Chapman University School of Pharmacy Receives Approval for Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences First School of Pharmacy in Orange County

Chapman University’s School of Pharmacy (CUSP) has received approval for a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). This status allows the school to begin accepting students for this program for fall 2016.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to have achieved approval for the Ph.D. degree after 12 months of hard work by our staff and faculty,” said Ron Jordan, R.Ph. FAPhA, founding dean of CUSP. “The Ph.D. degree will be in high demand for careers in the pharmaceutical industry, regulatory agencies and academic research institutions,” said Dean Jordan.

The program will recruit two students in the first year and then a total of four students per year with an eye on future program expansion. At steady state, the program will have 16 students. This falls in line with Chapman’s personalized education approach with small class sizes to enhance the student experience.

According to the California Biomedical Industry Report, California led the country in hiring based on the Biopharmaceutical and Medical Device Employment statistics from 2009 to 2013. The Ph.D. degree will strengthen partnerships with the surrounding industry.

“Locally, the prospects for jobs for our graduates is excellent given the number of companies located in and around Orange County,” said Dean Jordan.

“The Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences is a research-oriented doctoral degree. The program will transform the current training paradigm in pharmaceutical sciences by creating an integrated, interdisciplinary program that teaches students to identify and solve important problems in pharmaceutical sciences and become leaders in industry, academia, and entrepreneurship,” said Associate Dean of Research, Graduate Programs and Global Affairs, Keykavous Parang.

Applications for priority consideration are due April 15^th. The program is currently accepting applications from domestic applicants only, but international applicants are expected to be able to apply for fall of 2017. More information about the program is available at www.chapman.edu/pharmacy/academic-programs/phd-program.aspx.

“The program will also promote opportunities for collaboration with Chapman’s Computational Sciences department. By taking courses in bioinformatics and computer modeling, students will be learning to promote advances in drug development,” said Associate Dean, Keykavous Parang.

In delivering doctoral education, CUSP strives to create an environment based on strong scientific foundations. CUSP has built state-of-the-art facilities to promote a small-group, active-learning teaching philosophy and high-quality research. The research core facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art instrumentation. There are two core facilities totaling more than 5,000 gross square feet (gsf) with an additional 4,000 gsf for dedicated tissue culture, NMR, autoclave, supply/storage, procedure and environmental room spaces.

CUSP focuses on basic, clinical, and translational research. By fall 2016, there will be a total of 22 full-time, tenured, tenure-track, or research-track faculty supporting the program. CUSP currently has 16 faculty members with a Ph.D. degree and 10 clinical faculty with a Pharm.D. degree to shape its curriculum and activities in diverse research areas, such as Drug Discovery and Development, Medicinal Chemistry, Drug Delivery, Nanomedicine, Structure Biology, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutics, Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacogenomics, Infectious Disease, Oncology, Cardiology, and Proteomics.

CUSP received $1,401,398 for 2013-2014 in grant funding and is ranked by the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy as 52 in all grants, 49 in non-Federal grants, 22 in other Federal grants, and 71 in National Institute of Health grants among 139 pharmacy schools.

Established in 2012, Chapman University’s School of Pharmacy is the first such school in Orange County. CUSP opened at the Harry and Diane Rinker Campus in Irvine in September 2014 with the Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences degree program. The M.S. program is in its second year and has tripled in size since it opened.

Chapman University’s School of Pharmacy offers two programs: an M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences and a three-year accelerated Doctor of Pharmacy. The M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences Program is accredited as a graduate program under the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, and the Doctor of Pharmacy has been awarded Precandidate status by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The Ph.D. program will be the third degree that will be offered by CUSP since the school opened.

ABOUT CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL of PHARMACY (CUSP)
As Orange County’s first school of pharmacy, CUSP will empower graduates and faculty to develop a deep scientific foundation, the drive for lifelong learning, and the compassion to optimize delivery of health care for those with diverse and unmet needs in Orange County and beyond through inter-professional practice models and community outreach. CUSP creates the culture and environment necessary to conduct collaborative basic, translational, and clinical education and outcomes research and learning that make a difference in people’s lives. CUSP intends to become a leader in innovative, inter-professional and personalized education of future pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists and pharmacy educators, while being recognized for excellence in collaborative, impactful research, scholarship and practice models that advance global health. The program will deliver the Doctor of Pharmacy degree governed by the ACPE and lead to a license to practice pharmacy as governed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP). The school is located in Chapman University’s Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus in Irvine, CA. For more information, visit www.chapman.edu/pharmacy.

Consistently ranked among the top universities in the West, Chapman University attracts highly qualified students from around the globe. Its programs are designed to encourage leadership in innovation, creativity and collaboration, and are increasingly recognized for providing an extraordinary educational experience. The university excels in the sciences and humanities, business and economics, educational studies, film and media arts, performing arts, and law. Student enrollment in graduate and undergraduate programs is approaching 8,000 and Chapman University alumni are found throughout the world. Visit us at www.chapman.edu.

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