Specialty education for student pharmacists and PharmD graduates in U.S. colleges and schools of pharmacy

ObjectiveTo discuss the current status of dual degree and graduate certification programs offered by U.S. colleges and schools of pharmacy.MethodsThe websites of individual pharmacy colleges and schools were accessed, pertinent sections on dual degree and graduate certificate programs were identified, retrieved, and analyzed.ResultsA total of 63 colleges or schools pharmacy are offering 125 dual degree programs for 2014–2015 academic year. Master of Business Administration (MBA) constitutes 37% of the total dual degrees followed by Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) (23%), Master of Public Health (MPH) (18%), Master of Science (MS) degrees in different areas of specialization (18%), and others (4.0%). A total of 30 graduate certificate programs which include regulatory affairs, clinical research design, patient safety, global health, etc. are offered by 12 colleges and schools. Admission requirements and curricular framework of these specialty programs vary by program types and institutions.ConclusionDual degrees and graduate certification programs with a wide array of specialties are emerging, which allow PharmD students/graduates to acquire new competencies and expertise along with PharmD degree. While there are positive outcomes documented for some of the programs, further study is required to evaluate the impact of these programs on students’ academic and career advancements.