Joint Degree Programs
Doctor of Pharmacy/Master of Public Health (PharmD/MPH) Joint Degree
back to Collaborative Degree Programs
The PharmD/MPH joint degree program prepares pharmacists who can dispense medications and manage disease states within a population-based public health framework. Pharmacists with this joint degree are prepared to:
- Contribute to the development and implementation of policy to provide safer medications to patients;
- Educate and assist patients to manage diseases such as diabetes;
- Conduct research to better manage treatments for diseases such as cancer and HIV; and
- Provide education on medication management, such as drug interactions between prescription drugs and herbal supplements.
The knowledge and skills of pharmacists in pharmaceutical science and clinical pharmacy together with public health create an excellent foundation for graduates to seek positions in the health care system as it relates to pharmacotherapy and health promotion, disease prevention, and medication safety. Graduates of the Doctor of Pharmacy/Master of Public Health Joint Degree program are more competitive for positions in numerous agencies and organizations such as:
- Official government agencies, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state/local health departments;
- Not-for-profit organizations, like those which focus on heart disease, cancer and child health issues;
- The private sector, in such arenas as the pharmaceutical industry and health insurance companies; and
- Academic institutions.
Click on the links below to learn more about this exciting program. (make list below links to anchors)
Program description
Admission requirements
MPH program application materials
Application deadline
Supervisory committee
MPH internship requirement
MPH culminating experience
Curriculum
Contact us
Program description
Candidates for this program must meet the entrance requirements and procedures for both the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program in the College of Pharmacy and the Master of Public Health program in the College of Public Health and Health Professions. Students interested in public health principles and the practice of pharmacy may obtain both degrees concurrently in five years after completion of a minimum of two years of pre-pharmacy course work. The Joint Degree program is not open to students who have already earned one of the degrees. A student must satisfy the curriculum requirements of each degree.
Participants in this Joint Degree program must begin their studies in the College of Pharmacy and complete the first two years of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum. The third year requires courses in the MPH program. During the fourth and fifth year, students may register in both programs concurrently.
The Joint Degree curricula provide for a total of 48 credits for the MPH degree and 146 credits for the Doctor of Pharmacy degree to be completed in five years. Twelve credits of professional courses (PharmD) are counted toward the graduate degree (MPH) and 12 credits of graduate (MPH) courses are counted toward the professional (PharmD) degree. The “shared” courses between the two programs are selected from a list of acceptable courses.
A student must satisfy the curriculum requirements for each degree before either degree is awarded. Click here to view the MPH graduation requirements and a full description of the MPH program.
Admission requirements
Participants in this program must have completed a minimum of two years of pre-pharmacy coursework and two years of the Doctor of Pharmacy curriculum prior to enrollment in the MPH program. A baccalaureate degree prior to enrollment in the MPH program is not required for students in the Pharm.D./MPH Joint Degree program. The Doctor of Pharmacy degree does not require a prior baccalaureate degree as the educational requirements in the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program exceed those for a baccalaureate degree. Students interested in the Joint Degree program should have a minimum 3.0 grade point average in the two years of the Doctor of Pharmacy degree program. To be accepted into the joint program, students must be in the Doctor of Pharmacy program, have access to an appropriate computer, and have documentation of immunizations.
MPH program application materials
Students must submit the University Application Form for Admission to Graduate School. In addition, a copy of all transcripts, Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, TOEFL scores (if applicable, i.e. if English is not the primary language), three letters of recommendation, a letter of intent outlining career goals and program interest, copy of residency form, and relevant immunization forms are required.
At the time of application to the MPH program, a minimum of 3.0 GPA in the 60 hours of professional coursework during the first two professional years of study and competitive scores on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination are required. For international students, a TOEFL score of at least 550 on the written version or 213 on the computer-based version is required. Please refer to the MPH website at http://www.mph.ufl.edu/admissions/ for detailed information regarding additional admission criteria, application materials and procedures.
Application deadline
All application materials must be received by April 1st for the Fall semester. Pharmacy students should express their interest in the Pharm.D./MPH Joint Degree program during the first professional year of study and seek the advice and direction of the faculty member in the Department of Pharmacy Health Care Administration who serves as Program Coordinator for the Joint Degree curriculum with the MPH program. Students should maintain regular contact with the Program Coordinator in the College of Pharmacy. The support and endorsement of the Department of Pharmacy Health Care Administration for the student’s application is required.
Supervisory committee
Each student in the Pharm.D./MPH Joint Degree program is required to have a supervisory committee by the end of the student’s second semester. The supervisory committee is designed to provide mentoring, monitor academic progress, and provide guidance in development and conduct of a special project. The committee consists of one faculty member from the College of Pharmacy and one faculty member from the student’s chosen concentration area in the MPH program. The College of Pharmacy faculty member will serve as the supervisory committee chair. Both committee members should hold University graduate faculty appointments.
MPH internship requirement
The concepts presented via coursework are integrated and assimilated through an internship, which provides an opportunity for each student to apply his or her knowledge in a practice setting. A wide range of settings and opportunities may be suitable for an internship. Each internship is individually tailored to assure competence in general MPH and concentration-specific skills and to meet student goals, concentration criteria, and the needs of the agencies involved. The internship is usually completed in the student's final term in the MPH year in the program, and always includes a special project that serves as the basis for a final oral and written report. The internship and the special project must be approved by the student's supervisory committee chair.
MPH culminating experience
Students attain a depth in public health knowledge and skills by selecting one core area for their concentrations. They obtain a broad knowledge base of public health issues and perspectives through the MPH core courses and electives. The concepts presented in these courses are integrated and assimilated through the internship, which provides an opportunity for each student to apply his or her knowledge in the real world of public health. Students may engage in many activities during an internship. However, each student must have one special project which serves as the basis for a major paper and a presentation. These final activities of the MPH program are intended to encourage students to understand their projects in the larger context of public health as a cross-disciplinary field and in relation to the competencies expected of all MPH graduates. Student presentations are scheduled on one or two Public Health Days near the end of fall, spring and summer semesters. The written paper and oral presentation constitute a culminating experience for the MPH.
Curriculum for the Doctor of Pharmacy/Master
of Public Health Program
Doctor of Pharmacy Degree Program
First Professional Year
| Fall Semester | Credits |
| BCH 5451 Clinical Biochemistry | 4 |
| PHA 5100 Dosage Forms I | 3 |
| PHA 5560C Physiological Basis of Disease I | 5 |
| PHA 5727 Introduction to Pharmacy Health Care | 3 |
| PHA 5433 Fundamentals of Medicinal Chemistry | 1 |
| PHA 5941C Practicum I | 1 |
| Total | 17 |
| Spring Semester | |
| PHA 5101 Dosage Forms II | 2 |
| PHA 5436 Structure and Function of Nucleotides | 2 |
| PHA 5561C Physiological Basis of Disease II | 5 |
| PHA 5752 Microbiology & Immunological Basis of Therapeutics | 4 |
| PHA 5781 Pharmacotherapy I | 2 |
| PHA 5515 Basic Principles of Pharmacology | 1 |
| PHA 5942C Practicum II | 1 |
| Total | 18 |
Second Professional Year
| Fall Semester | |
| PHA 5782 Pharmacotherapy II | 5 |
| PHA 5437 Medicinal Chemistry I | 3 |
| PHA 5516 Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics I | 4 |
| PHA 5127 Dose Optimization I | 2 |
| PHA 5719 Introduction to Quantitative Methods in Pharmacy* | 3 |
| PHA 5943C Practicum III | 1 |
| Total | 18 |
| Spring Semester | |
| PHA 5783 Pharmacotherapy III | 5 |
| PHA 5438 Medicinal Chemistry III | 3 |
| PHA 5517 Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics II | 4 |
| PHA 5742C Professional Communications in Pharmacy Practice* | 2 |
| PHA 5128 Dose Optimization II | 2 |
| PHA 5944C Practicum IV | 1 |
| Total | 17 |
Master of Public Health Degree Program
Third Professional Year
| Credits | |
| Summer Semester | 6 |
| Fall Semester | 12 |
| Spring Semester | 12 |
| Summer Semester | 6 |
| Total | 36 |
PharmD/MPH students choose one of the MPH concentrations and follow the concentration curriculum to identify appropriate courses. Joint degree students may take up to 15 credits of MPH core courses online.
Doctor of Pharmacy Degree Program
Fourth Professional Year
| Fall Semester | |
| PHA 5784 Pharmacotherapy IV | 3 |
| PHA 5226 Evidenced- Based Pharmacy* | 4 |
| PHA 5103 Dosage Forms and Contemporary Practice | 2 |
| PHA 5113 Drug Therapy Monitoring and Pharmacogenomics | 2 |
| PHA 5104L Pharmaceutical Skills Laboratory I | 2 |
| PHA 5239 Legal and Organizational Environment of Medicines Uses* | 3 |
| Total | 16 |
| Spring Semester (First 8 weeks) |
|
| PHA 5787 Pharmacotherapy V | 3 |
| PHA 5105L Pharmaceutical Skills Laboratory II | 1 |
| PHA 5267 Critical Appraisal of Pharmacoeconomic Studies* | 1 |
| Pharmacy elective** | 2 |
| (Second 8 weeks) | |
| PHA 5000 Clerkships*** | 8 |
| 17 | |
| Summer Semester | |
| PHA 5000 Clerkships*** | 12 |
Fifth Professional Year
| Fall Semester | |
| PHA 5000 Clerkships*** | 16 |
| Spring Semester (First 8 weeks) |
|
| PHA 5000 Clerkships*** | 8 |
| (Second 8 weeks) | |
| PHA 5788 Pharmacotherapy VI | 2 |
| PHA 5352 Herbal Medicines | 2 |
| Pharmacy electives** | 4 |
| 16 |
*May be applied to the MPH program.
**Six credits of Pharmacy electives may be applied to the MPH program.
Contact us
Catherine Sembajwe-Reeves, MA
Associate Director, MPH Program
College of Public Health & Health Professions
Phone: 352-273-6444
nalusemb@phhp.ufl.edu
Mary Peoples-Sheps, Dr.PH
Associate Dean for Public Health Development and Practice
College of Public Health and Health Professions
Phone: 352-273-6443
mpeoplessheps@phhp.ufl.edu
Michael W. McKenzie, Ph.D.
Senior Associate Dean for Professional Affairs
College of Pharmacy
Phone: 352-273-6221
McKenzie@cop.ufl.edu
Abraham G. Hartzema, Ph.D., MPH
Perry A. Foote Eminent Scholar
Coordinator for Joint Pharm.D./MPH Program
Department of Pharmacy Health Care Administration
College of Pharmacy
Hartzema@cop.ufl.edu
