There is a growing need for health professionals with legal backgrounds. The USC Schools of Pharmacy and Law have met this challenge by developing an exciting new dual Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree program. This program provides specifically chosen students the opportunity to combine the expertise from two distinctly different, yet complementary, disciplines. Students can develop and combine various areas of expertise within both disciplines. For example, students can combine interests in administrative, industrial, substance abuse, primary care, geriatric and/or pediatric pharmacy with medical malpractice, health care, tort liability, product liability, intellectual property, patent and professional responsibility law.

Graduates of the Pharm.D./J.D. dual degree program will be highly suited to pursue careers in health related law within:

• The pharmaceutical industry (drug development)
• Patent law
• Managed care
• Private practice

Admission Requirements and Application Process
Admission to the dual Pharm.D./J.D. program is competitive, and involves meeting admission requirements and gaining acceptance to both the School of Pharmacy and the Law School. Students will not be given special consideration for admission to either program because they are applying for the dual degree.

Students that have a baccalaureate degree may apply to the dual Pharm.D/ J.D. degree program in two ways:

1. Students may apply at the time they submit their Pharm.D. application by concurrently submitting applications to both Schools. The completed Pharm.D./J.D. screening application materials, including LSAT (Law School Admission Test) scores and recommendation letters, must be submitted to the School of Pharmacy no later than November 15 for initial screening. Students, who elect this approach, must identify themselves on their Pharm.D. applications as potential dual Pharm.D./J.D. degree students. Students who are admitted to both Schools will be offered admission to the dual degree, contingent on passing all courses in their first year of the Pharm.D. with a minimum 3.0 G.P.A. Students pursuing the dual Pharm.D./J.D. degree must notify the Law School in a timely fashion that they will be enrolling in the dual Pharm.D./J.D. degree program and will not matriculate at the Law School until the following year. Students who are accepted only by one School, may choose to attend that School, but will not be eligible for the dual degree.

2. Students can apply to the dual degree by submitting an application to the Law School during their first year of enrollment in the Pharm.D. program, prior to the Law School’s published application deadline. Students, who elect this approach, must submit completed J.D. screening application materials, including LSAT (Law School Admission Test) scores and recommendation letters, to the School of Pharmacy no later than November 15 for initial screening. Students admitted to the Law School will be offered admission to the dual degree if they pass all courses in their first year of the Pharm.D. with a minimum 3.0 G.P.A.

Contact Information
For more information please call the Office of Admission and Student Affairs at
(323) 442-1469 or the USC Law School at (213) 740-2523.