Program Overview

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Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Science in Health Informatics

The Doctor of Pharmacy and Master of Science in Health Informatics dual degree (Pharm.D., MSHI) at MUSC combines pharmacy education with advanced training in informatics and data analytics, preparing graduates to harness technology for safer, more effective patient care.

Program Overview

Students gain expertise in electronic health records, telehealth platforms, clinical decision-support tools, and health data systems, while learning how to apply these innovations to reduce errors, improve medication use, and optimize outcomes. Graduates are equipped for leadership roles at the intersection of pharmacy and technology, where they can bridge clinical insight with digital solutions to shape the future of health care delivery.

Application Timeline

July 10 - May 1

Learning Experience

Engage in collaborative coursework, clinical rotations, and hands-on informatics experiences that prepare you to think critically and apply innovation across the continuum of care.

Curriculum

• Year 1:
  • Fall A (8/18/25-12/19/25)
    • COP601: Foundations of Pathophysiologics & Pharmacologics I
    • COP609: Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Pharmgenomics I
    • COP607: Dosage Forms & Drug Delivery Systems
    • COP615: Pharmaceutical Biochemistry
    • COP605: Intro to Pharmacy Practice
    • COP625: Pharmacy Calculations
    • COP627: Medical Terminology
    • COP620: Intro to Drug Information
    • COP630: Compounding & App Pharm Lab
  • Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)
    • COP603: Foundations of Pathophysiologics & Pharmacologics II
    • COP611: Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Pharmgenomics II
    • COP616: Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
    • COP618: Self-care & Complementary Medicine
    • COP640: Clinical Applications I
    • COP632: Intro to Community Pharm Lab
    • IP711: IP Foundations & TeamSTEPPS
    • IP: IP Concentration Course of choice
  • Summer A, Trailer (5/4/26-8/14/26)
    • COP650, COP651: Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Community, or Advanced Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience I: Community
• Year 2:
  • Fall A (8/18/25-12/19/25)
    • COP717: Clinical Microbiology
    • COP722: Biopharm & Pharmacokinetics
    • COP742: Clinical Applications II
    • COP713: Disease Proc & Ther I
    • COP715: Disease Proc & Ther II
    • COP732: Intravenous Admixtures Lab
    • COP735: Applied Pharm Calculations Lab
    • HIN702: Intro to Health Care Info
    • HIN704: Health Care Data-Content, Stan
  • Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)
    • COP720: Clinical Pharmacokinetics
    • COP725: Outcomes Design & Assessment
    • COP716: Disease Proc & Ther III
    • COP718: Disease Proc & Ther IV
    • COP733: Applied Health Systems Lab
    • COP744: Clinical Applications III
    • HIN705: Electronic Health Records
  • Summer A, Trailer (5/4/26-8/14/26)
    • COP750, COP753: Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience Hospital, or Advanced Hospital Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experience
    • HAP737: Organizational Behavior
    • HIN710: Data Mining & Analytics
• Year 3:
  • Fall A (8/18/25-12/19/25)
    • COP804: Healthcare Systems & Management
    • COP821: Advanced Drug Information
    • COP822: Disease Proc & Ther V
    • COP823: Disease Proc & Ther VI
    • COP846: Clinical Applications IV
    • COP834: Applied Community Pharmacy Lab
    • HIN719: Advanced HIT & Data Technique
    • HIN720: Current Issues & Advances HIT
  • Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)
    • COP805: Pharmacy Law & Ethics
    • COP836: Clinical Assessment
    • COP848: Clinical Applications V
    • COP825: Disease Proc & Ther VII
    • COP826: Disease Proc & Ther VIII
    • HIN706: Systems Analysis & Design
  • Summer A, Trailer (5/4/26-8/14/26)
    • HIN716: Ethical, Legal, & Regulatory
    • COP990: Board Preparation III
    • Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience
• Year 4:
  • Fall A (8/18/25-12/19/25)
    • HIN718: Capstone Project
    • COP991: Board Preparation II
    • Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience
  • Spring (1/5/26-5/1/26)
    • COP992: Board Preparation III
    • Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience

Eligibility Requirements

All applicants must:

• Be actively enrolled in the MUSC College of Pharmacy Pharm.D. program
• Maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher upon entry into the program with acceptance contingent on final P1 grades (fall and spring)
• Have working knowledge of word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and databases Preference is given to those with one or more years of health care or IT work experience.

Application Process

Students interested in completing this program should apply for admission during the Spring of Year 1 of their Pharm.D. program (P1). To ensure proper planning and advising, students should seek assistance from the Assistant Dean for Curriculum in the College of Pharmacy.

Application Requirements

Applicants must:

• Receive a letter of support from the Associate Dean of Student Affairs in the MUSC College of Pharmacy based on Fall P1 GPA
• Submit transcripts from undergraduate and completed Pharm.D. courses
• Submit a brief personal statement between 250 and 500 words

Funding Your Path Forward

Tuition

Fee Type

• Application Fee (per application): $65
• Matriculation Fee (upon applicant acceptance):
  • Domestic Applicant: $485
  • International Applicant: $585

Year 1 Tuition and Fees

• In-state Tuition: $13,413
• Out-of-state Tuition: $13,413
• International Tuition: $20,429
• International Student Fee: $2,500

Year 2 Tuition and Fees

• In-state Tuition: $18,603
• Out-of-state Tuition: $19,311
• Program Fee: $680
• International Student Fee: $2,500

Year 3 Tuition and Fees

• In-state Tuition: $18,603
• Out-of-state Tuition: $19,311
• Program Fee: $680
• International Student Fee: $2,500

Year 4 Tuition and Fees

• In-state Tuition: $14,286
• Out-of-state Tuition: $14,640
• Program Fee: $680
• International Student Fee: $2,500

Cost of Attendance

Direct Costs

• Tuition - In-state/Out-of-state: $26,826/$26,826
• Health Insurance: $3,780
• Program Fee: $0
• Wellness Center Fee: $300
• Direct Costs Subtotal: $30,906/$30,906

Indirect Costs

• Housing/Food: $18,096
• Personal: $1,920
• Transportation: $2,160
• Books-Required Expenses: $4,285
• Indirect Costs Subtotal: $26,461/$26,461

Total - In-state/Out-of-state

• Total - In-state: $57,367
• Total - Out-of-state: $57,367

Scholarships

MUSC offers scholarships for which you may be eligible. Some are awarded based on academic achievement; others are awarded based on community service.

Career Outlook

• Clinical Informatics Pharmacist: $142,584
• Health Informatics Specialist: $87,220
• Pharmacy Informatics Specialist: $150,197

Program Faculty

• Shane Ryan, MA, Ed: Assistant Dean, Curriculum - College of Pharmacy, Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy
• Abby Swanson Kazley, Ph.D.: Professor, MUSC College of Health Professions, Division Director, MS in Health Informatics
• Kit N. Simpson, DrPH: Distinguished University Professor, Director, Comparative Effectiveness Data Analytics Research (CEDAR) Core

Frequently Asked Questions

• Is there demand for pharmacists with informatics expertise?
  • Yes. The need for health informatics professionals is growing fast.
• What does this dual degree enable me to do?
  • This program combines your pharmacy training with cutting-edge skills in health informatics and data analytics.
• What career paths can I pursue after graduation?
  • With both a PharmD and MSHI, you'll be ready for exciting roles that blend clinical expertise with technology.
• Why should I choose MUSC for this program?
  • At MUSC, you'll study in one of the nation's leading academic medical centers with access to cutting-edge technology, diverse faculty, and real-world clinical experiences.

Living in Charleston

Charleston offers a unique blend of coastal beauty and modern convenience. With top-rated dining, scenic waterfronts and endless outdoor activities, the city offers an unmatched quality of life for residents.

Guided by Purpose & Principles

Be part of a learning community built around integrity, service, and innovation, where faculty and students work together to create positive, lasting change in health care and beyond.

Objectives

The Pharm.D./MSHI program aims to prepare graduates to:

• Advance scholarly inquiry at the convergence of pharmacy practice and health informatics
• Function as leaders in interprofessional and organizational contexts
• Contribute to the ethical design, implementation, and evaluation of health information systems
• Pursue innovation in health data analytics and informatics research

Competencies

Upon completion of the Pharm.D./MSHI program, graduates will be able to:

• Integrate foundational and clinical knowledge with informatics methodologies
• Apply advanced data analytic techniques to inform patient care and system-level research
• Conduct ethically rigorous scholarly inquiry
• Evaluate health information systems through a systems lens
• Collaborate effectively in interprofessional teams

Vision

To integrate pharmaceutical expertise with informatics scholarship for advancing patient-centered, data-driven health care delivery and research.

Mission

Prepare clinician-researchers to critically apply health informatics methodologies and evidence-based pharmaceutical knowledge in serving diverse populations, advancing interprofessional inquiry, and informing health system transformation.

Values

At the core of our program, we are guided by a commitment to the following values that drive our mission:

• Compassion: We act with kindness, empathy and dignity.
• Collaboration: We achieve common goals through teamwork and partnerships.
• Innovation: We drive transformation by embracing new ideas, discoveries and practices.
• Integrity: We do the right thing and commit to accountability in words, actions and use of resources.
• Respect: We value everyone and their many perspectives to build trust and a sense of belonging.

Accreditation & Recognition

The Doctor of Pharmacy component is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE). The Master of Science in Health Informatics component is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Health Informatics and Information Management Education (CAHIIM).