, please contact gradinfo@unc.edu.

As part of the application process, you will need to send two original copies of your transcript, one to the UNC Graduate School and the other to the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. The mailing addresses are:

Applying Through the BBSP

Students interested in research in Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products or Molecular Pharmaceutics can apply directly to the Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD program (as above) or apply through the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program (BBSP).

BBSP is a new, unified way for prospective students interested in Pharmaceutical Sciences or any of the other 12 participating graduate programs in the biological and biomedical sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to apply for graduate study. BBSP acts as a common portal through which students begin their graduate studies at UNC-Chapel Hill. Students admitted to UNC-Chapel Hill through BBSP initially have no commitment to any specific PhD program. At the end of the first year students select a thesis research lab and join a PhD program or department (usually one of the programs in which your faculty preceptor is a member).

To choose this option, for Question 2 of the application form, make sure you scroll down the entire list until you see School of Medicine. In the drop down menu for School of Medicine, please select Biological and Biomedical Sciences.

Note: You can apply to both the PhD program in Pharmaceutical Sciences and the BBSP. If you wish to do so, you must submit two separate applications—one for each program—and pay two application fees.

All applications for admission must be supported by scores on the Graduate Record Examination, letters of recommendation, and a statement of personal purpose as it relates to graduate study at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Please also carefully review the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy PhD Application Requirements.

Applicants who have completed a standard collegiate curriculum in pharmacy, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, zoology, or in an allied field in the University or in other universities or colleges having curricula acceptable to the UNC Graduate School are eligible for admission to the School of Pharmacy graduate program.

Admission is a selective process. Over the last five years, successful applicants have achieved combined scores averaging greater than 1200 on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for the verbal and quantitative sections. A minimum average grade of B (cumulative GPA 3.0) or better is required.

Deadlines

Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis beginning in late December. In order to be considered for competitive fellowships offered by the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy and the Graduate School, we must receive your complete application for fall admission by December 15.  The deadlines for applicants to the BBSP is December 7.  Applications submitted as late as April 1 will be considered for fall admission, if space is available.

Being admitted to the Graduate School does not imply that you will receive financial assistance of any kind. The awarding of financial assistance is a separate decision.

International Students

Applications from non-U.S. applicants are processed in the same way as those from U.S. applicants, except for the following:

1. If a student is sponsored, the sponsor (e.g., the U.S. Government, private foundation, home government, university programs) must clearly establish its financial responsibility and issue the necessary immigration documents for the student.
2. In cases where the student is supported by private funds or has received a teaching or research assistantship, the necessary certificate of eligibility is issued by the Graduate School.
3. Students who plan to use personal funds to finance their education must provide the University with verification that the necessary funds are available.
4. A financial certificate must be completed by each applicant. In any case, an offer for admission will not be made until the applicant has provided positive information that adequate funds for his or her education are available.
5. Most foreign applicants must provide proof of English-language proficiency by receiving acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Applicants from countries where English is the language of instruction or those who have received a degree from a university in the United States do not have to submit TOEFL scores. The required minimum total score on the TOEFL paper-based exam is 550, with a minimum score of 50 for each of the three sections. The average score for new students admitted in the last three years exceeded 600. Minimum total score on the TOEFL computer-based exam is 213, with a minimum score of 18 on each section.

Visiting Scholars

Visiting scholars at the University of North Carolina entitles the registrant to certain privileges for the duration of the visitor’s stay in the University. Eligibility is limited to those who: (1) are not on the University payroll as employees in any capacity and (2) are visiting the University under the sponsorship of an academic department or school for scholarly interests. Visiting scholars may include faculty members on leave from other institutions of higher learning, postdoctoral fellows, or others who hold the terminal degree in their fields and are invited to visit by a department or school.

Further details concerning University privileges for visiting scholars are available from the Office of Human Resources, Benefits Department, CB 1045, 725 Airport Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1045.