MCPHS University

History

Founded as the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in 1823 by fourteen Boston pharmacists, MCPHS University is the oldest institution of higher education in Boston. It is also the second-oldest and largest college of Pharmacy in the United States, preceded only by the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy (Now University of the Sciences in Philadelphia), which was founded in 1821. In 1825, the University published the First American Pharmaceutical Library Catalogue, detailing the effects of many pharmaceuticals. In 1852, the University received a charter from the Great Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to grant its first formal degree.

In 1918, the University established the George Robert White Building in Boston’s Longwood Medical Area, across from Harvard Medical School to serve as its main campus. In 1979, The General Court of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts approved a change in the University's charter to allow degree granting authority in the allied health sciences, and the University officially changed its name to the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Sciences.

The institution would later shorten its name to Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS). In 2000, MCPHS added a campus in campus in Worcester, Massachusetts and in 2002 it added another campus in Manchester, New Hampshire. Also in 2002, MCPHS acquired the Forsyth School of Dental Hygienists and incorporated it into the University by adding a Dental Hygiene program. During this period, MCPHS grew to include a School of Pharmacy, a School of Physician Assistant Studies, a School of Optometry, a School of Physical Therapy, a School of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing, a School of Dental Hygiene, and a School of Medical Imaging and Therapeutics.

To reflect this expansion and the diversity of programs it offers while preserving its well-known acronym “MCPHS,” the institution legally changed its name to MCPHS University in the spring of 2013.

As of April 1, 2016, New England School of Acupuncture (NESA) became part of MCPHS University.

Academics

MCPHS University is composed of twelve distinct schools: the New England School of Acupuncture, the School of Occupational Therapy, the Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Medical Imaging and Therapeutics, the School of Nursing, the School of Optometry, the School of Physical Therapy, the School of Pharmacy – Boston, the School of Pharmacy –Manchester/Worcester, the School of Physician Assistant Studies –Boston, and the School of Physician Assistant Studies –Manchester/Worcester.

The School of Pharmacy includes Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomedical Informatics, and Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Business programs. The Forsyth School of Dental Hygiene is the oldest school of dental hygiene in the United States and provides hands-on experience with on-campus dental clinics on MCPHS University’s Boston and Worcester campuses. The School of Arts and Sciences incorporates undergraduate programs in Chemistry, Health Psychology, Public Health, Medical and Molecular Biology, and Premedical and Health Studies. The School of Medical Imaging and Therapeutics offers programs in Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Radiography, and Radiation therapy. The Schools of Nursing, Optometry, Physical Therapy, and Physician Assistant Studies offer undergraduate and graduate programs in those subject areas.

MCPHS University offers graduate and doctoral programs in Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmacology, Pharmaceutics, Public Health, Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Optometry, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Drug Regulatory Affairs, and Health Policy. The University also offers post-baccalaureate bachelor of science programs and advanced certifications in Dental Hygiene, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Diagnostic Medical Sonography, Computed Tomography, Radiography, and Radiation Therapy for Medical Technologists.

College relations

MCPHS University-Boston is a member of the Colleges of the Fenway, a collegiate consortium in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area. The association promotes collaboration between local schools to enhance the variety of educational programs, to gain economics benefits through shared research, medical, and dining facilities and to provide students and faculty with the opportunity to study, live, and teach in a small college environment while enjoying the resources of a major academic environment comparable to that of a university setting. The consortium includes MCPHS University, Emmanuel College, MassArt, Simmons, Wentworth Institute of Technology, and Wheelock College. Students are able to cross register between institutions and participate in shared social events planned by the Colleges of the Fenway and various groups throughout the campus. Students may also live at either their school of attendance, or in the campus dormitories of the other member schools. The student and faculty environments of each individual institution, however, maintain their unique character and specializations due to the physical separation of each academic campus. Collectively, the colleges represent more than 12,000 undergraduate students, comprising 16.2% of the total Boston population of undergraduates attending four-year colleges, more than 700 full-time faculty and 2,300 course offerings.

MCPHS University-Worcester is a member of the Colleges of Worcester Consortium, a collaboration of twelve academic institutions which work to further the individual missions of the member institutions while advancing higher education in the region.

MCPHS University has partnerships with a variety of medical institutions to supplement its educational programs in the Premedical and Health Studies. Depending on which professional pathway a student follows, educational instruction may be provided by institutions such as Temple University for Podiatric Medicine, Drexel University for Histotechnology, Drexel University for Forensic Science, Drexel University for Podiatric Medicine, D’Youville College for Chiropractic Medicine, Ross University School of Medicine for general medicine and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine for veterinary medicine, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine for Dental Medicine, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine for Osteopathic Medicine, A. T. Still University for Osteopathic Medicine, Barry University for Podiatric Medicine, and Case Western Reserve University for Anesthesia.

International relations

During the last decade, MCPHS University has made great strides in developing and expanding its international programs. Today there are more than 800 international students from 60 different countries on the University’s three campuses, representing 12% of overall enrollment, which is projected to increase to 20% of the student body within the next five years. 37 full-time MCPHS faculty hold degrees from universities outside the United States, representing 25 different countries on 6 continents. Many faculty are engaged in international projects through the Center for International Studies and the International Center for Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy.

MCPHS University has affiliation agreements with universities and clinical sites in Belize, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Dominica, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Kuwait, Peru, St. Kitts, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Turkey that have produced faculty and student exchanges, international conferences and service learning opportunities The University’s Center for International Studies (CIS) is a network of individuals and departments that provides a spectrum of services to international students drawn to MCPHS University from around the world, and to US students seeking educational and professional opportunities abroad. The Center focuses on student success and global engagement, from enrollment through all aspects of the academic experience, and encourages collaboration among students, faculty, and alumni in achieving an international perspective on healthcare education, research and practice.

MCPHS University partners with the Colleges of the Fenway Global Education Opportunity Center (GEO Center) to provide students with opportunities to study and travel abroad.