Eshelman School of Pharmacy: MPS Admission Process

Unit Procedure

Title

Eshelman School of Pharmacy: MPS Admission Process

Introduction

Purpose

This document outlines the end‑to‑end admissions process for the MPS in Regulatory Science program, including marketing and outreach, application intake, review, decision‑making, and post‑admission requirements, as coordinated between the MPS program and the UNC Graduate School. It serves as an operational guide to ensure consistency, compliance, and clear role delineation throughout the admissions lifecycle.

Scope

This document applies to MPS program staff involved in marketing, applicant engagement, application review, and admissions decisions, as well as to processes that interface with the UNC Graduate School admissions workflow for prospective and admitted MPS students.

Procedure

Program Marketing

Throughout the year, program marketing activities include:

• Paid Google search and LinkedIn ads
• Monthly informational webinars geared toward potential applicants
• MPS program website
• Mass email campaigns to nurture applicants
• NC Biotech Career Fairs and Networking Events
• Exhibit at NCRAF, RAPS, AGRE, and NPSMA annual conferences
• Regular outreach to prospective applicants
• Professional networking
• Promotion by External Advisory Committee members
• Awareness of HBCU scholarship opportunity
• Students sharing their program experience with others
• Internal and external collaborations
• ESOP reputation and promotion

Application Windows (Graduate School)

The MPS in Regulatory Science Program admits new students in the Fall and Spring semesters. An example of the application schedule is provided below:

Tracking of Prospective Applicants (MPS Program Coordinator)

Prospective applicants are tracked by the program coordinator, by semester application period Admissions Tracker.xlsx

Engagement During Application Open Periods (MPS Program Team)

Prospective applicant information is shared with the marketing team to nurture applicants via marketed mass email campaigns.

The director and program coordinator also perform more personalized engagement with potential applicants during application open periods.

Personalized engagement is performed with a combination of email and phone outreach to anyone who has (1) started an application in SLATE, (2) registered for an info webinar, (3) contacted us for more information about the program.

Some ways to engage with prospective applicants include, but are not limited to:

• Reminders that we have a rolling application review process, so the sooner they submit their completed application, the sooner an admission decision can be made
• Communicate application deadlines
• Communicate what is missing from their application for it to be submitted or considered complete for review or admission decision
• Extend an invitation to upcoming informational webinars
• Respond to any questions received in a timely manner MPS RegSci FAQs_v3.docx

Application Submission (Graduate School)

Applicants must submit their applications via SLATE: https://applynow.unc.edu/apply/

Instructions for applying to the Graduate School: https://gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/instructions/

Application Review and Admission Process (MPS Team and Graduate School)

MPS Team monitors the SLATE system which tracks applications throughout the review process:

• In-Progress – Applications that have been started but not submitted by an applicant.
• Program Review-First Read – Applications that have been submitted for review, but are not always completed (e.g., missing transcripts, LORs, etc.). Once the submitted application is complete, the MPS team can make an admissions recommendation to the Graduate School.
• Recommendation for Grad School – When the MPS team recommends an applicant for admission to the MPS program, the application is submitted for Graduate School Review and a final admission decision.
• Decision – If the Graduate School agrees with the MPS team recommendation, the applicant is admitted to the MPS program.

In-Progress Applications (MPS Team)

The program coordinator perform outreach to get these applications to move forward to submission into the Program Review-First Read stage of the admission process.

Program Review – First Read (MPS Team)

Once the application is submitted, the MPS director uses an application review tracker. The tracker is used to capture the MPS team review process for each applicant and captures the following:

• Applicant Name, Identity, and Location
• Is the applicant qualified for the HBCU scholarship?
• Are the transcripts complete for the applicant? If not, follow-up is required. It is important to review transcript for any transfer credits which require an additional transcript.
• What is the cumulative GPA of the applicant? Requires calculation in many cases.
• Does the applicant have a science degree?
• Does the applicant have related work experience?
• Is the required personal statement acceptable? Review required.
• Have the 3 required letters of recommendation been submitted? If not, follow-up is required. Review required.
• Date the application completed in SLATE
• How did the applicant hear about the MPS program?
• Were the community standards reviewed? Review required.
• First reviewer (Tricia) admission recommendation and date
• Second reviewer (Mike) admission recommendation and date
• Date application is sent to the Graduate School for final admission decision

If anything in the application is unclear, requires correction, or there are any flags on the application. The director may schedule a zoom meeting with the applicant to seek clarification and inform admission recommendation.

Any international applicants are contacted via email to clarify details (e.g., timing for synchronous program components, lack of ability to support visas, etc.) about the MPS program. The applicant is asked if they would like to proceed with the review of their application. If they do not respond, the application review process ends.

Once the MPS team review process is complete and an admission recommendation is made by two reviewers, the application is forwarded via SLATE for the Recommendation for Grad School stage of the admission process.

Recommendation for Grad School

If the Graduate School if satisfied with application and the MPS team recommendation for admission, the application moves to the Decision stage of the admission process. If not, the application is returned to the MPS team with comments for resolution prior to a final admission decision.

Decision

In this stage of the admission process, the applicant has been admitted to the MPS program and to the Graduate School. Applicants receive a letter via email that they have been admitted to the MPS program subject to admission by the Graduate School. Applicants also receive an admission offer letter via email from the Graduate School which outlines the next step they must take to accept the admission offer, pay the admission deposit, provide official transcripts, and to enroll for the semester.

UNC Policy for Members of the Miltary and Their Spouses

As of 10/20/25, in accordance with state law, the University of North Carolina provides admissions deferments to members of the military and their spouses. 

• Reserved Armed Forces: two-year minimum deferment period 
• Active Duty Armed Forces: five-year minimum deferment period 
• Students must request a deferment at least 30 days prior to enrollment. 
• No applicant will be denied admission to the University solely based on military service or the intent to enter military service. 

In addition to providing an in-state tuition rate to any student using Veterans Affairs Education Benefits and others who qualify under the Choice Act, per state law the University of North Carolina will provide an in-state tuition rate to student veterans who meet certain criteria. 

• To qualify for in-state tuition students must meet all three of the criteria below: 
  1. Served active duty for at least 90 days 
  2. Honorably discharged 
  3. Meet one of the following: 
  • Served active duty with a permanent station in North Carolina for at least 90 consecutive days  
  • Graduated from a North Carolina high school on or after January 1, 2004 
  • Was awarded a Purple Heart 
• The student is responsible for providing documentation that the above criteria have been met. 

Post-Admission Requirements (Graduate School)

https://gradschool.unc.edu/admissions/admittedstudents/#before

Applicants who have received an offer from the Graduate School must complete the following steps:

1. Accept or decline the admission offer in SLATE.
2. Pay the $250 enrollment deposit fee. Please note – enrollment deposit must be paid before a student can defer their enrollment to another semester. For the Graduate School to approve a one-time deferral of either 6 months or 1 year, the applicant must provide this request in writing. The MPS program must upload the request and submit an action to defer.
3. Submit official transcripts following the instructions provided in the Graduate School admission offer letter. Please note - unofficial transcripts can be provided during the application process, but once admitted to the MPS program, official transcripts are required.
4. Enroll for the semester via Connect Carolina https://connectcarolina.unc.edu/. Please note – students will not be able to enroll for the semester until they have completed steps 1-3.

Post-Admission Requirements (MPS Program)

• Confirm intended enrollment status (full-time or part-time).
• Provide a UNC-issued email address using the instructions from the Graduate School.
• Attend virtual program orientation.
• Complete MyIDP (or similar tool) and send summary report prior to academic advising meeting.
• Attend an academic advising session.

Related Requirements

External Regulations (if applicable)

• Is this Procedure connected to any Policies, Laws (federal, state, local, regulations), Accreditation requirements?
• Are there any related UNC system-wide policies, procedures or standards?
• Is this Procedure connected to any UNC-Chapel Hill Policies, Procedures, or Standards?
• Are there any other resources or materials readers of this Procedure might likely refer to or need to follow or understand this Procedure?

Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures (if applicable)

• Is this Procedure connected to any Unit Policies, Procedures, or Standards?

Contact Information

Any reader of this Procedure needs to be able to contact someone with questions about this Procedure or to provide feedback. The Procedure can name:

• A particular individual (i.e. John Doe),
• A specific title (i.e. Associate Director of Ethics and Policy), or
• A general contact (i.e. policy@unc.edu).

That person will be the point of contact for all questions relating to the Procedure in general.

If there are individuals/groups that have particularized knowledge of subsections of this Procedure, those people/groups may be listed under “Other Contacts” to provide additional information to the reader.

Primary Contact

Name: Patricia Termini, Director of MPS Regulatory Science program

Telephone: 919-962-5339

Email: MPSRegSci@unc.edu

Other Contacts (if applicable)

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Telephone:

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