School of Pharmacy Degree Programs

Our unique PharmD program develops practice-ready pharmacists for diverse healthcare environments. This is done through intensive coursework in biomedical, pharmaceutical, and clinical sciences utilizing active learning in newly constructed studio classrooms and laboratories. The ideals of professionalism, leadership, critical thinking, lifelong learning, and ethical behavior are incorporated into the classroom as well as rotation experiences. Our health science campus allows us to provide unique interprofessional activities with students in medicine, nursing, physical therapy, and physician assistant programs during the first year. As a result, our graduating students are experienced with a variety of rotation sites and prepared to make immediate and lasting impacts in healthcare.

Beginning with the Class of 2025, we incorporated a hybrid model in which therapeutics courses are taught in blocks of 4-7 weeks and coordinated with skills labs. This format allows students to become fully immersed in each disease state encompassing the backbone of pharmacy education. We believe that teamwork is essential for healthcare and continually reinforce this in the classroom with group activities. Therapeutics blocks are taught by teams of experts who present diseases and treatments from multiple angles in a self-reinforcing manner. This integration of content, skills, and experience with teamwork provides MUSOP graduates with foundations for building rewarding careers.

The BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences program prepares students for careers in the field of drug discovery, development and commercialization. Graduates are prepared for entry level positions in the pharmaceutical industry, academic research laboratories, and biotechnology companies. Graduates of this program may also pursue advanced degrees oriented toward research (MS / PhD) or clinical practice (PharmD, MD, etc.). Pharmaceutical sciences includes a variety of disciplines such as pharmacology, pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacogenomics that are related to the discovery and development of new drugs and pharmacotherapies to treat diseases and improve people’s lives.

Marshall’s BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences is also offered as part of an accelerated dual degree program in conjunction with the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD).  The course work in the fourth year of the B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences program is synonymous with the course work in the first year of the PharmD program. This enables both degrees to be completed within 7 years rather than the typical 8 years. Graduates of the dual BS / PharmD program are prepared for careers as pharmacists in hospitals, community health practitioners, clinical research, and a variety of other health care related career paths.

The BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences is also offered in conjunction with the MS (thesis) or MA (non thesis) degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The BS / MA dual degree can be completed in 5 years, while the BS/MS (thesis option) dual degree typically requires 6 years.

MUSOP offers two master’s programs in pharmaceutical sciences to provide students with the training and skills required to prepare them for careers in academia, pharmaceutical industry, or public/private research institutions. The programs involve a curriculum consisting of didactic courses and research. The program of study is based on the background and career objectives of each student and is tailored to meet individual needs.

Both M.S. (thesis) and M.A. (non-thesis) options are available. The M.A. and Pharm.D. programs may be combined into a dual-degree: Pharm.D./M.A.

Full-time students typically complete the MS degree program in two years. The Department of Pharmaceutical Science and Research is comprised of faculty with expertise in pharmaceutics, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutical analysis, immunology, microbiology, and pharmacology. The faculty are highly engaged in graduate courses and interdisciplinary research. Prospective MS thesis-track students are encouraged to contact faculty about research opportunities in their laboratory.

After graduation, they will be prepared for a career as an independent scientist with abilities to:

• Critically assess the scientific literature
• Engage in and conduct original research
• Design and implement research experiments to critically test research hypotheses
• Conduct research in a professional and ethical manner
• Present scientific data using strong verbal and written communication skills