On graduation, you can receive both the PharmD and Master of Studies in Law, Health Law and Compliance degrees in the same semester. In this program, you must complete the MS in Law within seven academic years of the original date of admission to the program.
You will have two separate grade point averages, one for MS in Law and one for pharmacy. Pharmacy school ranking and percentiles will be based on the pharmacy-only GPA. Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA in the M.S. in Law program to be in good standing. Students may not earn a grade below “C” in any law course to progress in the MS in Law program. For complete details and additional MS in Law program academic policies, please refer to the law program’s website. Pharmacy students no longer interested in completing the MS in Law program must communicate with the McWhorter School of Pharmacy Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.
Students may register for a maximum of 21 credits per full semester. If desired, you may petition the associate dean of academic affairs to exceed this maximum course load.
You may choose to drop the joint degree in order to earn the PharmD degree earlier. The Cumberland School of Law will accept shared credit from the pharmacy school upon later readmission to the MS in Law program as long as the student:
- Began the joint degree before graduating with the PharmD
- Was in good standing with the Cumberland School of Law
- Requests readmission to restart MS in Law courses within 18 months after PharmD graduation
To be considered for the joint PharmD/MS in Law program, you must first be accepted to both McWhorter School of Pharmacy and Cumberland School of Law. For detailed information on applying to McWhorter School of Pharmacy, visit our admission page for details on the process and required documentation.
Pharmacy students need to have a pharmacy cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 to apply for admission to the MS in Law degree program. The GRE and GMAT are not required.
The application deadline is April 1.
Upon completion of the MS in Law program, students will:
- Utilize legal databases to access the primary sources of health care law in the United States: statutes, regulations and court decisions
- Analyze key issues in health policy and compliance from ethical, legal and economic perspectives
- Interpret and evaluate cost effectiveness and outcomes studies for use in health care management decision making
- Communicate complex ideas, orally and in writing, using legal, medical and industry-specific terminology
- Implement the basic components of an effective corporate compliance program in health care.
- Implement safeguards for privacy and security pursuant to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
- Continuously adapt to the evolving health system in the United States, as transformed by the Affordable Care Act
- Prepare students for advancement in compliance management roles in health care organizations
- Provide leadership in the enhancement of patient safety and quality improvement
