Dual Degree Options for PharmD Students

Pair a PharmD with a second advanced degree to take your career farther, faster. We’ve partnered with other schools within Rutgers to offer these innovative, accelerated pathways to career fields frequently pursued by PharmD graduates. Each of our dual-degree programs allows students to begin study toward a master’s or second doctoral degree while completing the PharmD degree; most programs potentially shorten the time it would take were both degrees to be completed sequentially.

Only currently enrolled PharmD students at the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy are eligible to apply for admission to our dual-degree programs.

Dual PharmD/MD Program

The highly selective PharmD-MD dual degree is designed to create an elite cadre of interdisciplinary leaders, trained in the new collaborative practice model of patient care and equipped with expert interprofessional knowledge of both pharmacy and medicine for a broader understanding of the healthcare landscape. Graduates earn a PharmD from the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and a doctor of medicine (MD) from Rutgers’ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Candidates apply for admission during the fall semester of the second or third professional year of the PharmD program; successful applicants are admitted to the medical school upon completion of the PharmD program and are not required to take the MCAT exam.

Dual PharmD/MPH Program

The goal of the PharmD-MPH dual-degree program is to educate pharmacists who can address America’s health problems through a sound knowledge of public health issues and practices. Graduates earn a PharmD from the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and a master of public health (MPH) from Rutgers’ School of Public Health. Students studying in the PharmD program who have taken at least two MPH core courses may apply for admission; successful graduates complete the MPH with approximately one year of full-time or two years of part-time study after completion of the PharmD program.

 Dual PharmD/MBA Program

The PharmD-MBA dual-degree program is designed for motivated, qualified students aspiring to careers in pharmaceutical management, hospital administration, and other exciting business avenues in pharmacy, from entrepreneurship to market research. Graduates earn a PharmD from the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and a master of business administration (MBA) from Rutgers Business School (RBS). Students take a limited number of MBA courses while in the PharmD program and thus qualify for advanced standing at RBS; on completion of the PharmD program, students admitted to RBS matriculate into the MBA program for full-time study (approximately one year) or part-time study (approximately three years).

Dual PharmD/PhD Program

The PharmD PhD Program allows high-achieving students with strong research interests to complete both degrees in approximately nine years by beginning their doctoral studies while still enrolled in the PharmD program. Applicants must meet all entry criteria for the graduate program of their choice: pharmaceutical science, toxicology, or medicinal chemistry. Graduates earn a PharmD from the Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy and a doctor of philosophy (PhD) from Rutgers Graduate School–New Brunswick.

Dual PharmD/MS-HOPE Program

The goal of the PharmD/MS-HOPE dual degree program is to empower pharmacists to promote value-based decision making on pharmaceuticals by coupling their clinical PharmD training with Master level scientific training to evaluate treatment outcomes and costs. Eligible PharmD students may take up to three MS-HOPE courses before applying to the PharmD/MS-HOPE dual degree program, but PharmD students must officially apply and be accepted into the PharmD/MS-HOPE dual degree program to take additional MS-HOPE courses as PharmD students. Successful graduates complete the MS-HOPE in approximately 18 months (if full-time) or 2.5 years (if part-time) after completion of the PharmD program.