PharmD/MBA Dual Program

Belmont's PharmD/MBA Dual Degree Program provides the opportunity for students to complete both degrees simultaneously over four years, including summers.

Once you complete your bachelor’s degree and all PharmD prerequisites, you can sign up for the Massey School’s Summer Business Institute (SBI). This will allow you to complete all MBA prerequisites over the summer before your fall enrollment in the PharmD/MBA program

Year One - Fall/Spring/Summer Terms

• You'll focus on completing PharmD core courses, including Health Care Delivery in the spring. You will complete three MBA core courses during the summer following your first year.

Year Two - Fall/Spring/Summer Terms

• You'll return to full-time study with PharmD core courses during the fall and spring semesters of the second year. In the spring, you will complete two MBA core courses with evening classes that count toward PharmD elective credit. Three more MBA core courses will be completed during the summer.

Year Three - Fall/Spring Terms

• You'll combine more coursework for both programs during the fall semester, including two PharmD core courses that take the place of two similar MBA core requirements and two electives that can count for both programs.

Year Four - Summer/Fall/Spring Terms

• You'll begin Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) during the summer before you fourth year and continue through the fall and spring semesters (which will satisfy MBA internship requirements). During this final year, you will complete your final two MBA core courses with classes held during the evenings.

In total, you will complete degree requirements for both programs with 166 total credits, of which 18 count for both programs.

A complete listing of the PharmD MBA dual degree curriculum can be found in the Belmont University Catalog.

Learn and serve outside the classroom

As a Belmont PharmD student, your opportunities are endless.

You can work in Belmont's on-campus pharmacy, research in the lab, pursue internships and volunteer in the Nashville community. Because of Belmont's unique mission-minded, Christ-centered community, students are empowered to make the world around them a better place.

Dozens of students in the College of Pharmacy live this out each year through mission trips across the country and throughout the world.

Student Organizations

At Belmont, learning doesn't stop in the classroom. Student organizations create more opportunities to engage and build meaningful experiences. There are many existing organizations Pharmacy students can join, or if you don't see what you're looking for, the process to start a new one is simple and streamlined.

Admission to the PharmD/MBA Dual Degree Program is competitive with limited seats available, and therefore, early application is encouraged. Available seats are likely to be filled before March 1. Applicants must meet admission requirements for both the Pharmacy and MBA programs.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants must meet the minimum requirements for admission  to the PharmD program and present a competitive application for the MBA program.

Applicants who are offered admission to the PharmD/MBA program must earn a bachelor’s degree and complete all prerequisites (for both programs) prior to fall enrollment. Applicants must have a reasonable plan to meet these requirements at the time of application.

Prerequisites for the PharmD are listed on the PharmD website.

Prerequisites for the MBA are listed on the MBA Website.

MBA prerequisites can also be satisfied through the Summer Business Institute (SBI). The SBI is a Belmont-specific 10-credit, summer-based prerequisite accelerated program designed specifically for individuals who did not major in business as undergraduates. The program runs mid-May through early-August, with class meetings on most Tuesday and Thursday evenings (6:15 to 9:00 PM) and Saturdays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM). Completion of the Summer Business Institute satisfies all Massey prerequisite course requirements, including finance competency. Visit the SBI website for more information.

Application Requirements

While this program requires only the PharmCAS application, all application requirements must be satisfied for both the PharmD and MBA programs.

Items to Submit Through PharmCAS

• Application for admission to the PharmD program, with Belmont University designated as a recipient
• Official transcripts
• At least two letters of recommendation
• Results from the PCAT

Supplemental Items to Submit

• A short email indicating your interest in applying for the PharmD/MBA program sent to pharmacy@belmont.edu. Once received, the Admissions Office will work with you to complete your application appropriately.
• Official GMAT score sent to Belmont University Admissions. The GMAT testing center will give students an unofficial score on the test date. Please fax your unofficial score as soon as you receive it to 615-460-6353.  We can work with the unofficial results for interviewing purposes. A GRE score can be considered if the test was taken in the last five years. The overall score must be the GMAT equivalent of 500. Visit the official GRE website for a GRE/GMAT conversion tool.
• A one- to two-page essay on how an MBA degree will help you achieve your goals as a pharmacist, submitted via email to pharmacy@belmont.edu.
• A current resume, submitted via email to pharmacy@belmont.edu.

Eligible candidates will be invited for separate interviews with each program. When possible, on-campus interviews will be coordinated depending on the status of application completion. If coordinated interviews or a second on-campus interview are not possible, a phone interview with a faculty member from the Massey Graduate School of Business may be arranged.

Acceptance to the PharmD program does not guarantee admission to the MBA program. Each review is conducted on an independent basis.

PharmD Accreditation

Belmont University College of Pharmacy's Doctor of Pharmacy program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education, 190 South LaSalle Street, Suite 2850 , Chicago , IL 60603, 312/644-3575; FAX 866/228-2631, website  http://www.acpe-accredit.org.

Learn more about PharmD Accreditation & Licensure

MBA Accreditation

Organized in 1916, The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) is the premier agency for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting. AACSB International accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide.

Fewer than 5% of the world’s business schools are able to adhere to standards that result in AACSB accreditation of their business education programs. A much smaller group, fewer than 2% of business schools (185) worldwide, have earned the separate, specialized accreditation for their accounting program.

Belmont University’s Jack C. Massey College of Business is the only private college or university in Tennessee that is accredited by AACSB International for our BBA and MBA programs, and our Accounting major and Master of Accountancy degree.

How many students are accepted to this program each year?
Admission is competitive with acceptance typically limited to five students each year.

What is the deadline for application to the dual degree program?
The deadline each year is March 1, but due to the competitive nature of the program, early applications are strongly recommended.

What is the tuition cost for the dual degree program?
While tuition costs can vary from year to year, the general model for dual-degree PharmD/MBA students is that candidates will pay normal tuition prices for the PharmD and would then be charged for a total of 8 of the 17 MBA courses, spread across the dual-degree plan. This results in a net discount of over 14% of what tuition would have been for students who had pursued each degree separately.

What happens if I have to drop out of either program?
Assuming you are eligible for continued enrollment at Belmont University, you would be able to complete one degree program without the other. No reimbursement of tuition or fees already paid would be given.

What happens if it takes me longer than four years to complete one or both of the programs?
Due to accreditation requirements regarding dual degree students, the program coordinators would work with the University Registrar’s office on the timing and completion of your PharmD and/or MBA degrees. Additional tuition and fees would accrue for students taking longer than scheduled to complete the two degrees.