Fast Track, Postbaccalaureate, and Graduate Admission (Boston

NOTE: All candidates must refer to General Admission Policies for additional information including interviews, mailing address, and deadlines.

Fast Track and Postbaccalaureate Programs

At MCPHS University, Fast Track is used to identify options for transfer students to complete a bachelor’s degree in the shortest possible time. Fast Track transfer options are available for students entering BS programs in Dental Hygiene, Medical Imaging and Therapeutics, and Nursing: • Students who have already earned a bachelor’s degree (BS) in any field of study may complete a second bachelor’s degree at MCPHS by taking only the professional courses and related prerequisites. 60 credit hours is awarded and the MCPHS Core Curriculum requirement is waived upon admission. • Students who have already earned an associate’s degree (AS) in any field of study may complete a bachelor’s degree at MCPHS by taking professional courses and related prerequisites, plus any additional courses in the MCPHS Core Curriculum requirement that were not included in the applicant’s associate degree program. • Students who have taken college-level courses at another institution may transfer up to 60 credit hours toward an MCPHS bachelor’s degree. Students must complete a minimum of 60 credit hours at MCPHS by taking professional courses, plus any prerequisites and MCPHS Core Curriculum requirements that were not taken at the prior institution.

Students entering MCPHS through a Fast Track option must meet the University’s residency and course transfer requirements.

Applications are accepted for the following graduate and fast track programs:

Graduate Programs

Master of Physician Assistant Studies Master of Public Health Master of Science in Clinical Research Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy in Medicinal Chemistry Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutics Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmacology Master of Science in Regulatory Affairs and Health Policy Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research Graduate Certificate in Health Policy Graduate Certificate in Regulatory Affairs

Fast Track / Postbaccalaureate Programs

Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene (Fast Track) Bachelor of Science in Diagnostic Medical Sonography (Fast Track) Bachelor of Science in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Fast Track) Bachelor of Science in Nuclear Medicine Technology (Fast Track) Bachelor of Science in Radiation Therapy (Fast Track) Bachelor of Science in Radiography (Fast Track) Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Postbaccalaureate)

Advanced Imaging Certificates for Licensed Radiologic Technologists

Computed Tomography Mammography Magnetic Resonance Imaging Nuclear Medicine Technology

Requirements

NOTE: Additional program-specific requirements may be found in the individual program descriptions in this catalog.

Candidates for admission to all graduate, fast track, or postbaccalaureate programs must have the following: • An earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university (some fast track programs do not require a prior bachelor’s degree) • An earned master’s degree in a related field for those applying to a PhD program within the Division of Graduate Studies • An overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for graduate programs • A TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, Duolingo, MCPHS on-campus English Proficiency Exam (EPE), or ITEP for all candidates for whom English is not the primary spoken language. This test requirement may be waived on an individual basis for applicants who have attended all four years of high school in the United States (exclusive of ESL courses), who have completed four years of study in a U.S.-accredited, IB or UK curricula outside the United States where English is the only medium of instruction (exclusive of ESL courses) or have an earned degree (bachelor’s or higher) from a college or university within the U.S. or a native English speaking country whereas the program was fully taught in English. (Please refer to the International Applicants section.)

Preference is given to those who • have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better (on a 4.0 scale) with consistent performance of 3.0 or better in prerequisite courses and other subjects related to the major field of study; and • have volunteer, research, or work experience related to the major field of study.

Application

An application for graduate, fast track, or postbaccalaureate admission is reviewed when the file is complete. To be considered complete, the applicant’s file must contain all of the following: • Completed application, which may be found online for all programs (except Physician Assistant Studies) at www.mcphs.edu. All Physician Assistant Studies application materials must be submitted through CASPA. • Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended, including those outside the United States • Official reports of GRE and TOEFL, ITEP, MCPHS EPE, PTE, Duolingo, or IELTS scores, if applicable • One letter of recommendation recommended from faculty or work/research supervisors, which solidly support the candidate’s ability to complete graduate-level work successfully in the chosen discipline • For the Advanced Certificate in Medical Imaging programs, a copy of the applicant’s current ARRT/NMTCB/ARDMS certificate and certification number, a copy of the Massachusetts Radiation Control Program radiologic technologist license, and a copy of the current CPR certification • Master of Physician Assistant Studies Applicants - Students applying to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program must apply through CASPA (www.caspaonline.org). Candidates with international credentials must refer to the International Applicants section in this catalog.

Admissions Prerequisites: • Overall CASPA Verified GPA: 3.0 • Overall Science CASPA Verified GPA: 3.0 • Prerequisite GPA: 3.0

Transcripts

Transcripts must clearly indicate all credits and grades received and indicate coursework currently in progress. Degree(s) or diploma(s) that have been received, dates awarded, and major courses of study must be clearly noted. Transcripts can be sent by the institution electronically or by mail. If mailed in, they must be presented in a sealed envelope with the institution’s stamp or a college/university official’s signature across the closure. Photocopies and hand-carried documents not in a sealed, stamped envelope are not accepted. Official transcripts must be received no later than August 15 (fall entry), December 15 (spring entry), or May 1 (summer entry).

All applicants—including U.S. citizens and permanent residents—who have academic credentials from countries outside the United States are required to supply additional documents in order to be considered for admission.

Non-U.S. Transcripts

Candidates must submit official transcripts of coursework taken outside the United States to an approved credential evaluation service. Currently approved credential evaluation services are:

World Education Services (WES) www.wes.org https://www.wes.org/partners/credential-evaluation-requirements-for-the-massachusetts-college-of-pharmacy-andhealth-sciences/

and

Education Credential Evaluators (ECE) www.ece.org https://accounts.ece.org/TPO/MCPHS-AF

A course-by-course evaluation is required for foreign transcript evaluation. Photocopies of transcripts and test scores are not accepted. Official transcripts for courses taken outside the United States also must be submitted directly to the Admission Office in addition to the WES or ECE evaluation.

Standardized Tests

GRE scores are required (regardless of graduation date from a college or university) for the following programs: Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology, Medicinal Chemistry, and Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy (PhD only),

Candidates for whom English is not the primary spoken language are required to take the TOEFL, ITEP, MCPHS oncampus English Proficiency Exam (EPE), Duolingo, or IELTS. This test requirement may be considered satisfied on an individual basis for applicants who have attended all four years of high school in the United States (exclusive of ESL courses), who have completed four years of study in a U.S.-accredited, IB or UK curricula outside the United States where English is the only medium of instruction (exclusive of ESL courses) or who have an earned degree (bachelor’s or higher) from a U.S. college or university. (Please refer to the International Applicants section.)

Recommendations

Letters of recommendation must be sent from the recommender electronically or by mail. Personal copies, photocopies, or hand-delivered recommendations that are not in individual sealed, stamped/signed envelopes are not acceptable.

Interview

On-campus interviews are required for some programs. These interviews are by invitation only. Candidates who are invited are contacted directly by the Admission Office.

Graduate Transfer of Credit

Transfer credit for graduate-level coursework taken at other accredited institutions may be accepted for transfer toward a student’s degree requirements pending approval of the Graduate Council. Only courses that are clearly relevant to the student’s program of study and have not been used to fulfill requirements for another degree may be considered for transfer credit. A maximum of 8 credit hours for MS and 12 credit hours for PhD programs may be transferred for coursework in which grades of B or higher have been attained. In some instances, transfer hours received in certain courses taken on a pass/fail basis may be approved by the Graduate Council. It is the responsibility of the student’s Graduate Advisory Committee to determine the student’s comprehension of the material before such hours are shown on the program of study for credit toward the degree. Research credit from another institution cannot be accepted for transfer credit. Coursework must have been completed not more than two years prior to the date of the request for transfer. Transfer credit for all MS coursework, including research credits, taken at MCPHS is acceptable for transfer toward a student’s PhD degree requirements, provided that the coursework is clearly relevant to the student’s program of study.

Graduate Student Status

At the time of acceptance, each student is classified as regular, provisional, or non-matriculating.

Regular Status Candidates who have met all requirements for admission to a graduate degree program are admitted as regular students. The transcript must show sufficient and satisfactory undergraduate preparation in the major field, a minimum GRE score, and (if applicable) a TOEFL, ITEP, MCPHS EPE, PTE, Duolingo, or IELTS score. (Please refer to the International Applicants section.)

Candidates who are accepted to the MS track of graduate studies in the pharmaceutical sciences and desire consideration for acceptance to the PhD track may do so after successful completion of one full year in the master’s degree track at MCPHS. A candidate must submit a letter of petition to the Associate Dean of Graduate Studies carefully outlining his or her career goals and reasons for consideration. Additional documentation may be requested at the discretion of the Associate Dean or the Graduate Advisory Committee. Candidates will be notified of the decision by the Associate Dean. Those who are not approved will continue in the master’s degree track contingent upon satisfactory performance.

A graduate student is considered to have full-time status if they are • registered for 9 or more graduate credits, or • registered for 6 or more graduate credits while appointed as a graduate assistant for 15-20 hours per week, or