University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and School of Public Health Introduce Dual Degree Program
The University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and School of Public Health have announced a new dual degree program that will provide students with a well-rounded educational foundation to prepare them for managerial careers within both pharmaceutical companies and health care provider organizations.
The dual Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Master of Public Health (MPH) program allows students to pursue studies in both fields during a five-year enrollment period. Upon completion of the dual program, students will have earned a PharmD degree from the College of Pharmacy, making them eligible for state licensure as a pharmacist, and a MPH degree in Health Management & Policy from the School of Public Health.
“As the health sciences schools at the University of Michigan increase their emphasis on interprofessional education, this combined degree program can help make pharmacy students a more central part of the conversation,” said Rich Hirth, chair, Department of Health Management and Policy at the School of Public Health. “Adding the MPH training within the School of Public Health’s Health Management and Policy Department aims to help pharmacy students better understand the relationships between pharmacy and other aspects of the health care system and provide them with opportunities to engage the system more broadly.”
Such engagement can inform decisions about when to select pharmaceutical versus medical or surgical therapies and the impact of pharmaceuticals on overall health spending and budgets.
“While many pharmacists are focused on the patient that is right in front of them, others are interested in influencing the health of entire populations of patients,” said Bruce Mueller, PharmD, associate dean for academic affairs and professor of pharmacy, College of Pharmacy. “The dual PharmD/MPH degree combination is very attractive for students looking to broaden their views on healthcare and their personal career opportunities.”
Students interested in this program must first meet the admission requirements and be admitted to the University of Michigan PharmD program. Qualified students may apply to the School of Public Health during the third year of professional enrollment in the College of Pharmacy. Application and admission to the Health Management & Policy program will be handled by the School of Public Health.
