The Department of Epidemiology and Community Health in the School of Medicine, together with the School of Pharmacy, offers a dual degree program of study resulting in a joint MPH/PharmD degree. This dual degree offers students the opportunity to achieve a doctor in pharmacy degree with a focus on research and community pharmacy practice. This is a five-year program in which students spend the fourth year pursuing the MPH degree, then transition back to Pharmacy for advance practice experiences. The MPH degree requires 36 credits of didactic coursework and field study. The field study requirement is satisfied by PharmD advanced practice experiences in a community health setting during the fifth year of the program. For the final MPH research project, students will be advised by their School of Pharmacy faculty mentors, while faculty members from the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health will serve as preceptors. The two degrees will be awarded at the completion of the program.
Benefits of this dual degree include more job opportunities and more expertise in the disciplines of community pharmacy practice and public health. The dual degree also provides more public health professionals with a clinical background in pharmacy. Individuals who purse the MPH degree without an accredited pharmacy component lack the credentials for advanced practice in pharmacy or pharmacy education, and pharmacists who pursue a doctor of pharmacy degree without advanced preparation in public health may lack the knowledge and skills needed to provide leadership in official public health agencies.
The program is designed to prepare students with skills, knowledge and competencies necessary to conduct needs assessment of populations; perform program planning and evaluation; to understand the effects of contemporary issues and health policies on the public's health; and provide care and services in order to prevent disease and promote and preserve the health of populations.
Graduates of this program will meet the requirements to take the national
pharmacy licensure examination.
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For further information contact:
Karen Bryant-Coordinator
Virginia Commonwealth University
School of Medicine
P.O. Box 980212
Richmond VA 23298-0212
Telephone (804) 828-9786
or by email
