Careers in pharmacy increasingly require both clinical knowledge and business savvy. To meet this need, the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy has partnered with the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School to offer a five-year PharmD/MBA dual-degree program. The program will prepare students for highly competitive management and administrative positions in the business and pharmacy, as well as help them improve their skills in problem-solving, leadership, communication, and writing.

Students in the UNC PharmD/MBA program will receive their education from two schools that are among the leading institutions in their respective fields. Most graduates of the dual-degree program will likely pursue careers in the health-care or pharmaceutical industries. Experience from other PharmD/MBA programs have shown that graduates of such programs will have a competitive edge in the interview process and higher compensation packages than PharmD-only degree holders.

Application

The PharmD/MBA program at UNC will accept up to five students per year. To enroll in the program, students must first apply to and be accepted by the PharmD program at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. Then, in the fall semester of their second year in the PharmD program, the students will apply to the MBA program at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School. To help ensure success for the student, potential applicants should meet with the director of the dual-degree program in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy to obtain official approval before applying to the MBA program. If accepted, they will start taking MBA courses in their third year.

Curriculum

• Year 1: PharmD curriculum
• Year 2: PharmD curriculum. Apply to the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School during the fall semester.
• Year 3: Core and elective MBA courses
• Year 4: PharmD curriculum plus MBA elective modules
• Year 5: PharmD experiential training

Tuition

Tuition is billed according to the school in which the student is taking the majority of credits for each semester:

• Year 1: Tuition billed for the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
• Year 2: Tuition billed for the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy
• Year 3: Tuition billed for the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
• Year 4: Tuition billed for the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School for the first semester, and for the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy in the second semester.
• Year 5: Tuition billed for the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy

Note: Given the demanding nature of the PharmD/MBA curriculum, we strongly recommend that students in the program do not work during their third or fourth year so that they may devote their time to the required studies. Students in the program must receive permission from one of the key faculty members if they wish to work part-time.

Contact

Stephen Eckel
Clinical assistant professor
Faculty liaison in the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy for the PharmD/MBA program
seckel@unch.unc.edu

Michael Stepanek
MBA Program Director
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School
Michael_Stepanek@unc.edu