PharmD/PhD

Program Description

The Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)/Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program enables highly qualified students to obtain both degrees in a shortened period of time. This PharmD/PhD degree program is designed primarily for students who are strongly motivated toward an academic/research career in the pharmaceutical sciences. The program is flexible enough to accommodate individuals of varied educational backgrounds. The actual time required for completion of the program depends on the individual qualifications and interests of the student.

Program Requirements

Upon acceptance into the PharmD/PhD degree program, students will be assigned to an adviser from the faculty of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The adviser will schedule the program of study until the student selects a major professor. The specific program selected will be determined by the student’s previous academic history as well as by the departmental requirements of the PhD program. The structure of the PharmD/PhD degree program differs from that of the PharmD program in several respects.

  • During the first year, the student’s research capability and commitment will be assessed through documented evaluation by the research adviser after the end of the first semester, second semester and again at the end of the first summer, with oversight of the Student Advisory Committee as well as the director of graduate studies and department chair. Additionally, PharmD/PhD students will complete a self assessment of their first year and present their first-year research results at the end of the first summer as a requirement for progression. At the end of the first year, if progress is determined to be unsatisfactory, the student has the option of changing dissertation advisers.
  • PharmD/PhD students will take PhD core courses in place of professional electives that simultaneously satisfy the requirements of both the PharmD electives and the PhD program.
  • PharmD/PhD students are exempt from the following PhD core courses:
    • PHA 715. Pharmacokinetics (3 hours)
    • PHA 742. Foundations in Pharmaceutical Sciences (5 hours)
  • PharmD/PhD students are required to complete four (4) Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) in the areas of Community Pharmacy, Adult Medicine, and Ambulatory Care. In addition, students complete four (4) elective experiences, of which two (2) must have a patient-care component, and can register for PHA 696 (Research) over two (2) APPE blocks. A third elective research block may be taken as a ninth APPE. The Pharmacy Review series of courses (PHA 620, PHA 621, and PHA 622) are also required.
  • The student is expected to participate in Graduate Seminar throughout their matriculation and to enroll for credit in the summer semester beginning with Year 3.

Following completion of the third year, the student focuses on the research component of the curriculum. With the exception of the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences and the Pharmacy Review course series, the student should have completed all prerequisite and core courses by this time.

Continuation in the PharmD/PhD degree program is contingent upon satisfactory performance and progress toward fulfillment of the requirements of the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program and the Doctor of Philosophy degree program. Students admitted to the PharmD/PhD degree program are expected to complete all program requirements. For students who decide to withdraw from the dual degree program at any point, they must reapply for admission to either program separately, and if accepted, they must fulfill all requirements of either program individually.

Financial Arrangements

Students who are enrolled in the PharmD/PhD degree program will pay full tuition for the first three years. Tuition waiver will be granted for the remainder of the program, normally the fourth through seventh years. Students will be encouraged to apply for extramural funding of their educational program. Departmental stipends will be awarded on a competitive basis for years 4-7, subject to availability. Stipend support beyond this time will be based on extramural funding. Financial support through tuition waiver or stipends is provided based on contribution to the teaching program as described in departmental policies.

For more information on the PhD program, email pharmsciphd@mercer.edu or call (678) 547-6730. For the Pharm.D. program, email admissions@pharmacy.mercer.edu or call (678) 547-6232.