(Nov. 1, 2018) Since arriving at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy, Dean Schnellmann has been adamant in his vision to provide new educational opportunities for students and health care professionals. In expanding the College’s offerings and concurrently evolving the PharmD curriculum, our goal is to produce leaders in pharmacy, remain competitive for attracting the brightest students, and sustain our College as one of the nation’s best in pharmacy education. This initiative is known as PharmD Forward.
Changes to the PharmD curriculum will better prepare students for clinical rotations starting at matriculation. This new course work went into effect this fall for the Class of 2022. The following changes were made:
- A shift to expose students to diseases, drugs and therapeutics earlier in the curriculum to be better prepared for Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences, health fairs and future course work.
- A shift to having students apply advanced medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and pharmacogenomics concepts to patient-centered drug selection closer to Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience rotations.
- Intentional integration of course topics by faculty collaboration with effective spacing, intentional repetition, and applied learning.
- Adding room for elective courses (going from four credits to eight) to increase educational options and foster interest beyond core courses, including dual-degree opportunities and certificate programs.
In partnership with the UA James E. Rogers College of Law, Eller College of Management and the Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, we offer PharmD dual degrees and graduate certificate programs. The certificates are also available for practicing health professionals who wish to expand their expertise.
PharmD Dual-Degrees
Master of Legal Studies (MLS)
The MLS dual-degree will provide training in growing areas of health care regulation like compliance, negotiations, working with administrative agencies and corporations. This program is ideal for professionals who regularly work with lawyers and legal issues.
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Juris Doctor (JD)
Hone your analytical skills, develop better critical thinking, and acquire the professional skills needed to work in a diverse range of health care and legal areas. Graduates of the program serve as health law and regulatory policy consultants for government agencies, pharmaceutical companies and trade associations.
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Master in Business Administration (MBA)
Several professional organizations, including the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, have advocated for the creation of dual PharmD/MBA degrees for filling leadership positions in pharmacy as the professional field evolves in the health care arena. With this degree, you will possess qualifications that make you an attractive candidate for leadership roles in community pharmacy practice, the pharmaceutical industry, academia, and health care institutions such as hospitals and managed care organizations.
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Master of Health Care Management (MHM)
Develop the management skills in one of three concentrations including health care leadership (leading in all health care settings), health care innovation (knowledge and skills to implement innovative solutions in health care systems) and health care informatics (knowledge of the functionality, technical infrastructure, and best-practice deployment of health care IT, including medical algorithms, electronic health records, privacy and security, and regulations).
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Master's in Public Health
Pharmacists’ services are growing to include more patient-oriented, health care administration and public health functions; accordingly, pharmacists trained in public health activities, particularly involving health education, disease prevention and health promotion, public health advocacy, and improving health quality, will be at the forefront of improving health outcomes and reducing disparities across populations and communities. Pursue this path to gain new knowledge that can be applied in population and community health.
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Pharmacy Graduate Programs (PhD or MS)
Graduate programs in pharmacy are divided into four tracks where you can expand your expertise in research and basic science in drug discovery and development (PhD), pharmacology and toxicology (PhD), pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics (PhD) and health and pharmaceutical outcomes (MS and PhD). Graduates of these programs are prepared for positions in academia, government and the pharmaceutical industry, where they are equipped to translate the results of basic and clinical research into practice, teaching or policy.
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Online Certificate Programs
Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Science
There is a large and growing need for a well-trained regulatory science workforce to advance the translation of research into clinical interventions. Receive specialized training in how to accelerate the development of medical products through greater understanding of the ethics, policies, and regulations governing regulatory science in the United States and abroad.
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Graduate Certificate in Health Law
This certificate program is designed for individuals who do not wish to practice law, but regularly encounter legal and ethical issues in their health care professions. The certificate provides a sophisticated and nuanced understanding of how laws, regulations and ethics operate within health care organizations, business arrangements with insurers and providers, delivery of care, and scope of practice.
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Graduate Certificate in Public Health
This certificate program provides foundational underpinnings of public health: epidemiology, public health policy and administration, environmental health, biostatistics, and social/behavioral sciences.
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Clinical & Translational Research Graduate Certificate
Prepare for the complexities of clinical and translational research through didactic instruction and mentored collaborative research experiences.
This is only available to students who already have received a graduate or professional degree.
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Graduate Certificate in Global Health & Development
Gain the knowledge and skills necessary to function effectively in global health practice, whether at home in a diverse setting, along the border in a bi-cultural environment, or abroad where populations are under-resourced and where health systems are constrained.
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Graduate Certificate in Health Administration
Gain knowledge and skills in strategic planning, budgeting and finance, health care economics and policy, and advanced health care services administration.
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The range of educational opportunities as part of PharmD Forward allows students and health professionals to diversify training and broaden career paths requiring specific areas of expertise.
