The College of Pharmacy, in partnership with the OU Price College of Business, provides a unique dual-degree program offering students the knowledge and benefits of both a Doctor of Pharmacy degree and Masters in Business Administration within a shortened time frame. Students are informed that committing to the dual degree program will add another year of study to achieve their goals. However, obtaining two degrees in less time than it would take to obtain them separately will result in effective cost saving (5 years, saves 6 months). The objective for the dual degree is to provide Doctor of Pharmacy students the business background and skills that will allow them to enter management positions in the pharmaceutical industry and seek careers in a nontraditional pharmacy setting.
Providing an understanding of the financial aspects of pharmacy practice gives the student another essential layer of knowledge. An MBA skillset makes a pharmacy student more adaptable for positioning, whether in marketing, working with diverse groups, financial management, inventory management and billing. Students will learn how metrics can be used in strategic planning and business analysis. Additionally, the program allows opportunities for inter-professional collaboration.
There are many career options available for an individual graduating with a doctor of pharmacy degree including retail, hospital, ambulatory care, long-term care, managed care, pharmaceutical industry, and compounding. Having an MBA degree potentially opens the door to managerial positions such as director of pharmacy, supervisor, pharmacy manager, professional association work, project management, academia and health system administration.
All courses for the dual degree program are offered on the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center campus. Students begin the program at OU College of Pharmacy for the first two years. In the third year, students take courses both at OU College of Pharmacy and OU Price College of Business. For the fourth year, it’s a full schedule of business classes. Finally, the fifth year is spent on monthly rotations. OU College of Pharmacy ranks in the top 31 best pharmacy schools, and OU Price College of Business ranks in the top 100 best MBA schools. Pharmacists who are knowledgeable in both pharmacy and business administration are highly sought after in a competitive healthcare setting.