Pharmacology and Drug Development (BA) at University of Southern California

Programme overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Pharmacology and Drug Development is a cooperative degree between USC Dornsife and the USC Mann School of Pharmacy. It gives science and non-science majors a pathway into pharmacology, pharmaceutical sciences, toxicology and medical product development, regulation, marketing and use, and is conferred by USC Dornsife.

Faculty: USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences | Duration: 128 units | Intake: Fall | Study mode: full-time | Location: Los Angeles, CA, United States

What you will study

Students complete 128 units, including at least 70 units in USC Dornsife and at least 36 units in USC Mann. The major covers calculus, statistics, general chemistry and biology, RXRS 200, RXRS 402, at least 32 upper-division units in Pharmaceutical and Regulatory Science and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, and 8 upper-division Biological Sciences units; an optional senior honors capstone is available.

Career pathways

Careers in drug discovery, development and commercialization in industrial, academic or other research environments, and preparation for graduate or professional study in pharmaceutical, medical and basic sciences, biomedical engineering, business, finance and law.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Undergraduate first-year admission (university-wide): apply through the Common Application; SAT/ACT scores are optional (test-optional); official transcripts and a letter of recommendation are submitted, and fall grades are submitted when available. Deadlines: Early Decision and Early Action November 1; Regular Decision January 10 (December 1 for performing arts majors). USC does not conduct admission interviews. International applicants whose native language is not English must submit an approved English proficiency exam: TOEFL iBT recommended minimum 100 with at least 20 per section (exams before 21 January 2026) or 5 overall with at least 4 per section (exams on or after 21 January 2026), IELTS 7, PTE 68, Cambridge C1 Advanced 185, SAT EBRW 650, ACT English 27, or Duolingo 130 (with an on-arrival International Student Exam).

Requirements published at program group level.

USD 75,384 a year (2026-27). Estimated undergraduate tuition for two semesters (12-18 units per semester), the USC rate for full-time undergraduates; excludes fees ($1,952), housing, food, books and the $450 new student fee. The same tuition applies to in-state and out-of-state resid Source

First-year students enter in the fall semester; applicants can apply Early Decision (binding), Early Action or Regular Decision.

First-year deadlines for 2027 entry: Early Decision (most majors) November 1; Early Action (most majors) November 1; Regular Decision for performing arts majors (Dance, Dramatic Arts, Thornton Music) December 1; Regular Decision for most majors January 10. Early Decision applicants are notified by mid-December, Early Action in late January and Regular Decision by April 1.

Applications are made through the Common Application; the undergraduate application fee is $85 for all applicants, with fee waivers available except to international students. SAT/ACT scores are optional (test-optional); USC school code is SAT 4852 and ACT 0470.

Transfer applications for 2027-28: December 1, 2026 for selected programmes and February 15, 2027 for all other majors; SAT/ACT scores are not required for transfer applicants.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.usc.edu/

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