Joint Degree Program

Doctor of Pharmacy / Master of Business Administration

The University of Rhode Island Colleges of Pharmacy and Business Administration offer a joint program that allow students the opportunity to develop management and administrative skills, through enrollment in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) Program, as they study for the Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree. This program graduates highly-qualified individuals to assume leadership and management roles in the health care industry. A unique combination of didactic management and pharmacy coursework, coupled with innovative practicum experiences, provides students with an exceptional knowledge base of theoretical and applied information.

For more information
To learn more about the Joint Doctor of Pharmacy / Master of Business Administration program, contact the MBA Program Coordinator at 401-874-4241 (mba@uri.edu) or the COP Graduate Program Office at 401-874-2789.

Admission requirements
Students enrolled in the Doctor of Pharmacy program are eligible to apply for admission to the joint program after their fourth academic year (P2 Year) by July 15th. The following are required at that time:

Online Application
GMAT (GMAT is not required if you complete your Pharm.D degree before you start the MBA)
Statement of Purpose
Resume
Letters of Recommendation (2)
Application Fee

Background
Unprecedented management opportunities are available to pharmacists in our rapidly evolving healthcare system. There is a pressing need, at many levels, for skilled individuals to manage the clinically appropriate and cost-effective treatment of an ever-increasing segment of the population. Pharmacists in retail and institutional settings must be capable of providing high quality pharmaceutical care, value-added professional services, and appropriate clinical and economic information to their patients and other professionals. A unique blend of these clinical and economic skills is essential for decision-making by pharmacists practicing in managed care organizations, in pharmacy benefit management groups, in government, and in the pharmaceutical industry. Finally, talented researchers are required to develop the knowledge base essential for effective decision-making in these settings.

Program requirements
Students have the option of applying for either the One Year MBA in Kingston or the Evening Part-time MBA programs.

		One Year	Evenings
ECN 590	Principles of Economics	x	x
MBA 500	Statistical Methods in Management	x	x
MBA 502	Organizational Behavior	x	x
MBA 503	Financial Accounting	x	x
MBA 504	Financial Management	x	x
MBA 505	Managerial Marketing	x	x
MBA 565	Strategic Decision Making	x	x
MBA 574	Consulting Project	x
MBA 510	Managerial Accounting	x	select 15 credits
MBA 520	Quantitative Methods for Management		select 15 credits
MBA 530	Legal Environment of Business	x	select 15 credits
MBA 540	Organizational Decision Making	x	select 15 credits
MBA 550	Managing with Information Resources		select 15 credits
MBA 555	Managerial Economics	x	select 15 credits
MBA 560	Operations Management	x	select 15 credits
PHP 504	Health Systems II	x	x
PHP 580	Pharmacoeconomics	x	x
PHC 594	Managed Care Practicum	x	x

A 5-credit Professional Tracking Practicum (PHC 594) is included in the joint Pharm.D./MBA program requirements. This experiential program will provide the student with the opportunity to apply the management and clinical skills in a "real world" environment. Placement sites might include managed care organizations, pharmacy benefit management companies, pharmaceutical firms, or government agencies.

The College of Business Administration will accept up to 3 Pharm.D. courses (PHP 504, PHP 580 and PHC 594 are just some examples) toward the MBA degree. The College of Pharmacy will accept 9 credits of MBA coursework toward the Pharm.D. degree.

Students may be waived from the core MBA courses ECN590 and MBA500 if two similar undergraduate courses (per 1 graduate level course) were taken within the past five years, receiving B’s or better in both related courses.