These dual programs combine the educational strengths of two Rutgers University schools: the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy (EMSOP) and the Rutgers School of Public Health (SPH).

Rationale

Rising healthcare costs pose a growing threat to families, businesses, and government, while millions lack access to even the most basic healthcare. Many health-focused efforts, such as advances in patient drug therapy, the increased use of pharmacies in the delivery of vaccinations and the necessity for full emergency preparedness and response efforts throughout communities, call for increasing the participation of pharmacists in all levels of public health. Graduate training in public health provides PharmDs with the knowledge and skills to play a greatly expanded professional role in the healthcare system. The dual programs build in the strengths of existing offerings:

The six-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program provides students with a strong foundation in basic and clinical sciences coupled with an emphasis on patient-centered care. The program offers diverse opportunities and experience in clinical practice, industry, public health agencies, managed care, laboratory, and research.

The Master of Public Health (MPH) program provides students with a clear understanding of the role public health plays in society. It provides students with an understanding of the theory and terminology used by diverse public health disciplines to support effective participation in interdisciplinary public health efforts and with specialized skills in at least one public health discipline.

The PharmD/MPH dual degree program builds on pharmacy training with skills in population-based healthcare, as well as skills for enhancing and promoting public health. The need for individuals with such training exists in drug safety and pharmacoepidemiology, as well as drug use policy. PharmD/MPH dual degree students may choose any of the areas of specialization offered by the MPH program.

The program provides exceptional pharmacy students with a pathway to complete the PharmD and the MPH in less time than it would take to complete the degrees sequentially. By taking selected MPH courses while in the PharmD program, these students will be able to complete the MPH with approximately one year of full-time study or two years of part-time study, immediately following the completion of the PharmD degree.

The Certificate in Population Health (CPH) program provides students with a foundational understanding in the core areas of public health, including biostatistics, epidemiology, health systems and policy, social and behavioral health sciences, and environmental health. PharmD/CPH graduates will build on their pharmacy training with a broad, contemporary perspective that can increases the impact of pharmacists’ work with individuals and communities. PharmD/CPH students may complete the CPH courses while in the PharmD program or within one year of part-time study after PharmD graduation.

Description of the Programs

PharmD/MPH Dual Degree Program

To take full advantage of this program, PharmD students may take up to five MPH courses while they are still in the PharmD program. They will accomplish this by substituting two MPH core courses for two pharmacy professional electives and by taking three additional MPH courses either from the MPH core or their MPH concentration with approval from their MPH academic advisor. These three additional courses are taken as extra courses beyond those required for the PharmD degree program.

Beginning in the summer after the first professional year, PharmD students interested in the dual degree may substitute two approved SPH core requirements for two pharmacy professional electives. Students will choose two (3-credit) courses from the following list of School of Public Health core courses:

• PHCO 0501 Health Systems and Policy (75:832:501)
• PHCO 0502 Principles of Epidemiology (75:832:502)
• PHCO 0504 Introduction to Biostatistics (75:832:504) [Prerequisite: Quantitative Skills Assessment]
• PHCO 0505 Social and Behavioral Health Science in Public Health (75:832:505)

Ideally, students complete five required MPH courses while in the PharmD program, including two of the four core courses listed above and three additional required courses with approval from their MPH academic advisor. Thus, in addition to the two core courses that may be substituted for pharmacy professional electives, students will take three more MPH courses by the end of Year 4 of the pharmacy professional program. Several MPH courses are offered in the evening, remote or online, but students must be aware of class scheduling conflicts. Students need special permission from the School of Pharmacy to take any SPH courses while on Advanced Pharmacy Practice rotations. To take maximum advantage of the dual degree program, students will take MPH courses during the summers after Years 1 and 2 of the professional program, three additional courses while carrying full credit loads in the P1-P3 years or, and take one course a semester while on rotation in the fourth professional year. No more than one SPH course may be taken each semester while the student is on APPE rotations. Note, however, students may not take more than 20 credits per semester, without special permission from the Office of the Dean, EMSOP.

PharmD/MPH dual degree students are provided with up to nine MPH elective credits for PharmD courses once they complete the PharmD and transition to the MPH program. The number of elective credits and the selection of courses to be transferred depends on the MPH concentration. Possible PharmD courses include:

• 30:158:420 – Pharmaceutical Microbiology (3 credits)
• 30:725:470 – Medical Literature Evaluation & Application (3 credits)
• 30:720:446 – Infectious Diseases & Pharmacotherapy (3 credits)
• 31:725:515 – Poison Management & Drug Abuse (3 credits)
• 31:725:540 – Principles of Pharmaceutical Economics (2 credits)

PharmD/Certificate in Population Health

To take full advantage of the PharmD + Certificate in Population Health (CPH) program, PharmD students complete the five CPH courses while they are still in the PharmD program. They will accomplish this by substituting two of the CPH courses for two pharmacy professional electives and by taking the remaining three required CPH courses in the evening or online. These three additional courses are taken as extra courses beyond those required for the PharmD degree program.

Beginning in the summer after the first professional year, PharmD students interested in the Certificate in Population Health may substitute two approved SPH core requirements for two pharmacy professional electives. Students will choose two (3-credit) courses from the following list of School of Public Health core courses:

• PHCO 0501 Health Systems and Policy (75:832:501)
• PHCO 0502 Principles of Epidemiology (75:832:502)
• PHCO 0504 Introduction to Biostatistics (75:832:504) [Prerequisite: Quantitative Skills Assessment]
• PHCO 0505 Social and Behavioral Health Science in Public Health (75:832:505)

Ideally, students will complete all five CPH course requirements (the four courses listed above and PHCO 0503 Introduction to Environmental Health; 75:832:503) while in the PharmD program. Students who do not complete all five CPH courses during their PharmD program may complete the CPH coursework within one year of part-time study after PharmD graduation. Thus, in addition to the two core courses that may be substituted for pharmacy professional electives, students will take three more CPH courses by the end of Year 4 of the professional program. CPH courses are generally offered in the evening or online, so there should be few class scheduling conflicts. To take maximum advantage of the PharmD/CPH program, students will need to take CPH courses during the summers after Years 1 and 2 of the professional program and the remainder during the fall and spring semesters. With special permission from EMSOP, students on Advanced Pharmacy Practice rotations, may take up to one course per semester. Note, however, students may not take more than 20 credits per semester, without special permission from the Office of the Dean, EMSOP.

Interested? Additional Information

Applicants to the MPH/CPH programs will be limited to students who are enrolled in the PharmD Program at EMSOP. To apply, students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2. The GRE is not required for MPH or CPH admissions.

Interested PharmD students may take up to two SPH courses as visiting students before deciding to apply for one of the dual programs. PharmD students who are eligible for either dual program may begin taking SPH courses before they are formally accepted into the dual program, i.e., in the summer after the first professional year.

Interested students should contact Associate Dean Minakshi Lahiri (Minakshi.lahiri@rutgers.edu or Associate Dean Laura Sclafani (Laura.sclafani@pharmacy.rutgers.edu) to discuss their interests and certify their eligibility. Once certified, interested PharmD students may apply directly to the School of Public Health beginning in the spring semester of the first year (P1) through the first cycle of APPE rotations in the P4 year of the PharmD professional program. After students complete two SPH courses, they are required to apply directly to the School of Public Health if they wish to continue  Please contact Dr. Laura E. Liang, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, School of Public Health (hemminlb@sph.rutgers.edu).

PharmD students will use normal cross-registration procedures to register for these courses. Fall and spring registration is completed through the School of Pharmacy registration using cross-registration procedures; summer registration is completed through the School of Public Health directly unless the student is taking EMSOP courses in the summer, in which case cross-registration procedures will used. After completing six credits at the School of Public Health, PharmD students must apply to the School of Public Health to continue taking PH courses.

Students may apply for financial aid through the University and the School of Pharmacy until completion of the PharmD; after completion of the PharmD, full-time students at the School of Public Health may apply for aid through Rutgers and the School of Public Health.