| Academics >> Degree Programs >>Doctor of Pharmacy/ Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program
Program Description
The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.)/Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Degree Program enables highly qualified students to obtain both degrees in a shortened period of time. This Pharm.D./Ph.D. Degree program is designed primarily for students who are strongly motivated toward an academic/ research career in the pharmaceutical sciences. The Program is flexible enough to accommodate individuals of varied educational backgrounds. The actual time required for completion of the Program depends on the individual qualifications and interests of the student.
Pharmacotherapeutics Specialization
An experimental pharmacotherapeutics specialization has been integrated with Mercer’s graduate program leading to the dual Pharm.D. and Ph.D. degrees in pharmaceutical sciences. This program will address clinically relevant issues in pharmacotherapeutics and include clinical investigations involving patients or healthy volunteers.
Admission Requirements
Please view the admissions page for more information.
Program Requirements
Upon acceptance into the Pharm.D./Ph.D.
Degree Program, an advisor from the faculty of
the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences will
be assigned to the student. The advisor will
schedule the program of study until the student
selects a major professor. The specific program
selected will be determined by the student's
previous academic history as well as by the
Departmental requirements of the Ph.D. program.
The structure of the Pharm.D./Ph.D. Degree
Program differs from that of the Pharm.D.
program in several respects.
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During the first year, the student’s
research capability and commitment will be
assessed through documented evaluation by the research
advisor after the end of the 1st semester, 2nd semester,
and again at the end of the 1st summer, with oversight
of the Student Advisory Committee as well as the
Director of Graduate Studies and Department Chair.
Additionally, Pharm.D./Ph.D. students will complete a
self assessment of their first year and present their
first year research results at the end of the first
summer as a requirement for progression. At the end of
the first year, if progress is determined to be
unsatisfactory, the student has the option of changing
dissertation advisors, if one is willing to take them.
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Pharm.D./Ph.D. students will take Ph.D.
core coursres in place of professional
electives that simultaneously satisfy the
requirements of both the Pharm.D. electives
and the Ph.D. program.
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Pharm.D./Ph.D. students are exempt from
the following Ph.D. core courses: PHA 816
(Dosage Forms and Drug Delivery Systems - 2
hours), PHA 817 (Pharmacokinetics - 3
hours), and PHA 818 (Principles of Drug
Action - 3 hours).
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Pharm.D./Ph.D. students are exempt from one elective Advanced Pharmacy
Practice Experience (5 hrs). Dual degree students are required to complete
seven Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs) following completion
of the required Pharm.D. didactic courses. Five (5) APPEs are required in the
areas of Community Pharmacy, Institutional Pharmacy, Acute Care (2), and
Primary Care. Two (2) APPEs are electives. Pharm.D./Ph.D. students may elect
to use their elective rotations to begin their research project by registering for PHA
696 (Research – 5 hrs). The APPE schedule is to be set in the program of study
and verified by the Director of Experiential Education. All changes to the APPE
schedule must be made with the Director of Experiential Education one year in
advance. The final APPE rotation must be followed by completion of the PHA 650
capstone at the first availability.
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The student is expected to participate in Graduate Seminar throughout their matriculation and to enroll for credit in the
summer semester beginning with Year 3.
Following completion of the third year, the
student focuses on the research component of the curriculum. With the exception of the Advanced Practice Experiences, the student should have completed all prerequisite and core courses by this time.
Students admitted to the Pharm.D./Ph.D. degree
program are expected to complete all program requirements. Should a student decide to withdraw from the
dual degree program, they must reapply for admission to
either program separately, and, if accepted, they must
fulfill all requirements of either program individually.
Financial Arrangements
Students who are enrolled in the Pharm.D./Ph.D. Degree Program will pay full tuition for the first three years. Tuition waiver will be granted for the remainder of the program, normally the fourth through seventh years. Students will be encouraged to apply for extramural funding of their educational program. Departmental stipends will be awarded on a competitive basis for years 4-7, subject to availability. Stipend support beyond this time will be based on extramural funding. Financial support through tuition waiver or stipends is provided based on contribution to the teaching program as described in departmental policies.
For more information or assistance contact us: pharmsciphd@mercer.edu, (678) 547-6730 or pharmd@mercer.edu, (678) 547-6232
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