About the Program
Degree Requirements
As standalone programs, the pharmacy degree requires completion of 151 credit hours and the MBA degree requires completion of 30-48 credit hours, depending on previous coursework. Up to 18 credit hours of MBA foundation coursework can be waived through equivalent coursework previously completed at the undergraduate level, reducing the MBA program to the minimum 30 credit hours. Taken separately both programs would require 181-199 credit hours for degree completion depending on previous coursework.
For the joint Pharm.D./MBA program up to 18 credit hours can be shared between both degree programs through the MBA concentration (12 credit hours) and pharmacy electives (6 credit hours) areas. Through this joint program, students will meet the degree requirements for both programs with a maximum of 181 credit hours depending on an applicant’s course history. Any course waivers will reduce this maximum number.
Up to 6 credits of foundation or core MBA courses can be used as elective credits within the pharmacy curriculum thus reducing the pharmacy coursework to 145 credit hours. Additionally, the coursework that a student takes as part of the pharmacy curriculum will be counted to satisfy the 12 credit hours of concentration coursework required of the MBA curriculum, thus reducing the MBA curriculum to a minimum of 18 (36 maximum) credit hours.
Admissions Requirements
Traditional MBA students have a baccalaureate degree; however, pharmacy students may or may not have a prior degree, even though all pharmacy students have at least 64 semester hours of undergraduate credits. Candidates for this joint program must first meet the entrance and admissions requirements for the Doctor of Pharmacy program. Students may apply to the joint program after successful completion of their first professional year in pharmacy by completing a Petition for Change of Program through the Office of the Registrar. Pharmacy students who have at least 90 credit hours of coursework may take MBA foundation classes prior to applying to the joint program, consistent with current graduate school policy. Pharmacy students may complete up to 18 credit hours of foundation courses prior to applying to the joint program, provided satisfactory grades are achieved and the student remains in good standing.
Advisement
Pharmacy students wishing to participate in this opportunity will work with their academic advisor, associate dean for academic affairs in the Wegmans School of Pharmacy, and the director of the MBA program in the School of Business to choose appropriate coursework. Additionally, questions concerning financial aid and/or billing should be directed to the Financial Aid Office and Student Accounts, respectively.
Scheduling
The MBA program has three semesters during the calendar year consistent with the College master academic schedule, which include the fall, spring, and summer. Typically, during the fall and spring semesters, any given MBA course will meet one weeknight from 6 – 9:05 p.m. During the summer semester courses most commonly meet in a 6-week condensed schedule format, meeting two weeknights from 6 – 10 p.m. A sample curriculum for the joint program integrating all coursework including all foundation courses can be found in the section that follows.
Cost of Program
Students will be billed standard tuition costs as associated with the pharmacy program which can include up to 6 credit hours of MBA foundation coursework approved to satisfy pharmacy electives. Students who take 6 credit hours of MBA foundation coursework in satisfaction of pharmacy elective coursework, will not be billed separately for those 6 credit hours as the courses are included as part of the pharmacy program tuition. MBA courses will be billed at the current per credit hour cost of tuition. Students will be billed for these additional courses at the per credit hour graduate tuition rate. It is recommended that students consult with Financial Aid if they have borrowing needs.
Degree Award
Once all degree requirements are met for an individual program, a student may petition for graduation from that particular program. For example, should a student complete all Doctor of Pharmacy degree requirements first, the student can petition for graduation from that program. Any MBA foundation coursework accepted in satisfaction of the 6 required elective credit hours for pharmacy will appear on the pharmacy transcript. Once the remaining degree requirements are met, the student will need to petition for graduation from that program. If the latter completed program is MBA, the student will need to petition for graduation from that program once all MBA degree requirements are met. Any coursework accumulated as part of the MBA, including up to the 6 credit hours counted toward the Doctor of Pharmacy, will be available on a separate MBA transcript.