Dual-Degree Program in Chemistry and Pharmacy

about the program | curriculum | requirements

About the Program
Under the provisions of an interinstitutional agreement with the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS), Simmons College offers a seven-year dual major (double degree) program for Simmons students, leading to the BS degree in chemistry from Simmons and the PharmD degree from MCPHS. Interested students should consult the chair of the chemistry department.

Pharmacy is an integral part of the health care community and industry. The PharmD degree, followed by state licensing, leads to a variety of opportunities in community or hospital pharmacy and in research, development, and marketing with pharmaceutical and cosmetic companies. The dual degree program requires one year more to complete than a regular entry-level six-year PharmD but has somewhat more flexibility in career options, particularly for a student who becomes interested in research.

MCPHS, a member of the Colleges of the Fenway consortium, is located on Longwood Avenue, one block from Simmons and accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and the American Council on Pharmaceutical Education. It was organized as a private institution in 1823 to educate men and women in the profession of pharmacy. In addition to the professional PharmD degree, MCPHS offers undergraduate degrees in a number of health-related areas and research-oriented MS and PhD degrees in the pharmaceutical sciences.

The Chemistry/Pharmacy dual degree program is open only to traditional first-year students.

Curriculum
The curriculum for the double degree consists of three full years at Simmons, a fourth year that includes eight semester hours of independent study at Simmons with the remainder of the course work at MCPHS, and an additional three years at MCPHS completing coursework and experiential education.

Students fulfill the degree requirements of both institutions; no degree is awarded until the entire program is complete. At that time, the student receives a PharmD degree from MCPHS and a BS degree in chemistry from Simmons.

Licensure in pharmacy in Massachusetts requires 1,500 hours of internship (practical pharmacy) plus a state board examination. One thousand hours of the internship are arranged
by the student and are paid. The student usually begins the internship with summer or academic year appointments after transferring to MCPHS. The balance of the internship requirement is met by satisfactory completion of the experiential education during the seventh year. State licensing examinations are generally taken during the
summer following graduation.

Students interested in the double degree should talk to the chair of the chemistry department as early as possible in their programs. Early contact is helpful both for advising for the proper prerequisite courses and for identifying the total number of potential double degree candidates.

Students apply for admission to MCPHS during their junior year at Simmons through MCPHS’s normal transfer student admission process. Although MCPHS agrees to give qualified Simmons students preference, it is their right to determine final suitability for entry into the professional pharmacy program.

Requirements for the concentrations:
Year One
BIOL 113 General Biology
BIOL 218 Principles of Zoology
CHEM 111 Introductory Chemistry: Inorganic or CHEM 113 Principles of Chemistry
CHEM 114 Organic Chemistry I
MATH 120 Calculus I
MATH 121 Calculus II
Year Two
Chm. 125 Organic II
Phy. 112 Fundamentals
Chm. 126	Analytical
Phy. 113	Fundamentals
Bio. 221	Microbiology
Psy. 101	Introduction to Psychology
Year Three
Chm. 131	Physical
Eco. 101	Macroeconomical
Chm. 132	Physical
Mth. 108	Statistics
Chm. 147	Biochemistry
Year Four
Chm. 255-0	Independent Study and Thesis
Chm. 290	Seminar
Chm. 255-0	Independent Study and Thesis
Chm. 290	Seminar