Mercer University’s Doctor of Pharmacy Program is ranked among the top 6 pharmacy programs among private universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. The College offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and pharmaceutical sciences (Ph.D.). With an enrollment of 644 students and a distinguished faculty of basic scientists and clinicians, the College houses four centers focusing on research, teaching, and learning. The College’s creed, “A Tradition of Excellence – A Legacy of Caring,” frames its philosophy of providing excellent academic programs in an environment where every student matters and every person counts.

Videos

Key Faculty

• Dr. Brian Crabtree, Dean
• Dr. Candace Barnett, Executive Associate Dean; Professor of Pharmacy Practice

• Dr. Gina Ryan, Associate Dean for Administration; Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice; Director of Pharmacy Continuing Education

• Dr. Nader Moniri, Associate Dean for Research; Associate Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
• Dr. Susan W. Miller, Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice; Professor of Pharmacy Practice
• Dr. Ajay Banga, Chair, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Co-director, Center for Drug Delivery Research

• Dr. C. Lea Bonner, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs; Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice

• Dr. Christine Klein, Vice Chair of Experiential Education and Clinical Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice
• Dr. Martin D'Souza, Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Director of Graduate Program; Director of the Clinical Laboratory; Co-Director of the Center for Drug Delivery Research
• Dr. Johnathan Hamrick, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice; Director of Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences
• Dr. Lori Syed, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice; Director of Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Recognition & Awards

• The College is ranked in the top sixprivate pharmacy schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
• Student Pharmacists provided nearly 13,000 hours of health-related service to the community through the Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Program.
• The College received a coveted 8 year maximum accreditation term from the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education in 2014.
  
• Nineteen percent of pharmacy graduates from the Class of 2017 matched for American Society of Health-System Pharmacists residencies; over 60% of the students who applied for ASHP residencies matched. 
  
• Jason Gaines, Class of 2018, was elected by his peers to serve as the Speaker of the House for the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP) for the 2017-2018 year. 
• Kayla Harris, Class of 2018, was elected by her peers to serve as the Recording Secretary for the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) for the 2017-2018 year.
• Meron Mezgebe, Class of 2018, was elected by her peers to serve as the Region V Facilitator on the National Executive Board for the Student National Pharmaceutical Association (SNPhA) for the 2017-2018 year.
  
• During the 2016 - 2017 academic year, faculty published 33 individual original or other scholarly articles, and contributed to 108 research presentations, invited presentations, or workshops to regional, national, or international audiences. One U.S. Patent was also obtained during the 2016 - 2017 year.
• The Georgia Research Alliance awarded Phase 1 funding to the College to assess the viability of a new company formed by faculty, DD Therapeutics, which will focus on using drug delivery approaches to develop new treatments for central nervous system disorders. 
• Fourteen percent of the College of Pharmacy faculty serve as Editors, Associate Editors, or on the Editorial Advisory Boards of 24 distinct peer-reviewed journals. 
  
• The College entered into a collaborative agreement with GALT Pharmaceuticals to off a one-year Pharmaceutical Industry Fellowship that began in July 2017. 

Research and Labs

• Center for Clinical Research / Institute for Advanced Medical Research
• Center for Clinical Outcomes Research and Education
• Center for Drug Delivery Research
• Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning
• Cell Culture Laboratory
• Mucosal Proteomics Laboratory
• Analytical Development and Stability Testing Laboratory
• Nanosphere Technology Laboratory
• Biochemistry/Cell Biology Laboratory
• Laboratory of Receptor Pharmacology
• Drug Delivery Laboratory
• Transdermal Delivery Laboratory
• Isotope Laboratory
• Cancer Nanomedicine Laboratory
• Pharmacology Laboratory
• Clinical Translational Laboratory

More information about research at Mercer’s College of Pharmacy is available online at http://pharmacy.mercer.edu/research/. 

Tuition & Other Financial Information

Doctor of Pharmacy Program for 2017 - 2018
Tuition per Semester: $17,803 ($35,606 per year)
Technology/Facilities Fee per semester: $150 ($300 per year)

Incoming Pharmacy students with a PharmCAS-calculated cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.75 or higher are automatically eligible for a Dean’s Merit Scholarship ($7,500 for 2017-2018). Incoming Pharmacy students with a PharmCAS-calculated cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.50 - 3.74 are automatically eligible for a Dean's Scholarship ($5,000 for 2017-2018). These scholarships are renewable as long as the student maintains their GPA at the level required for the scholarship.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to determine a student’s financial need. For the Doctor of Pharmacy Program, most students receive funding through Stafford Loans and/or Graduate PLUS loans. Total Cost of Education used in determining finanicial aid includes tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, personal expenses, and travel expenses.

School History

Mercer University's College of Pharmacy seeks to prepare its professional and post-graduate students to effectively contribute to and improve health care through excellence in patient-centered care and research. The College of Pharmacy had its beginnings in 1903 as an independent college in Atlanta and was first known as the Southern College of Pharmacy.

In 1938 the College was transferred from private ownership to a Board of  Trustees and was operated on this basis until July 1959. At that time, a merger with Mercer University was completed, and the Southern School of Pharmacy became a part of this Baptist-affiliated institution.  

In September 1981, the Southern School of Pharmacy became the first  pharmacy school in the Southeast and fifth in the nation to offer the  Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.) as its sole professional degree. The University's first Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree was launched by the College of Pharmacy in 1988. Graduate students in the Ph.D. Program specialize in areas of pharmacology, pharmaceutics, toxicology, or medicinal chemistry. A dual Pharm.D./Ph.D. Program began in 1993, allowing highly qualified students to obtain both degrees in a shortened period of time. Students in the Pharm.D./Ph.D. Program are able to specialize in an additional area of experimental pharmacotherapeutics.

On July 1, 2006, the Southern School of Pharmacy changed its name to  the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. This name change characterized the College as a nationally recognized institution and provided the infrastructure to add future health science programs. In January 2008, the College began enrolling students in the Physician Assistant Program. In January 2010, the College started the first residency program in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy in the state of Georgia. The College began enrolling students into the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program in August 2010.

In July 2013, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences name changed to the College of Pharmacy as the College of Health Professions formed to include the departments of Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, and Public Health and their programs.

With an enrollment of more than 650 students and a distinguished faculty of basic scientists and clinicians, the College houses seven centers focusing on research, teaching, and learning. The College’s motto, “A Tradition of Excellence – A Legacy of Caring,” frames its philosophy of providing excellent academic programs in an environment where every student matters and every person counts. 

Throughout  its long history, the College has developed a tradition of excellence  and a reputation for producing outstanding leaders throughout the U.S. and in several foreign countries.