School of Pharmacy

Professional Degrees

Graduate Degrees

Non-degree Programs

Courses of Instruction

Founded in 1905, the USC School of Pharmacy was the first pharmacy school in Southern California. Approximately 50 percent of the pharmacists in the region are graduates of USC. The school has an annual average student body of 650 full-time students in the professional program, 60 students in the Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy programs, a full-time faculty of 76 and more than 430 part-time and volunteer clinical faculty.
The school occupies modern facilities on the USC Health Sciences Campus in metropolitan Los Angeles, adjacent to the Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center (one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country), the USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Doheny Eye Institute and the USC University Hospital. USC pharmacy students receive their clinical training at these facilities. In addition, the school utilizes many affiliated hospitals, health care clinics, skilled nursing facilities, home health care agencies and pharmacies in the Southern California region for its clinical and experiential programs. Recognized as one of the most innovative schools of pharmacy in the nation, the USC School of Pharmacy has served as a model for other progressive pharmacy schools throughout the country. USC was the first to establish the six-year program leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy degree as the first professional degree. USC also initiated, in 1968, the first clinical pharmacy program in the nation. In 1988, the school initiated a Pharm.D./M.B.A. dual degree program, the first of its kind in the country. In collaboration with the Andrus Gerontology Center, a Pharm.D./Graduate Certificate in Gerontology was developed in 1990. In 1994, the school implemented the M.S. and Ph.D. programs in Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy, also the first of its kind in the country.
The school is a member of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, which promotes the interests of pharmaceutical education. All institutions holding membership must maintain certain minimum requirements for entrance and graduation. The school is accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education.

Administration

Timothy Chan, Ph.D., Dean
Phillip R. Oppenheimer, Pharm.D., Associate Dean, Academic Affairs, Director, Postgraduate Education
Ronald L. Alkana, Pharm.D., Ph.D., Assistant Dean, Graduate Affairs
Melvin F. Baron, Pharm.D., Assistant Dean, Pharmaceutical Care Programs
Cynthia White, B.A., Associate Dean, Administrative Affairs
Health Sciences Campus
John Stauffer Pharmaceutical Sciences Center
1985 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90033
(213) 342-1369 Office of the Dean
FAX: (213) 342-1681
(213) 342-1466 Office of Admission and Student Affairs
E-mail: pharmadm@hsc.usc.edu
E-mail: pharmfa@hsc.usc.edu

Faculty

John Stauffer Dean's Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Timothy M. Chan, Ph.D.
John A. Biles Professorship in Pharmaceutical Sciences: John A. Biles, Ph.D.
Gavin S. Herbert Professorship in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Vincent H.L. Lee, Ph.D.
Charles Krown/Pharmacy Alumni Professorship in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Henry J. Forman, Ph.D.
QSAD Centurion Professorship in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Joel W. Hay, M.Ph., Ph.D.
Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professorship in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Jean Chen Shih, Ph.D.
Professors: Ronald L. Alkana, Pharm.D., Ph.D.; Enrique Cadenas, M.D., Ph.D.; Henry J. Forman, Ph.D. (Pediatrics and Pathology); Charles J. Gomer, Ph.D. (Pediatrics and Radiation Oncology); Neil Kaplowitz, M.D. (Medicine); Robert T. Koda, Pharm.D., Ph.D.; Eric J.C. Lien, Ph.D.; Alex Sevanian, Ph.D. (Pathology); Wei-Chiang Shen, Ph.D.; Walter Wolf, Ph.D.
Associate Professors: James D. Adams, Jr., Ph.D.; David K. Ann, Ph.D.; Vasilios I. Avramis, Ph.D. (Pediatrics); Michael B. Bolger, Ph.D.; Roberta E. Brinton, Ph.D.; Roger F. Duncan, Ph.D.; Deborah L. Johnson, Ph.D. (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology); Joseph R. Landolph, Ph.D. (Microbiology and Pathology); Loren G. Lipson, M.D. (Medicine and Gerontology); Jeffrey S. McCombs, Ph.D. (Gerontology); Michael B. Nichol, Ph.D. (Gerontology and Public Administration)
Assistant Professors: Peter S. Conti, M.D., Ph.D. (Radiology); Frederick L. Hall, Ph.D. (Orthopaedics); Sarah F. Hamm-Alvarez, Ph.D. (Physiology/Biophysics); Ian S. Haworth, Ph.D. (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology); Howard N. Hodis, M.D. (Medicine); Gordon G. Liu, Ph.D.; Curtis T. Okamoto, Ph.D.; Hermann von Grafenstein, M.D., Ph.D. (Physiology/Biophysics)
Adjunct Professors: Thomas Cairns, Ph.D.; Stuart P. Eriksen, Ph.D.; Ronald P. Evens, Pharm.D.; Colin G. Pitt, Ph.D.
Adjunct Associate Professors: John C. Hisserich, Dr. P.H. (Preventive Medicine and Public Administration); Pramod M. Lad, Ph.D.; Andrew R. Peterson, Ph.D.
Adjunct Assistant Professors: William Abraham, Ph.D.; John W. Berger, Pharm.D., J.D.; Eric A. Forssen, Pharm.D., Ph.D.; Abhay Joshi, Ph.D.; Randy N. Roth, Ph.D.; Steven J. Shire, Ph.D.; Diane D.-S. Tang-Liu, Ph.D.; Kamlesh M. Thakker, Ph.D.
Research Associate Professor: Kevin J.Y.H. Shin Chen, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professors: Natalie S. Cohen, Ph.D.; Richard L. Ernst, Ph.D.; Cecilia R. Giulivi, Ph.D.; Nandita Pal, Ph.D.; Timothy Robison, Ph.D. (Pediatrics); Qin-shi Zhu, Ph.D.
Professors of Clinical Pharmacy: Mark A. Gill, Pharm.D.; Glen L. Stimmel, Pharm.D. (Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences)
Associate Professors of Clinical Pharmacy: William C. Gong, Pharm.D.; Kathleen A. Johnson, Pharm.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy); Mervyn K. Kalman, M.B.A.; Phillip R. Oppenheimer, Pharm.D.; Jay P. Rho, Pharm.D.; Daniel C. Robinson, Pharm.D. (Clinical Medicine); Gregory A. Thompson, Pharm.D.; Fred G. Weissman, Pharm.D., J.D.; Bradley R. Williams, Pharm.D. (Clinical Gerontology); Michael Z. Wincor, Pharm.D. (Clinical Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences)
Assistant Professors of Clinical Pharmacy: Melvin F. Baron, Pharm.D.; Paul M. Beringer, Pharm.D.; Kathleen H. Besinque, Pharm.D., M.S. Ed.; Barbara C. Bolinger, Pharm.D.; Lanchi Le Bui, Pharm.D.; Alfred Chin, Pharm.D.; Leslie Nii Chin, Pharm.D.; Jennifer H. Cupo, Pharm.D.; Julie A. Dopheide, Pharm.D.; Kevin L. Forrester, Pharm.D.; Mary A. Gutierrez, Pharm.D.; Robert T. Holbrook, Jr., Pharm.D.; Darlene Wong Hou, Pharm.D.; Agneta K. Hurst, Pharm.D.; George S. Jaresko, Pharm.D.; Erwin W. S. Jeong, Pharm.D.; Jack W. Kern, Pharm.D.; Kum Ja K. Lee, Pharm.D.; Cynthia L.L. Lieu, Pharm.D.; Robert A. Louie, Pharm.D.; Stan G. Louie, Pharm.D.; May C. Mak, Pharm.D.; Gladys H. Mitani, Pharm.D.; Jean K. Noguchi, Pharm.D.; Vicki Q. O'Toole, Pharm.D.; Leanne M. Sakamoto, Pharm.D.; H. Stephen Sloan, Pharm.D.; Irving Steinberg, Pharm.D. (Clinical Pediatrics); N. Jane Takagi, Pharm.D.; Robert W. Ulrich, Pharm.D.; Tien T. Kiat-Winarko, Pharm.D.; Frances S. Wong, Pharm.D.
Distinguished Professor Emeritus: Paul Hochstein, Ph.D.
Emeritus Professors: Edward S. Brady, M.S.; Glenn H. Hamor, Ph.D.; Orville H. Miller, Ph.D.; Joon H. Rho, Ph.D. (Medicine)

Programs

The School of Pharmacy offers curricula leading to the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. Through the Graduate School, graduate degrees offered are: Master of Science (M.S.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in pharmaceutical sciences, Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in molecular pharmacology and toxicology, Master of Science (M.S.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in pharmaceutical economics and policy. Two joint degree programs and a joint graduate certificate program are also offered: Pharm.D./Ph.D., Pharm.D./M.B.A. and Pharm.D./Graduate Certificate in Gerontology.
The University of Southern California's Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Science programs are accredited by the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education, 311 West Superior Street, Suite 512, Chicago, IL 60610, (312) 664-3575, (800) 533-3606, or FAX (312) 664-4652.

Tuition and Fees (Estimated)

Tuition for School of Pharmacy degree programs (Pharm.D.; M.S. and Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences; M.S. and Ph.D. in molecular pharmacology and toxicology; M.S. and Ph.D. in pharmaceutical economics and policy) is charged at the following rate (which differs from standard USC tuition): per semester (15-18 units) $10,312; for less than 15 units and each unit above 18 units, $689 per unit. See the Tuition and Fees section for fee information. These fees are based upon current information available at the time of publication and are subject to possible later change.
Doctor of Pharmacy students must pay a $450 acceptance deposit which is applicable on tuition; $100 of this deposit is refundable with written withdrawal notice by August 1. For deposit information in other degree programs in the School of Pharmacy, please consult appropriate offices.

School of Pharmacy Grading System

The plus (+) and minus (-) designations are not used in the Pharm.D. program. They are used in the M.S. and the Ph.D. programs.

Honor Societies

Rho Chi

Theta chapter of Rho Chi, national honorary pharmaceutical society, was established at USC in 1925. Charters for chapters of this organization are granted only to student groups in those colleges that are members in good standing of the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. Eligibility for membership is based on high attainment in scholarship, character, personality and leadership. All candidates selected for membership must have completed two years of college work, and they must be approved by the Dean of the School of Pharmacy.

Phi Lambda Sigma

The Phi Lambda Sigma chapter was established at USC in 1988. This national pharmacy leadership society is devoted to identifying, supporting and recognizing the contribution of pharmacy students to their colleges, their classmates, their campuses, their communities and to their chosen profession.

Student Housing and Service Facility, Health Sciences Campus

There are at present limited university-managed accommodations on the Health Sciences Campus. Students may wish to live in student housing on the University Park Campus, located about eight miles from the Health Sciences Campus.
The Blanche and Frank R. Seaver Student Residence, adjacent to the John Stauffer Pharmaceutical Sciences Center, provides food facilities and a book store which sells instructional texts, office supplies and other items. For residence information, phone (213) 342-1576; for bookstore information call (213) 342-2674.

Student Health Services, Health Sciences Campus

Services of the Student Health Center, covered by the mandatory student health fee, include the usual ambulatory care health services given by the faculty of the USC Department of Family Medicine and the Student Health Center nursing staff. Hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding USC holidays. The Student Health Center is located in the USC Health Care Consultation Center, 1500 San Pablo Street, Suite 104, adjacent to the USC University Hospital, one block northeast of the School of Pharmacy. The telephone number is (213) 342-5980. In addition to the student health fee, all Pharm.D. students must have major medical insurance coverage on their own or from the USC Health Plan.