Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy Programs

Our direct-entry admission policy sets USP apart. When accepted into USP as a first-year student in pharmacy, occupational therapy, or physical therapy, you are simultaneously accepted into our professional programs. As long as you meet academic standards, you won’t have to reapply to gain a seat in the professional phase of the curriculum.

Integrated Bachelor’s/Master’s Program

USP Advantage

At USP, students discover the academic richness of an entire university dedicated to the advancement of applied natural and health sciences.

To help you maximize your potential, USP offers undergraduate students a unique opportunity to pursue a master’s degree as a seamless extension of their undergraduate degree program.

Benefits

Through the Integrated BS/MS Program – offered through the College of Graduate Studies – you can obtain a master’s degree in half the time of a traditional degree program, giving you:

• A competitive edge when applying for jobs
• An earlier start to achieving your career goals
• Higher earning potential from the start

Opportunities

This is a great opportunity if you are truly focused on pursuing an advanced degree.  With a little careful planning you could obtain your master’s degree in just one additional year of study! Here is a sampling of our course combinations.

Eligibility

Bioinformatics BS – Bioinformatics MS
We offer an integrated Master of Science degree for students who wish to further their education in bioinformatics. For qualified students who complete the bioinformatics BS degree, it can take as little as one additional year of study to obtain the graduate MS degree.

Biochemistry/Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Chemistry BS – Biochemistry/Chemistry/Pharmacognosy MS
Students may take advantage of the opportunity to integrate their BS degree program with one of the graduate degree programs offered through the graduate studies in either Chemistry or Biochemistry, including the MS (non-thesis), MS (thesis). Students should consult with the Department's Graduate Program Director regarding the differences between the various options and the specific requirements that they need to meet in order to enroll in the Integrated Program. Students may apply to the Integrated Program at any point prior to the beginning of the fourth year of their BS program.

Biology/Microbiology BS – Cell Biology/Biotechnology MS
Students who complete the requirements of the BS degree in either Biology or Microbiology may finish a non-thesis MS degree with one additional calendar year of full-time study. The specific prerequisite of this program is successful completion of BS461. To be eligible to apply for this program, students should have maintained a 2.70 overall GPA and a 3.0 GPA in all biological science courses above the 200 level. Credits earned additional to the minimum 130 required for BS graduation may be eligible for transfer to the MS program. Students may apply to this program during the spring semester of the third year.

For information about the Master of Science program in cell biology and biotechnology and our BS/MS program, please consult the College of Graduate Studies section of the 2006-2007 USP Course Catalog.

Pharmaceutical Sciences BS – Pharmaceutics MS
A program is available for students who complete the requirements of the BS degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Students may finish a non-thesis MS degree with an additional calendar year full-time study. In order to apply, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and have a "B-" or better grades in all PH courses that are being used to fulfill the requirements for graduation. Additionally, during the fourth year students should achieve a combined score of at least 1100 in the quantitative and analytical section of the GRE.

For information about the Master of Science program in Pharmaceutics (Non-Thesis) program, please consult the College of Graduate Studies section of the 2006-2007 USP Course Catalog.

Psychology BS – Health Psychology MS
The Department of Social Sciences offers the bachelor of science degree in psychology and a combined BS/MS degree program that leads to a master of science in health psychology in as few as five years. Students begin to take psychology courses in their first year. By the third year, they begin focusing their program toward a specialty. There are 42 required psychology core credits in the major beyond PS101, Introduction to Psychology. These 42 credits are broken down into Substantive areas and Research Methods and Statistics.