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The Gatton College of Pharmacy and the College of Business and Technology at East Tennessee State University provide an articulated, dual degree program where eligible students can obtain the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) degrees concurrently. The PharmD-MBA should be especially appealing for students who want to gain a broader perspective on business that will strengthen graduates’ ability to conduct and interpret pharmacy management issues. It will also open up opportunities for leadership, and it will give graduates a better appreciation of the business side of pharmacy within various health care settings.

Qualifications

Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher to be considered for admission to the articulated, dual degree program. The GMAT may be required. (The BS in Pharmacy Studies may be an option for students entering the PharmD program without a bachelor’s degree.)

 Application

The preferred application deadline for the PharmD-MBA program is March 1 of the first professional year; however, applications may be accepted after the deadline. Applicants should first inform the Gatton College of Pharmacy Office of Academic Affairs regarding their intent to apply followed by submission of the following items to the GCOP Office of Student Affairs:

• A School of Graduate Studies application to the MBA program, available at the ETSU School of Graduate Studies
  
• Application fee will be paid to the School of Graduate Studies.
• A personal essay of 150-300 words detailing the applicant’s reasons for pursuing the articulated PharmD-MBA program

Program Structure

The PharmD curricular structure is available on the Curriculum page.

Students enrolled in the articulated PharmD-MBA dual degree program must complete three courses (9 credit hours) with grades of B or better as part of the required PharmD curriculum; these pharmacy courses serve as 2 AMBA electives and the AMBA statistics course. Enrolled PharmD-MBA students also complete 9 courses (27 credit hours) within the College of Business and Technology’s Accelerated MBA Program. PharmD students may also be required to complete the online MBA "boot camp" (non-credit, no cost) to fulfill prerequisites for the AMBA courses.

Program Cost

Tuition and fees are determined by the College of Business and Technology. Students pay tuition and fees on a per-course basis. The tuition amount is prorated based on the total AMBA program cost. Pharmacy and Business/Technology scholarships may be available to offset the AMBA tuition.

PharmD/MBA Curricular Timeline

A timeline for completion of both degrees is available here.