PharmD/MPH

Program Description

Mercer University’s College of Health Professions (CHP) and College of Pharmacy (COP) offer the Doctor of Pharmacy/Master of Public Health (PharmD/MPH) combined degree program. For qualified students in the COP, students can pursue a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree concurrently with the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) degree. The PharmD degree is earned through the COP and the MPH degree is earned through the CHP.

The MPH degree program is designed to develop students into competent, passionate professionals ready to address the complex and dynamic challenges of public health in neighborhoods and populations in the U.S. and world. The MPH degree will complement the PharmD degree in a manner that will broaden the occupational and professional opportunities of the prospective graduate in community, industry, or institutional practice. The program has been carefully developed to permit concurrent pursuit of both the PharmD and the MPH curricula.

Program Outcomes

The outcomes for the PharmD and MPH programs will remain unchanged, as the student will complete both programs, with only minor adaptations.

Admission Requirements

In order to apply for admission to the MPH Program, a Doctor of Pharmacy student must have completed a bachelor’s degree or 120 hours of college credit. At 120 hours of college credit, the Doctor of Pharmacy student is considered to have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in terms of a focused record of study.

Admission requirements for the PharmD follow those outlined on the College of Pharmacy Admissions website.

Academic Advisement and Progression

Faculty in the College of Pharmacy and College of Health Professions provide academic advisement for students pursuing the PharmD/MPH Program. Students admitted into the PharmD/MPH Program are required to meet with the Chair of the Department of Public Health, or designee, to discuss the program requirements prior to enrollment in their first MPH course.

PharmD/MPH Program students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and maintain good academic standing in the PharmD Program throughout their enrollment in the MPH Program.

Program Requirements

While completing the requirements for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree, students may take courses in the College of Health Professions toward the MPH degree. The prerequisite and core courses for the MPH degree are available in the Mercer Atlanta Campus Catalog.

MPH Program courses can be used to satisfy professional-level didactic elective hours required for the PharmD Program. This does not preclude students taking professional-level electives in the PharmD Program, and students are encouraged to take advantage of elective courses offered by the College of Pharmacy that will further develop their knowledge and skills in specific areas within the field of pharmacy.

One (1) three (3) credit hour course of the first professional year in the PharmD Program fulfills a portion of the electives in the MPH Program: PHA 335 Health Care Delivery and Population Health.

Students must complete the other elective hours through one of two options:

Option 1: Student must complete two of the following College of Pharmacy electives: PHA 549 Introduction to Research, PHA 566 Women’s Health, or PHA 579 Global Health

Option 2: Student must complete one (1) three-credit hour elective offered by the College of Health Professions Department of Public Health. Please consult the Registrar’s Office and the Master of Public Health Curriculum for a list of available electives.

Both PharmD and MPH programs require students to complete service-learning hours as part of each program’s curriculum. Service learning is intended to improve patient care and public health and expand upon the student’s existing patient caring and public health skills and knowledge.

Tuition and Financial Aid

PharmD/MPH students pay tuition for both PharmD and MPH courses. More information about financial aid for the PharmD/MPH Program can be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Planning.