According to the 2019 listing by BestValueSchools.com, the Master of Science in Pharmacology program at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) ranks at Number 5 of 25 in Best Value. The program is offered through the UTHSC College of Graduate Health Sciences. It is the first time the program has received the honor.
The Master of Science in Pharmacology program is an accelerated 11-month program. Students study scientific research methodology, pathophysiology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and drug therapy. Seventy-five percent of its graduates are accepted into professional or graduate school following completion.
According to the article, the main criteria used for ranking was “high quality, but low-cost” program. The current cost of the program is $17,057 for in-state tuition and $25,830 for out-of-state tuition.
“We are delighted to have been identified as a program that provides an excellent educational opportunity for students to further their careers in the health care professions,” said Alex Dopico, MD, PhD, University Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology at UTHSC. “The success of our program is best reflected in the academic achievements of its graduates. We are honored to have been ranked as one of the top value Master in Pharmacology programs in the country. This recognition will certainly increase, at the national level, awareness of the quality and convenience of our program.”
Other ranking methodologies used included the Thompson Reuters’ Essential Science Indicators database, which identified programs with high research output, as well as program accreditation status evaluation with the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education and the American Board of Clinical Pharmacology.
“This recognition is based not only on cost, but also on the scientific rigor and breadth of the instruction, said Donald Thomason, PhD, dean of the UTHSC College of Graduate Health Sciences. “I believe the value of the program is reflected through the success of student placement in professional and graduate programs. For that, we are deeply grateful for the dedication of the faculty from all of the basic sciences who contribute to program’s curriculum.”