Special Notes to International Students

We welcome your interest in the Quality Assurance/Regulatory Affairs (QA/RA) graduate program of Temple University School of Pharmacy. Jean Leavitt in the QA/RA Office oversees the files for all MS applicants. Please contact her before starting your application to make sure you understand Temple's requirements for admissions. Please also make sure you read this page in its entirety.

Temple’s QA/RA master’s program is designed primarily for professionals who work full-time in the pharmaceutical industry.  Most students pursue classes on a part-time basis, taking an average of 3 years to complete the master's degree. The majority of our classes are offered evenings and weekends. It is possible to pursue our program on a full-time basis by taking a minimum of 3 courses (or 9 semester hours) each semester.

There are no full-time scholarships available through Temple School of Pharmacy for the QA/RA program, nor are there any other forms of financial support, such as teaching assistantships or fellowships.  If you are interested in pursuing the QA/RA MS degree, you must demonstrate that you have financial support through a government agency/program, corporate sponsorship or personal finances.  For current tuition rates at Temple University, see this link. A full-time graduate student at Temple must pursue a minimum of 3 courses (or 9 semester hours) each semester.

QA/RA classes are offered at a suburban, corporate-style campus (Temple University Fort Washington) that does not offer University housing, dormitories, dining halls, walking access to stores, or access to public transportation. Students must have a car to get to the campus.

Many international students seek F-1 visas which require full-time student status (3 courses per semester) and stipulate that the applicant can work no more than 20-hours per week in a University setting.  Temple’s QA/RA program does not offer employment opportunities at the University to maintain this status. 

If you apply for admission to Temple University, please make sure that the spelling and format of your name is consistent on all of the documents you submit. This will ensure that your application is processed as quickly as possible. If you have academic records listed in different names, please make sure you tell Jean Leavitt, so she can make sure that your credentials are kept together.

Please see the following sites for more details regarding international applications and the requirements for student visa status.

Graduate School Admissions, International Applications:

http://www.temple.edu/grad/admissions/international.htm

Office of International Students amd Scholars:

http://www.temple.edu/isss/

If you have a question about what academic records should be submitted with an international application, visit the World Education Services (WES) website at http://wes.org/required.   You may also use Educational Credential Service (ECE): https://www.ece.org/

Most international students are required to submit the Testing of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The minimum acceptable TOEFL score is 585 for the paper version (PBT), 230 for the computer version (CBT), or 85 for Internet version (IBT). We also accept IELTS. The minimum accceptable IELTS score is 6.5. (Only the academic test score is accepted. The general training score is not accepted.)

Sorry, but if you have not achieved the minimum TOEFL ot IELTS scores, your application will not be considered for admission.

The TOEFL or IELTS may be waived for students who completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in the U.S. Extensive work experience in the U.S. may also be considered under special circumstances.

Temple University offers foreign credentials evaluation service on a limited basis from mid-January through April each year.   The evaluation process is time consuming. If you plan to use Temple's foreign credentials evaluation service, make sure you submit your application at least 90 days before the stated deadlines for each semester.

Students are strongly encouraged to use an outside Credential Evaluation Service such as WES or ECE which will evaluate your transcript in approximately one week. 

When ordering your materials from WES or ECE, please stipulate that you need: 1) a full report showing all courses taken; 2) the GPA equivalent for the courses taken; and, 3) the degree equivalent in the U.S. If Temple does not receive all of that information, we cannot process your application. Your undergraduate GPA must be the equivalent of 3.0 in the U.S. to be considered for admission to our M.S. program.

Temple will accept transcript evaluations only from agencies listed by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services:  www.naces.org.  The fees for these services run between $100-200; however, the formal evaluation results may be used for other purposes, such as applying to other schools or submitting your credentials to a U.S. employer.

Starting fall 2011, a health fee of $100.00 per semester is assessed for visiting international students who are not permanent residents or citizens of the U.S. There is also a $66 medex fee.

The website of the Office of International Students and Scholars has information regarding additional fees.

Students who live in or near Singapore should contact qara@temple.edu about QA/RA courses offered by Temple University in a joint partnership with the Department of Pharmacy and NUSAGE at the National University of Singapore.

Regarding the issuance of Form I-20: Students are eligible to apply for and receive an I-20, as long as they are admitted to a full-time degree-seeking program. For further information about the I-20, please visit the OISSS website about fees and the Certificate of Eligibility I-20 Application. If you have further questions, please email Ms. Mildred Picon in the OISSS (mpicon@temple.edu) or phone her at 215-204-7708.

Best wishes with your academic pursuits, and thank you for considering Temple University.