Radford University, Appalachian College of Pharmacy establish a partnership
Radford University and the Appalachian College of Pharmacy (ACP) have entered into a partnership that will streamline the process for ACP Doctor of Pharmacy graduates to enroll in Radford’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.
Signing the cooperative agreement on February 27, 2020, were Radford University President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.; ACP President Michael G. McGlothlin, J.D.; Radford University Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Joe Scartelli, Ph.D.; and ACP Dean Susan L. Mayhew, Pharm.D. The signing ceremony took place on the Radford University campus.
“Radford University and the Appalachian College of Pharmacy have so many similarities when you think about a commitment to students, a commitment to excellence and a commitment to providing opportunities in bringing dreams to life, and that is something we are truly proud of,” President Hemphill said. “We know the faculty in the Davis College of Business and Economics will provide a world-class experience for these students.”
Located in Oakwood, Virginia, ACP is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and is the only three-year Doctor of Pharmacy program in Virginia.
“Appalachian College of Pharmacy is one of the nation’s finest pharmacy colleges. It offers a first-rate pharmacy education, and you will find that any students that we send to you for your business program will do well, “ACP President McGlothlin said following the signing. “Thank you for allowing them, and all students of our college, this opportunity.”
Through this new partnership, Radford will provide credit for appropriate ACP coursework and will work to determine and develop courses that qualify as MBA electives for ACP graduate students. A longer-term goal will be to identify or develop elective courses to make available to all MBA students at Radford.
In addition, a cost reduction will be available to ACP students through reduced program application fees and elective credits.
ACP students will be able to transfer course credits, with an earned grade of B or better, up to the maximum number of free electives allowed to earn an MBA at Radford University.
Admission of ACP graduates to the Radford MBA program requires each student to have completed an undergraduate degree with an overall 2.75 GPA or a cumulative GPA at ACP of 3.0 or higher after one year of study. ACP students with an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or better or an ACP GPA of 3.2 will have a waiver of the GMAT or GRE requirement.
In addition, two academic letters of reference will be required, one from an ACP faculty member and another from an ACP academic advisor.
Radford University will begin accepting ACP students beginning with the fall semester 2020.
“After completing their Doctor of Pharmacy degrees, many graduates wish to open their own pharmacies, and the Radford University MBA program can give them the knowledge and skills necessary to do so and better serve their communities,” said Radford University MBA Director and Associate Professor Gary Schirr, Ph.D.
The Radford MBA, offered through the Davis College of Business and Economics, provides a broad-based, cross-functional education in core business areas with target electives in analytics and innovation designed to prepare students for advanced leadership roles in both private and public sectors of the global economy.
“Radford University and the Davis College of Business and Economics remain highly-committed to serving the students of Southwest Virginia, and this partnership with ACP is another example of the same,” said Davis College of Business and Economics Dean Joy Bhadury, Ph.D. “It is our hope that through this partnership between our institutions we will better serve our collective students and thus the needs of our region. An immense word of thanks is due to our colleagues in ACP, as well as Dr. Schirr and our Graduate Curriculum Committee for working on this partnership agreement and making it possible.”
Radford University’s Davis College is among the few business schools in the world to achieve elite accreditation status from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). This accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools and is the hallmark of excellence in management education. Fewer than 5% of the world’s business schools are AACSB accredited.
Full-time students can earn an MBA in two years without taking summer courses. Part-time MBA students can complete the program online in as little as two years with summer courses.