Obtaining an undergraduate biology or chemistry degree and Doctor of Pharmacy degree will now take less time and will be more affordable for local students thanks to a new agreement between Georgia Southern University and South University. The “3+3” program between the two institutions is available now to current and incoming Georgia Southern students.
The reverse transfer partnership allows qualified Georgia Southern students studying biology or chemistry to complete a bachelor of arts degree in three years and progress to South University School of Pharmacy to ultimately receive a Doctor of Pharmacy degree in an additional three years. The pathway for the undergraduate to graduate degrees normally would take students seven years to complete; however, this intercollegiate agreement allows students to complete both programs in only six years and saves students the tuition costs of an additional year at Georgia Southern.
Leaders from both institutions believe the agreement provides a substantial benefit for students.
“The College of Science and Mathematics (COSM) at Georgia Southern has an established and proud record of preparing students to study pharmacy, with many of our students matriculating to our local pharmacy school, South University,” said Delana Gajdosik-Nivens, COSM dean. “This new partnership makes the pathway to the undergraduate degree and the professional degree seamless and streamlined, saving students both time and money. We look forward to the many opportunities that this arrangement will bring such as collaborative basic and applied research projects for our graduate and undergraduate students.”
“First and foremost this is a great opportunity and benefit for the Georgia Southern University students to receive their bachelor’s degree while on their way to earning their Pharm.D. degree from South University,” said Dean Arneson, South University School of Pharmacy dean.
“Students from Georgia Southern University can look forward to strong faculty support through the didactic and clinical experiences in the program and leading edge experiences among a network of South University School of Pharmacy students and alumni. Secondly, this strengthens the relationship between the two universities. During the negotiations opportunities for collaboration and scholarship have been discussed for both schools' faculty members and students and are in the process of being implemented. The South University School of Pharmacy faculty are extremely excited about this agreement and how it will benefit both programs.”
