ATLANTA — Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) recently signed a transfer admission agreement that will enable GGC students to receive priority applicant status for the College of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program.
Under the terms of the agreement, students in this pathway program will complete their prerequisites and part of their bachelor’s degree requirements at GGC before enrolling in Mercer’s Pharm.D. program. They will then be able to transfer back the first year of Mercer’s Pharm.D. program credits to fulfill the requirements for their bachelor’s degree at GGC. An advantage of the program is that it will save GGC students a year in earning their bachelor’s degrees. The program also provides enhanced advising from a Mercer pre-pharmacy adviser each year of their undergraduate studies.
“Georgia Gwinnett College has an established, successful record of preparing students for graduate studies in pharmacy,” said Dr. Chavonda Mills, dean of GGC’s School of Science and Technology. “With this agreement, our students now have a guided and accelerated pathway to Mercer University’s Pharm.D. program, saving them both time and tuition dollars.”
“This partnership with Georgia Gwinnett College will provide opportunities for GGC students to engage with Mercer faculty, students, and admissions staff through enhanced advisement and mentorship during their undergraduate studies, while also decreasing the total time for them to complete their degrees and enter health care as practicing pharmacists,” said Dr. Brian Crabtree, dean of the College of Pharmacy.
Representatives of the University, the College of Pharmacy and GGC gathered at the University’s Cecil B. Day Graduate and Professional Campus in Atlanta on March 29 for a formal signing of the agreement.
About the College of Pharmacy
Mercer University’s College of Pharmacy is ranked the top private pharmacy school in the Southeast, according to U.S. News & World Report. The college offers doctoral degrees in pharmacy (Pharm.D.) and pharmaceutical sciences (Ph.D.). It also offers two master’s degrees – in pharmacoeconomics and health outcomes and in pharmaceutical sciences. Founded in 1903 as the independent Southern School of Pharmacy, the school merged with Mercer in 1959 and in 1981 became the first school in the Southeast to offer the doctor of pharmacy degree as its sole professional degree. In 1988, the College launched its graduate program, offering the Ph.D. degree in pharmaceutical sciences. With an enrollment today of more than 400 students and a distinguished faculty of basic scientists and clinicians, the College of Pharmacy houses four 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. For more information about the college, visit pharmacy.mercer.edu
About Mercer University
Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a dynamic and comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate and professional education. With approximately 9,000 students enrolled in 12 schools and colleges, on major campuses in Macon and Atlanta; medical school sites in Macon, Savannah and Columbus; and at regional academic centers in Henry and Douglas counties, Mercer is ranked among the top tier of national research universities by U.S. News & World Report. The Mercer Health Sciences Center includes the University’s School of Medicine and Colleges of Nursing, Health Professions and Pharmacy. Mercer is affiliated with five teaching hospitals – Atrium Health Navicent The Medical Center and Piedmont Macon Medical Center in Macon; Memorial Health University Medical Center in Savannah; and Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital and St. Francis-Emory Healthcare in Columbus. The University also has an educational partnership with Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins. It operates an academic press and a performing arts center in Macon, an engineering research center in Warner Robins, and Mercer Medicine clinics in Sumter, Peach, Clay, Putnam and Harris counties. Mercer is one of only 293 institutions nationwide to shelter a chapter of The Phi Beta Kappa Society, the nation’s most prestigious academic honor society; one of eight institutions to hold membership in the Georgia Research Alliance; and the only private university in Georgia to field an NCAA Division I athletic program. www.mercer.edu
About Georgia Gwinnett College
Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) is a four-year, accredited liberal arts college that provides access to targeted degrees that meet the economic development needs of the growing and diverse population of Gwinnett County and the northeast Atlanta metropolitan region. GGC opened its doors in August 2006 as the nation’s first four-year public college founded in the 21st century, and the first four-year public college founded in Georgia in more than 100 years. GGC produces contributing citizens and future leaders for Georgia and the nation. Its graduates are inspired to contribute to their local, state, national and international communities and are prepared to anticipate and respond effectively to an uncertain and changing world. Visit Georgia Gwinnett College’s website at www.ggc.edu.
