Doctor of Pharmacy & Master of Science in Health Informatics

Curriculum

The Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Science in Health Informatics concurrent curriculum consists of 169-177 credits and is designed to be completed in eleven semesters. Below is the standard plan of study outlining the structured progression of coursework as you advance through the program. 

Year 1, Fall

Year 1, Spring

Year 1, Summer

Year 2, Fall

Year 2, Spring

Year 2, Summer

Year 3, Fall

Year 3, Spring

Year 3, Summer

Year 4, Fall

Year 4, Spring

• Student enrolled in the combined degree do not have to complete eight hours of electives.
• Minimum 320 hours of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience (IPPE) required by the college (300 hours is required by ACPE) will be satisfied by two four-credit (four-week) externships in the summers of the Year 1 and Year 2
• Minimum 1,440 hours of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) (as required by ACPE) will be satisfied by nine four-credit (one-month) externships in Year 4. Courses include: two acute medicine, one ambulatory care, one community, one health-system, and four electives.
• COP652 and COP653 in Year 2, Fall and Spring if COP650 or COP651 are not completed in Year 1, Summer.
• COP751 and COP752 in Year 2, Fall and Spring if COP750 or COP753 are not completed in Year 2, Summer.

Application Process

Students interested in completing this program should apply for admission during the Spring of Year 1 of their Pharm.D. program (P1). To ensure proper planning and advising, students should seek assistance from the Assistant Dean for Curriculum in the College of Pharmacy.

This program accepts new students each fall. Admission requirements must be completed and submitted to the MSHI Program Director prior to the beginning of May to start in the fall semester. Additionally, students will be required to submit transcripts from undergraduate and completed Pharm.D. courses.

Eligibility for admission is based on the applicant’s GPA, personal statement, and resume. Qualified candidates may be interviewed by the Admissions Committee and/or program director; the interviews will be held in person or via distance.

For more information about this program, contact Abby Swanson Kazley, Ph.D.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit the following to the MSHI Program Director prior to May 1 of P1.

• Letter of support: Applicants must receive a letter of support from the Associate Dean of Student Affairs in the MUSC College of Pharmacy based on Fall P1 GPA.
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended: Applicants must submit official transcripts, including completed Pharm.D. courses.
• Personal essay: All applicants must write a personal statement, not to exceed 500 words, explaining your interest in the program.

International Applicants

International applicants must satisfy all requirements listed in the Application Requirements section. Additionally, all international applicants must:

• Complete at least 42 of the 60 required prerequisite credits, including all English language courses, in person at a U.S.-accredited college or university. Online coursework will not be accepted.
• Submit a minimum score of 77 on the internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam. IELTS scores are not accepted.
• Submit a course-by-course transcript evaluation through PharmCAS using World Education Services for all coursework completed outside the United States
• Be eligible to receive a Pharmacy Intern Certificate under South Carolina Board of Pharmacy requirements
• Provide official documentation demonstrating sufficient financial support to attend the MUSC College of Pharmacy for one academic year in order to facilitate issuance of the Form I-20 for F-1 or J-1 visa processing
• Assume responsibility for obtaining the appropriate student visa if offered admission
• Acknowledge that eligibility for federal financial aid through FAFSA may not be available
• Submit a completed application by the end of January to allow sufficient time for processing and ensure that all required documentation is finalized with the Center for Global Health by the end of April for fall enrollment

MUSC welcomes international applicants and offers tailored guidance to support you throughout the admissions process.

Cost of Attendance

This table shows both direct and indirect costs used to determine financial aid eligibility. Only direct costs are billed to you by MUSC. Indirect costs are estimates of living and educational expenses that vary by student and are not billed by the university.

Scholarships

MUSC offers scholarships for which you may be eligible. Some are awarded based on academic achievement; others are awarded based on community service, for example. However, the majority of scholarships awarded at MUSC are based on financial need. This means that these scholarships are only awarded to students who need some financial assistance to cover the cost of tuition and fees. If you would like to be considered for a financial need-based scholarship, you must have an up-to-date Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file. Make sure you list the Medical University of South Carolina on your FAFSA form, along with MUSC's code: 003438. We encourage you to submit your FAFSA as early as possible. It is recommended to submit your FAFSA in January if you plan to enroll in the fall.

Competencies

Upon completion of the Pharm.D./MSHI program, graduates will be able to:

• Integrate foundational and clinical knowledge with informatics methodologies to design, implement, and assess health information systems
• Apply advanced data analytic techniques to inform patient care and system-level research
• Conduct ethically rigorous scholarly inquiry, demonstrating ability to generate, interpret, and disseminate findings in clinical informatics through scholarly publications or capstone work
• Evaluate health information systems through a systems lens, assessing functionality, usability, safety, equity, and impact on clinical workflows
• Collaborate effectively in interprofessional teams, demonstrating leadership and communication across pharmacy, informatics, health services, and administrative domains
• Articulate and adhere to ethical principles in informatics practice, including patient privacy, data governance, health equity, and responsible decision-support system deployment

Vision

To integrate pharmaceutical expertise with informatics scholarship for advancing patient‑centered, data‑driven health care delivery and research.

Values

At the core of our program, we are guided by a commitment to the following values that drive our mission:

• Compassion: We act with kindness, empathy and dignity.
  
• Collaboration: We achieve common goals through teamwork and partnerships.
  
• Innovation: We drive transformation by embracing new ideas, discoveries and practices.
  
• Integrity: We do the right thing and commit to accountability in words, actions and use of resources.
  
• Respect: We value everyone and their many perspectives to build trust and a sense of belonging.

Mission

To prepare clinician-researchers to critically apply health informatics methodologies and evidence-based pharmaceutical knowledge in serving diverse populations, advancing interprofessional inquiry, and informing health system transformation.