Skip to content

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry/Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Chemistry (Dual Degree)

Location: Boston
Start Term: Fall

 As a pharmaceutical chemist, you have the power to help bring life-saving medications to market. In this program, you’ll earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in five years, instead of the six to seven years that it would take to complete two degrees separately.

 This dual degree program gives you the opportunity to work alongside professional experts in modern laboratories to gain experience in biotechnology techniques and learn the principles of drug design and mechanism of action. You’ll participate in research and internship directed toward a fuller understanding of pharmaceutical chemistry. And you’ll graduate with the experience required to begin your career with confidence.

The mission of the chemistry program is to provide a graduate with the intellectual, experimental, and interactive skills to participate effectively in the chemical sciences enterprise. The program grounds the student in the molecular perspective of chemistry and encourages students to extend their understanding through the basic precepts of the scientific method. It also fosters in the student the high-order professional skills of communication, teamwork, and desire to learn that are hallmarks of the successful, modern chemist.

  • To provide an opportunity for students to earn a BS in Chemistry in 4 years or a BS in chemistry/MS in Pharmaceutical Chemistry in 5 years, with a strong knowledge base in the general principles of chemistry as well as concepts and applications in pharmaceutical chemistry.
  • To provide opportunities for the development and demonstration of communication, critical thinking, information literacy, and research design skills.
  • To provide curricular and experiential opportunities for students to explore the wide range of career options or graduate training options within and related to chemistry.
  • To provide individualized academic advising and career mentoring for all majors from the point of entry into the program through graduation.

Freshman applicants can view their admission requirements on the Undergraduate Applicants page.  

Students with 12 or more college credits may transfer in to the first or second year of the program. Courses must have been completed at a regionally accredited college or university with a grade of C or better for transfer. Math and science courses taken more than ten years prior to the anticipated date of matriculation to MCPHS will not be accepted.

While there are no specific required courses for entry into the first year of our program, the admission committee will look for success in any math and science courses you have already taken. If you complete any of the courses listed below, you may receive transfer credit and your first year course load may be lighter. However, due to the block registration nature of MCPHS programs, entering the first year of the program with transfer credits will not change the total length of your program. Courses, other than elective courses, may not be moved forward in your schedule.

Required Courses For Entry to Year II:

  • General Biology I & II with lab (8 credits)
  • General Chemistry I & II with lab (8 credits)
  • Calculus I & II (8 credits)
  • Expository Writing I & II (6 credits)
  • Introduction to Psychology (3 credits)

Required Courses For Entry to Year III:

  • Organic Chemistry I & II with lab (8 credits)
  • Analytical Chemistry with lab (4 credits)
  • Physics I & II with lab (8 credits)
  • Statistics (3 credits) (Acceptable substitutions include Basic Statistics, Biostatistics, Psychological Statistics, Economic Statistics)
  • Speech (3 credits)
  • American Culture, Identity, and Public Life (3 credits) (Acceptable substitutions include Introduction to Sociology or upper-level sociology course)

Additional Courses Accepted for Transfer Credit:

  • Humanities elective (3 credits) (Acceptable courses include Literature, Creative Writing, Philosophy, Ethics, Religious Studies, Select Fine Arts, Advanced Level Languages)
  • Social Science elective (3 credits) (Acceptable courses include History, Political Science/Government, Anthropology, Upper-level Sociology, American Studies, Women Studies, Ethnic Studies, Geography, Economics)
  • Behavioral Sciences Elective (3 credits) (Acceptable courses include any upper-level psychology course)

Year I-Fall

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

BIO 150L

Biology I Laboratory

1

BIO 151

Biology I: Cell and Molecular Biology

3

CHE 131

Chemical Principles I (w/ lab)

4

LIB 111

Expository Writing I

3

MAT 151

Calculus I

3

FYS 101

First Year Seminar

1

TOTAL


15

Year I-Spring

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

BIO 152

Biology II: Biology of Organisms (w/ lab)

4

CHE 132

Chemical Principles II (w/ lab)

4

LIB 112

Expository Writing II

3

LIB 133*

American Culture, Identity and Public Life

3

MAT 152

Calculus II

3

TOTAL


17

*May be taken either semester.

Year II-Fall

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

CHE 231

Organic Chemistry I (w/ lab)

4

LIB 120*

Introduction to Psychology

 3

MAT 261

Statistics

3

PHY 270

Foundations of Physics I

3

PHY 272L

Foundations of Physics I lab

1

SSC

Social Science elective

3

TOTAL


17

Year II-Spring

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

CHE 232

Organic Chemistry II

3

CHE 234L

Organic Chemistry II Lab

1

CHE 314

Analytical Chemistry (w/ lab)

4

INF 210

Survey of Literature of Chemistry

1

LIB 252

Introduction to Speech

3

PHY 274

Foundations of Physics II (w/ lab)

4

TOTAL


16

Year III-Fall

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

CHE 717

Instrumental Analysis (w/ lab)

4

CHE 365/L

Thermodynamics and Kinetics (w/ lab)

4

LIB 512

Healthcare Ethics

3

PSB 331

Biochemistry I

3

BEH

Behavioral Science elective

3

TOTAL


17

Year III-Spring

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

CHE 340

Inorganic Chemistry (w/ lab)

4

CHE 367

Quantum Mechanics and Molecular Structure (w/ lab)

4

CHE 714

Spectroscopic Analysis (w/ lab)

 3

PSB 332

Biochemistry II

3

CHE 333L

Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory

1

TOTAL


15

Year IV-Fall

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

CHE 731

Advanced Organic Chemistry

4

CHE 755

Stereochemistry

3

PSB 346

Physico-Chemical Properties of Drug Molecules

3

HUM


Humanities Elective

3


Advanced Chemistry Elective

3

TOTAL


16

Year IV-Spring* (BS degree)

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

CHE 445L

Experimental Techniques in Chemistry

2


CHE 450

Pharmaceutical Chemistry I (w/ lab)
4

Advanced Chemistry electives*

5-6

TOTAL


11-12

* Students completing the BS degree alone take two advanced electives in the spring semester, but do not register for research or seminar credits. PSB 820 Advanced Medicinal Chemistry I (3sh), CHE 810 Heterocyclic Chemistry (2 sh), or PSB 851 Bio-Organic Chemistry (2sh) may be taken by BS students only with permission of instructor.

Total credits to complete BS degree requirements: 124 s.h.

Year IV-Spring* (MS degree)

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

CHE 445L

Experimental Techniques in Chemistry

2

CHE 450

Pharmaceutical Chemistry I (w/ lab)

4

CHE 710

Seminar*

1

CHE 880

Research*

3

Advanced Chemistry elective*

2-3

TOTAL


12-13

*Students continuing with the MS curriculum register for research, seminar and one advanced elective. Recommended MS electives are: PSB 820 Advanced Medicinal Chemistry I (3sh) or PSB 851 Bio-Organic Chemistry (2sh).

Year IV-Summer

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

CHE 880

Research

3

Year V-Fall

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

CHE 711

Seminar

1

CHE 751

Pharmaceutical Chemistry II (w/ lab)

4

CHE 810

Heterocyclic Chemistry

2

CHE 880

Research

3

TOTAL


10

Year V-Spring

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

PSB 801

Internship

12

Total credits to complete BS/MS degree requirements: 150 s.h.

Electives

COURSE TITLE SEMESTER HOURS

CHEM 347

Advanced Topics in Biochemistry (w/ lab) (Simmons)

4

CHE 435

Green Chemistry

3

CHE 470

Characterization of Solids

3

CHE 530

Undergraduate Research Project

2

CHE 810

Heterocyclic Chemistry

2

PSB 802

Chemistry of Macromolecules

3

PSB 815

Drug Metabolism

3

PSB 820

Advanced Medicinal Chemistry I

3

PSB 822

Enzyme Kinetics

2

PSB 851

Bio-Organic Chemistry

2

 

Our students learn from faculty who are leaders in their fields and are committed to the success of each student. Discover our full list of Chemistry faculty. 

 

Still Accepting Applications for Fall 2019

Apply Today 

Alumni Spotlight: Wenli Liang

Alumni Wenli Liang.

Now an associate scientist II at Biogen in Cambridge, MA, Liang reflects on her time at MCPHS, where she says she gained the skills and knowledge she would need to thrive in her future career.

Read more