The West Virginia University School of Pharmacy and the College of Business and Economics announced a dual hybrid degree, called the Pharm.D/MBA.
Geared toward students interested in becoming managers, and administrators in health care or pharmaceutical organizations, the curriculum is built around business administration principles and managerial practices coupled with therapeutic knowledge and expertise in medication management.
The Pharm.D/MBA Program is a combined program of study. The MBA degree is made up of 39 credit hours of graduate coursework in business with the remaining nine credit hours of the MBA program consisting of business-related coursework taken in pharmacy school. The Pharm.D. degree consists of 136 credit hours of coursework in pharmacy, with business courses accounting for 10 hours of additional elective work required of all students. The combined program of study is comprised of 175 credit hours (compared to 194 credit hours if the programs were not taken concurrently). Students can opt to take MBA courses through the online program or in the evening, as part of the in-class program. Students are expected to complete the program in four years.
Students must be accepted into the Pharm.D. program first before applying for the MBA program. Typically, students will apply for the MBA program during the spring of their first professional year and start the MBA coursework in the fall of their second professional year. However, students may be able to start the program at differing times based on where they are in the Pharm.D. program. Students seeking to enter the dual degree program must apply separately and be admitted independently to the College of Business and Economics MBA. Business programs at the College of Business & Economics are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
Opportunities for the joint degree graduates also include leadership positions in hospitals and health systems, pharmacy benefit management companies, government organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, chain pharmacy corporations, and possibly owning, franchising, or operating an independent pharmacy.
Related: School Report: West Virginia University | Database: Search, Sort, Compare Online MBA Programs | School Reports: Full Details on MBA Programs | Specialties: Research MBA Concentrations
–Alanna Stage, @AlannaTweets
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