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Advanced study in pharmacy and public health is available through a dual degree program co-sponsored by the Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science in the School of Pharmacy and the School of Public Health.
The dual degree Pharm.D. and M.P.H. program allows students to earn two degrees with a minimum of 191 credits rather than the 200 credits necessary if the two degrees were pursued separately. This efficiency lowers the overall cost of tuition while also reducing time to earning both degrees.
Program goals
The objectives of this dual degree program are to train students to be well-grounded in the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes of public and population health, while they achieve a Doctor of Pharmacy. Students completing the program will be able to:
- Collect, analyze, and evaluate public health data
- Plan, implement and evaluate public health interventions
- Apply results of evaluations and data analyses to policy development
- Promote community health through educational campaigns
- Synthesize and apply evidence-based information to the identification of key areas of practice and research
Among the many benefits offered by participation in the dual degree program are the following:
- Understanding of health issues on a population level
- Mastery of health behavior theory necessary for effective for health promotion activities such as community vaccination campaigns and wellness programs
- Ability to plan and evaluate health programs
- Training in epidemiological methodology and data analysis techniques
- Competitiveness in applying for pharmacy residencies
The diplomas for this dual degree program may be awarded simultaneously. Students receive both degrees after five years of study to complete the requirements of both degree programs.
Student learning outcomes
The student learning outcomes described on the individual M.P.H. concentration pages also apply to Pharm.D.-M.P.H. students.
- M.P.H. with a concentration in applied public health
- M.P.H. with a concentration in epidemiology
- M.P.H. with a concentration in cancer health equity science
The educational outcomes of the Pharm.D. program can be viewed on the School of Pharmacy website.
Other information
Advising
The student is assigned an adviser from each program to develop a plan of study. The M.P.H. program administrator provides guidance on course registration issues to ensure successful completion of the student’s year in the M.P.H. curriculum. An M.P.H. faculty member provides guidance on the student capstone project; a Pharm.D. faculty member may collaborate in this mentoring process.
Admission requirements and application procedure
Pharm.D. students apply to the M.P.H. program in their P3 year. Applications are made through sophas.org, which lists the current admission year’s application deadline. A supplemental application to VCU, with an additional fee, is also required. GRE or other academic test scores are not required for the M.P.H. program application; students may choose to include PCAT scores with their application.
Students should refer to the admission requirements information for the specific concentration within the M.P.H. degree in the VCU Graduate Bulletin for additional details on admission requirements, including transcript, personal statement and recommendation letter guidelines.
Degree requirements
Students in the dual degree program are required to take a minimum of 37 credits in the M.P.H. curriculum, including 20 credit hours of core courses, a minimum of nine credit hours of concentration courses, a minimum of six credits of elective course work and a minimum of three credit hours of a capstone project that examines a relevant public health topic.
The dual degree Pharm.D. and M.P.H. program allows students to earn two degrees with a minimum of 185.5 credit hours rather than 193.5 credit hours necessary if the two degrees were pursued separately. This efficiency lowers the overall cost of tuition while also reducing the time to earn both degrees.
These courses within the Pharm.D. curriculum satisfy requirements in the M.P.H. degree:
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHAR 508 | Evidence-based Pharmacy I | 2 |
| PHAR 511 | Evidence-based Pharmacy II | 2 |
| PHAR 530 | Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience: Community Practice | 4 |
| Total Hours | 8 | |
Students receive both degrees after five years of study to complete the requirements of both degree programs.
Curriculum requirements for the dual degree
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Pharm.D. requirements | ||
| IPEC 501 | Foundations of Interprofessional Practice | 1 |
| IPEC 502 | Interprofessional Quality Improvement and Patient Safety | 1 |
| IPEC 560 | Interprofessional Collaborative Care for Older Adults | 1 |
| MEDC 527 | Basic Pharmaceutical Principles for the Practicing Pharmacist | 3 |
| MEDC 533 | Pharmacognosy | 1 |
| MEDC 542 | Biotechnology-derived Therapeutic Agents | 1 |
| MEDC 553 | Concepts in the Medicinal Chemistry of Therapeutics Agents | 1 |
| PCEU 507 | Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics I | 2.5 |
| PCEU 508 | Pharmacokinetics | 3 |
| PCEU 509 | Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics II | 3 |
| PCEU 601 | Applied Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacogenomics | 2.5 |
| PHAR 501 | Pharmaceutical Calculations | 1 |
| PHAR 502 | Introduction to Pharmacoeconomics | 1 |
| PHAR 503 | Ethics and Equity | 1.5 |
| PHAR 505 | Pathophysiology and Patient Assessment Skills | 3 |
| PHAR 506 | Nonprescription Medications and Self-care | 2 |
| PHAR 507 | Introduction to Health Informatics | 1 |
| PHAR 508 | Evidence-based Pharmacy I | 2 |
| PHAR 511 | Evidence-based Pharmacy II | 2 |
| PHAR 515 | Continuous Professional Development I | 1 |
| PHAR 523 | Foundations I | 2 |
| PHAR 524 | Foundations II | 1.5 |
| PHAR 530 | Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience: Community Practice | 4 |
| PHAR 532 | Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience: Hospital Practice | 3 |
| PHAR 533 | Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience: Patient Care (satisfies M.P.H. elective) | .5 |
| PHAR 534 | Foundations III | 1.5 |
| PHAR 535 | Foundations IV | 1.5 |
| PHAR 544 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Cardiovascular | 4.5 |
| PHAR 545 | The U.S. Health Care System (satisfies M.P.H. elective) | 1.5 |
| PHAR 546 | Pharmacy-based Immunization Delivery | 1.5 |
| PHAR 551 | Pharmacy-based Point of Care Testing | 1.5 |
| PHAR 555 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Endocrinology | 2.5 |
| PHAR 556 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Neurology | 3.5 |
| PHAR 602 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Psychiatry | 3 |
| PHAR 603 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Respiratory/Immunology | 2.5 |
| PHAR 604 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Infectious Diseases | 4 |
| PHAR 605 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Hematology/Oncology | 2.5 |
| PHAR 606 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Nephrology/Urology | 2 |
| PHAR 609 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Reproductive Health, Dermatology, EENT, Bone and Joint | 3.5 |
| PHAR 615 | Continuous Professional Development II | 1 |
| PHAR 618 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Gastrointestinal/Nutrition | 2.5 |
| PHAR 640 | Foundations V | 1.5 |
| PHAR 645 | Foundations VI | 1.5 |
| PHAR 652 | Health Promotion and Communication in Pharmacy Practice | 2 |
| PHAR 702 | Pharmacy Practice Management | 2.5 |
| PHAR 703 | Clinical Therapeutics Module: Complex Patient Cases and Critical Care | 3.5 |
| PHAR 715 | Continuous Professional Development III | 1 |
| PHAR 724 | Pharmacy Law | 2.5 |
| PHAR 730 | Continuous Professional Development IV | .5 |
| PHAR 760 | Acute Care Pharmacy Practice I | 5 |
| PHAR 761 | Advanced Hospital Pharmacy Practice | 5 |
| PHAR 763 | Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Practice | 5 |
| PHAR 765 | Elective I | 5 |
| PHAR 766 | Elective II | 5 |
| PHAR 767 | Clinical Selective I | 5 |
| PHAR 768 | Advanced Community Pharmacy Practice | 5 |
| PHAR 773 | Acute Care Pharmacy Practice II | 5 |
| PHTX 606 | Introduction to Pharmacology of Therapeutic Agents | 1 |
| Electives | 8 | |
| M.P.H. requirements | ||
| • M.P.H. core requirements | ||
| BIOS 543 | Graduate Research Methods I | 3 |
| EPID 571 | Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
| HCPR 601 | Introduction to Health Policy | 3 |
| IPEC 563 | Interprofessional Complex Care Coordination | 2 |
| PHLT 580 | Public Health Ethics | 1 |
| PHLT 593 | Foundations of Public Health Profession | 2 |
| PHLT 604 | Principles of Environmental Health | 3 |
| PHLT 693 | Public Health Internship | 3 |
| PHLT 694 | MPH Capstone Project | 3 |
| SBHD 605 | Introduction to Social and Behavioral Health | 3 |
| • Concentration requirements (select one concentration) | 9 | |
Applied public health concentration | ||
| Introduction to Public Health | ||
| Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation | ||
| Health Disparities and Social Justice | ||
Epidemiology concentration | ||
| Graduate Research Methods II | ||
| Applied Data Analysis Lab | ||
| Epidemiologic Methods | ||
Cancer health equity science concentration | ||
| Cancer Epidemiology | ||
| Fundamentals of Cancer Health Equity | ||
| Community-engaged Research and Cancer Disparities (Cancer Health Equity Science concentration) | ||
| • Electives (minimum) | ||
| Select courses according to the area(s) of interest in public health; PHAR 508 and PHAR 511 and PHAR 530 satisfy 8 credits towards M.P.H. electives | 10 | |
| Total Hours | 186.5 | |
The minimum number of credit hours required for this dual degree is 185.5
Plan of study
Students in the dual program spend the first three years (P1-P3) in the professional Pharm.D. curriculum. In the fourth year, they transition to the M.P.H. program to finish 37 credits of graduate coursework. In year five, students return to the Pharm.D. program to complete P4 rotations.
Students may also opt to complete 34 credit hours of didactic M.P.H. coursework in year four and finish the three-credit M.P.H. capstone project during the fifth year while completing the P4 rotations.
Contacts
Juan Lu, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.D.
Professor, Department of Epidemiology, and graduate program director
jlu1@vcu.edu
(804) 828-9786
Additional contacts
Katherine Peterman, M.P.H.
M.P.H. education administrator
petermankb@vcu.edu
(804) 628-2868
Pramit A. Nadpara, Ph.D.
Assistant professor, Department of Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science
panadpara@vcu.edu
(804) 828-3245
Program website: sph.vcu.edu/education/mph/dual-degree