Rady Faculty of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy applicant admission requirements (2025-2026)

March 1, 2025

This information is available with, and constitutes part of, the application. It is assumed that all applicants have read and understood it prior to submitting the completed application.

Programs offered

Pharm.D.

No credit will be given for any course which was completed more than 10 years before the year of application. (For the Fall 2025 intake, this means any course taken before September 2015 will not be considered in the admissions process.)

Coursework completed at the college level must be assessed and deemed equivalent to university level courses at the University of Manitoba in order to be considered.

A. Academic Requirements

All applicants must meet the following requirements:

1. Required courses

Applicants must successfully complete a minimum of 48 credit hours of prerequisite courses by April of the year of application. All 48 credit hours must be university degree level course work completed at the University of Manitoba, or a university recognized by the University of Manitoba, at the 1000 level or higher.

2. Full Time Academic Years

Applicants are required to complete a minimum of one Regular Fall/Winter session (Sept — April) with a minimum of 24 new credit hours of university level degree-credit courses.

3. Minimum Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA)

Applicants must achieve an AGPA of 3.0 or higher (see Section 4: Selection Process, B. Calculation of the Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA)).

4. Casper®

The College of Pharmacy requires the English Casper® test. Applicants must achieve a threshold Casper® score greater than 1.5 standard deviations below the mean for their respective applicant pool in order to maintain their eligibility.

Notes

• Applicants who have completed either some or all of their required courses through an Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) program must still complete at least one regular session (September — April).
• If applicants select to use AP/IB courses to fulfill core course requirements it will be the responsibility of the applicant to have their official AP/IB transcripts submitted to the University of Manitoba by the document deadline date (see Section 3: Application Process & Deadlines, B. Deadlines and Important Dates).

B. Required courses

1. Required courses from the University of Manitoba

1. Applicants who complete an acceptable 6 credit hours of Introductory Chemistry must complete 15 credit hours of ‘Total Other Courses’ in order to meet the total of 48 credit hours of course work needed for admission.

2. Required courses from Universities external to the University of Manitoba

Applicants who have completed coursework external to the University of Manitoba must meet the prerequisite course requirements or equivalents for the University of Manitoba courses listed in Section 2: Eligibility Requirements, B. Required Courses, 1. Required Courses from the University of Manitoba, plus a 3 credit hour unrestricted elective course from any Faculty, as listed below.

Required Courses from Other Universities

If you attended or are attending an institution external to the University of Manitoba please review the Transfer Credit Equivalency Database to determine if your course(s) have been previously assessed.

• Explore the Transfer Credit Equivalency Database from Aurora

Courses submitted for consideration by external applicants that have not been evaluated as directly equivalent on transfer may be considered by the College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee on a course-by-course basis, for admission purposes only, using the below chart.

If your course(s) are not a direct equivalent to the University of Manitoba required course listed in Section 2: Eligibility Requirements, B. Required Courses, 1. Required Courses from the University of Manitoba, a syllabus must be submitted for evaluation after the application is submitted and before the listed deadline (see Section 3: Application Process & Deadlines, B. Deadlines and Important Dates). The College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee reserves the right to refuse admission if they determine that the prerequisite requirements have not been met.

3. University Written Requirement (W)

Applicants who have completed the W requirement at an institution external to the University of Manitoba should carefully review the below requirements for a W course.

The W course syllabus must reflect that all of the following requirements are met within the course expectations:

• A minimum of 3 papers of at least 3-5 pages each OR a minimum of 2 papers of at least 6-8 pages each with a minimum total word count of 3000. One paper with a word count of 3000 words or more will not meet this requirement.
• The written work must include a written description or argument that is clear, concise and logically structured and that reflects an appropriate awareness of the audience or readership being addressed.
• There must be feedback given to the student on the style as well as content of written assignments.

If an applicant believes their W course syllabus meets the above stated criteria they can submit a detailed course syllabus to admissions.pharmacy@umanitoba.ca after the application has been submitted and before the listed deadline for syllabus (see Section 3: Application Process & Deadlines, B. Deadlines and Important Dates).

Acceptable University of Manitoba courses that satisfy the Written English (W) requirement can be found in the General Academic Requirements section of the Academic Calendar.

• Review the General Academic Regulations on the Academic Calendar

The Written English requirement is waived for an applicant that has obtained an undergraduate degree from a university recognized by the University of Manitoba.

C. English Language Proficiency Requirements

All applicants whose primary language is not English and do not qualify for a waiver under the University of Manitoba’s English language proficiency regulations will be required to demonstrate proficiency in English.

Additional information regarding specific proficiency requirements, waiver information, and test options can be found on the English language proficiency requirements page.

• English language proficiency requirements

Results for most language tests, including TOEFL, IELTS, and Duolingo, expire two years from the test date. Test scores must be valid at the start of classes. Please confirm the validity of your test results.

D. Categories of Applicants

The College of Pharmacy accepts an annual intake of 55 students to the Pharm.D. Program.

Unallocated capacity in any one admission pool may be distributed to supplement any of the remaining admission pools at the discretion of the College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee.

Applications will be accepted under the following three admission categories:

1. Manitoba Resident Applicant Pool

All Manitoba resident applicants will be placed in this pool unless they indicate that they qualify for inclusion in the Canadian Indigenous Application Pool. Applicants considered under this category must be residents of Manitoba and must have achieved the minimum eligibility requirements for admission found in Section 2: Eligibility Requirements.

For the purpose of application, a Manitoba resident shall be defined as a Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident of Canada who, at the application deadline, meets any one of the following four descriptions:

• Has graduated from a Manitoba high school; or
• Has a recognized degree from a university in Manitoba; or
• Has completed at least one consecutive year of fulltime academic studies in a recognized program at a university in Manitoba, while physically residing in Manitoba; or
• Has resided continuously in Manitoba for any two-year period following high school graduation. The two-year residence period shall not be considered broken where the program’s admission committee is satisfied that the applicant was temporarily out of the province on vacation, in short term volunteer work or employment, or as a full-time student.

Note that Active Canadian Armed Forces personnel and their direct dependants will be considered as residents of Manitoba, but must meet all normal academic requirements for entry, and take part in the competition with general applicants for entry.

2. Canadian Indigenous Applicant Pool

The University of Manitoba, College of Pharmacy welcomes First Nations, Metis and Inuit that may elect to be considered for inclusion to the Canadian Indigenous Application Pool.

Up to 10 places may be offered under this admission category, and applicants must have achieved the eligibility requirements found in Section 2: Eligibility Requirements.

First Nations, Metis and Inuit applicants to the Canadian Indigenous Application Pool will be required to submit documentation to support their declaration of Indigenous ancestry. One of the following will be accepted:

• a copy of a Status or Treaty card;
• a copy of a Metis citizenship card;
• a copy of a Nunavut Trust Certificate card;
• roll number or any other proof accepted by Inuit communities;
• Any other proof of (status or non-status) accepted by the First Nations communities.

If none of these forms of documentation are available, enquiries may be made to the University of Manitoba Admissions Office regarding other acceptable documentation.

The College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee reserves the right to transfer an applicant into the Manitoba resident application pool.

3. Out of Province Applicant Pool

The University of Manitoba College of Pharmacy welcomes applications from all provinces and Territories.

Up to 5 places may be offered under this admission category.

All applications considered under this category must have achieved the minimum eligibility requirements for Admission found in Section 2: Eligibility Requirements. For the purposes of admission, the College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee defines out-of-province applicants as those who are a citizen or permanent resident of Canada that are not residents of Manitoba.

All applications considered under this category must have completed and passed the eligibility requirements for admission as found in Section 2: Eligibility Requirements. Applicants may be asked to submit other documentation including detailed course outlines, as applications are reviewed by the College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee. See Section 2: Eligibility Requirements, B. Required Courses, 2. Required Courses from Universities External to the University of Manitoba.

Prerequisite course requirements will be evaluated by the College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee, for admission purposes only; not for transfer credit.

The Committee reserves the right to refuse admission if they determine that the prerequisite requirements have not been met.

A. Application Fees

Applications are not considered received until the application is submitted and the non-refundable application fee has been paid by the posted deadline. All correspondence, including decision release information will be sent via email and posted to the application portal.

Please ensure your email account remains current and will accept emails from the University of Manitoba. Check your filters.

It is important to check your email and application portal regularly and specifically around the deadlines and important dates listed below.

B. Deadlines and Important Dates

Pharmacy dates and deadlines

C. Required Application Documentation

The following documents will be required to complete your application.

Please send all documentation to the following address:

Admission for Pharmacy
University of Manitoba
424 UMSU University Centre
65 Chancellors Circle
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2

Electronic transcripts should be submitted to applicant.services@umanitoba.ca.

In order to be considered official, electronic transcripts must be sent directly from the email of the office responsible for issuing transcripts. Transcripts emailed or forwarded by the applicant are considered unofficial.

The University of Manitoba is a registered receiving organization with MyCreds^TM. Applicants from participating member universities and colleges can release their transcripts to the University of Manitoba through their MyCreds^TM portal. Applicants should select 'Share' and then 'Organization' instead of opting for 'email'.

Applications are not complete until all necessary documents are received. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that our office receives all required information.

Applicants must notify the Admissions Office immediately should they either enroll at a post-secondary institution not previously declared on their application or enroll in additional coursework not declared on the previously submitted final transcript provided for assessment. Applicants will be required to provide proof of registration.

Self-Declaration form and Essential Skills form are required of all applicants. The forms will be completed as part of the online application for admission.

D. Required Admission Documentation

All successful applicants to Pharmacy are required to submit the following:

Academic Self-Declaration

All students accepted into the College of Pharmacy will be required to complete a Self-Declaration of Records Form which declares current or previous: academic suspensions, disciplinary action, professional misconduct, record of criminal conviction, record on the Child Abuse Registry and record on the Adult Abuse Registry.

Criminal Record Check/Child Abuse Registry Check/Adult Abuse Registry Check

Many health care agencies where Pharmacy students are placed in a health care setting, including community pharmacies, require a criminal record check, child abuse registry check and adult abuse registry check. As a result of the above requirements, and in keeping with the future requirements of the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba, all applicants offered a position in the College of Pharmacy are required to provide a self-declaration of a Criminal Record, Child Abuse Registry and Adult Abuse Registry listing following provisional admission, and subsequently provide a current (dated after acceptance to the program), official Criminal Record Search, Child Abuse Registry Check and Adult Abuse Registry Check. All documents must be submitted to the College of Pharmacy Dean’s Office by the first day of classes in the year they are admitted.

Any applicant’s name appearing on the Adult or Child Abuse Registry will be denied admission. A criminal conviction will not necessarily result in denial of admission to the College of Pharmacy. Criminal offences will be reviewed by a sub-committee of the Pharmacy Admissions Committee for the implications of the conviction in view of the regulatory professional mandate to protect the public. Failure to disclose any adult criminal record or listing on the Child Abuse or Adult Abuse Registry will invalidate an application and shall result in the applicant being denied admission, or automatic expulsion from the College of Pharmacy if the applicant has been admitted.

In addition, all undergraduate professional students of the University of Manitoba, College of Pharmacy must be registered with the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba (CPhM). CPhM requires that all graduates of the College of Pharmacy who wish to obtain a license to practice pharmacy in this province, must disclose information about any conviction for an offence under the Criminal Code (Canada), the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (Canada), or the Food and Drugs Act (Canada) in order to be considered for eligibility for registration with the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba.

The review process conducted by the College of Pharmacy is independent of the review process conducted by the College of Pharmacists of Manitoba.

Immunization

All students who are offered admission to the Pharm.D. program must maintain an up-to-date record of immunizations and tests as a condition of enrollment. Students admitted to the program will be provided with an Immunization package and student manual at the time of acceptance. Students are responsible for updating their immunizations as needed. Completion of the immunization schedule is required for course progression in the Pharm.D. program. Information on the current Immunization requirements can be found at this link:

• Learn more about the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Immunization Program

CPR/First Aid Training

All students in the Pharmacy program are required to have valid Standard First Aid and CPR – Basic Life Support (BLS) training. The Standard First Aid course is valid for 3 years and the CPR (BLS) course is valid for one year. It is the academic and financial responsibility of the student to ensure that current certification in both CPR (BLS) and Standard First Aid is maintained throughout the program and a copy of the current certificate is submitted to the Dean’s Office.

Experiential Training

Experiential training is a requirement to graduate with a PharmD degree. Students will be required to participate in experiential training placements at various institutional and community sites in Winnipeg and rural Manitoba. Students must follow and comply with the terms of any agreements between the University and the respective placement site. The experiential training site may require the student to complete certain documentation and/or sign a practicum agreement. Failure to meet the requirements for experiential training may result in a delay in the student's progression, or inability to complete the degree.

Pharmacy practice experiences occur in Year 2 (Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience - IPPE) and Year 4 (Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience - APPE) of the PharmD curriculum. One IPPE or APPE is required to be completed outside of Winnipeg. Students may be required to be placed outside of Winnipeg for more than one IPPE or APPE depending on availability of experiential rotation locations. Students do have an opportunity to choose and rank their requests for their preferred sites but student placements will be allocated based on availability.

Eligible costs associated with pharmacy practice experiences in rural and Northern Manitoba, including travel and living expenses (accommodations), will be covered in accordance with Rady Faculty of Health Sciences Policy on Rural and Northern Manitoba Student Placement Reimbursements. Students would be responsible for all costs associated with pharmacy practice experience outside of Manitoba. Students may request an exemption from travel to experiential locations outside of Winnipeg, based on criteria established by the College of Pharmacy Office of Experiential Education including:

1. Medical (reviewed through UM Student Accessibility Services)
2. Primary caregiver for: a. Children b. Elder, relative or partner
3. Exceptional circumstances can be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Students who are unable to relocate to a rural or northern location for the period of the placement will be given preference for rural placements that are within commuting distance from Winnipeg.

Under The Workers Compensation Act (Manitoba), students of the University of Manitoba who are engaged in a field practicum as a required part of their program are generally covered for injuries sustained in the course of and arising out of the practice experience. However, where the practicum takes place outside of Manitoba, and the student is not a Manitoba resident, workers compensation coverage may not be extended, based on the provisions of The Workers Compensation Act. However, other insurance coverage may be available to registered students. Students are encouraged to contact the Experiential Program Coordinator at the earliest opportunity to determine if any such alternative arrangements are possible.

Therefore, students who are not Manitoba residents and are trying to arrange a practicum outside Manitoba may experience difficulties or be denied a placement because the University is not able to guarantee that workers compensation coverage will be extended. Alternative arrangements can sometimes be made to accommodate such practicums but will have to be done on a case by case basis. Students are encouraged to contact Experiential Program Coordinator at the earliest opportunity to determine if any such alternative arrangements are possible.

A. Citizenship and Residency

For the purpose of admission to the College of Pharmacy, priority will be given to those applicants who are residents of Manitoba and Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Up to 10 spaces may be offered to applicants under the Canadian Indigenous Applicant Pool. Up to 5 spots may be offered to competitive out-of province candidates who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents.

Unallocated capacity in any one admission pool may be distributed to supplement any of the remaining admission pools at the discretion of the College of Pharmacy Admissions Committee.

B. Calculation of the Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA)

The Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA) will be calculated as follows:

(0.55 x the Prerequisite Core Course GPA)
PLUS
(0.45 x the Cumulative Other GPA)

The Prerequisite Core Course GPA represents the average for the required prerequisite core courses, inclusive of all attempts.

The Cumulative Other GPA represents the average grade for all courses, exclusive of the prerequisite core courses, completed at the university degree level within the past 10 years, inclusive of all attempts.

Note

• It is the applicant’s responsibility to inform the Admissions Office in writing of any deferred exams or grade changes.  All final grades, including grade changes must be submitted to the Admissions Office by the document deadline in order for them to be included in the final selection process.  Grade changes will not be accepted after the documentation deadline date.  If a grade is not available by the documentation deadline date, an ‘F’ grade will be used in the final admission determination and calculation.
• Should a grade be retained on your record yet excluded from your institutional GPA calculation, that grade will be used to meet admission requirements and the GPA calculation for your application to the University of Manitoba.

C. Casper®

The College of Pharmacy requires the English Casper®. Applicants must achieve a threshold Casper® score greater than 1.5 standard deviations below the mean for their respective applicant pool in order to maintain their eligibility.

Casper® is a 100-120 minute web-based assessment of interpersonal skills and decision-making, to be completed at a computer. Casper® assesses for noncognitive skills and interpersonal characteristics that the College of Pharmacy believes are important for successful students and graduates of the program. In implementing the Casper® the College of Pharmacy is trying to further enhance fairness and objectivity in the selection process. The Casper® test is comprised of 15 sections of video and written scenarios. Following each scenario applicants are required to answer a set of probing questions under a time contract. Each response is graded by a different rater, giving a very robust and reliable view of personal and professional characteristics important to the program. No studying is required for Casper®, although applicants may want to familiarize themselves with the test structure and ensure that they have a quiet environment to take the test.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that they are able to have dependable access to Casper® online. No exceptions will be provided for applicants unable to take Casper® on-line due to being located at an international site in which internet is not dependably accessible due to technical or political factors. Applicants are allowed to take the Casper® test only once per admission cycle. Casper® results are also only valid for a single admission cycle. For more information about Casper® please visit the Acuity Insights website.

Learn more on the Acuity Insights website

Any inquires on the test should be directed to support@acuityinsights.app.

D. Overall Score

All eligible applicants are ranked for selection using an overall score according to the following criteria (subject to eligibility provisions):

a) Adjusted Grade Point Average (AGPA) 75%

b) Casper® 25%

E. Tie Breaking Procedure for Offers

In the event of a tie, the following procedure will be used:

1. Increase the number of significant figures used in the calculation.
2. Where a tie still exists, the application that was received first will be used to break the tie.  All completed applications are time stamped upon submission; in the case of a paper application, these applications will be time stamped after they have been entered into the system by a University of Manitoba Admissions Office staff member.

F. Notification of Decision

Decisions will be posted to the applicant’s portal. Applicants must log into their application portal to view the decision and to accept or decline their offer. If the offer is not accepted and the subsequent deposit paid by the deadline date indicated in the letter, the offer will lapse. Lapsed offers will be considered a declined response. It is imperative that emails and application portals are regularly checked.

Applicants offered will be required to pay a nonrefundable deposit of $250.00 to indicate their acceptance of the offer by the deadline specified in their offer letter. This deposit will be credited to first year fees or forfeited if the applicant subsequently declines.

Individuals who wish to have their applications reconsidered should submit their request in writing to the Chair of the Selection Committee. Past experience has shown that most inquiries can be satisfied at this level without further reference. Persons wishing reconsideration of the decision of the Selection Committee shall direct their written request to the Chair within ten (10) business days of the posted decision date. All appeals must come directly from the applicant and not a third party (e.g. parent, sibling, friend, agent, etc.). 

Should the student wish to pursue the reconsideration decision further, such an appeal will be made in accordance with the Senate Committee on Appeals Procedures.

• Review the Senate Committee on Appeals policy and procedures

Applicants are advised that appeals of reconsideration decisions by the Chair of the Selection Committee and the Senate Appeal Committee focus on questions of correct adherence to published policies and procedures outlined in this document, and not on subjective issues or the relative merits of the application.

The College of Pharmacy and Admissions Office are able to assist applicants who seek counselling regarding admission to the College of Pharmacy. However, it is policy not to instruct applicants as to a specific course of action that should be followed, but rather to provide the necessary information needed for applicants to make their own choice with respect to the alternatives available. The following points require special attention:

1. Applicants are encouraged to discuss their plans with all who can usefully advise them, but they should be aware that second and third hand information about admission policies may not be accurate.
2. No official at the university can guarantee the admission of any applicant. Admission is determined by the Committee on the basis of an annual competition.
3. All applicants are advised to supplement any personal enquiries with a written request so that an official written response can be made. It is only these written responses which will be considered as evidence of any advice given (see Section 8: Contact Information).

The University of Manitoba is committed to providing all students equal access to learning opportunities. If you are a student with a diagnosed disability (permanent, chronic, or temporary) who may require academic accommodations, please contact Student Accessibility Services at 204-474-7423 or by email at student_accessibility@umanitoba.ca to learn more about the confidential supports that are available.

The following other contacts may also be useful.