Students in Utah can get health professions doctorate degree in 5 years - KSL.com

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Roseman University students pose for a picture. Students pursuing a degree in health professions will now have the option to fast-track their degree through a new partnership between Snow College and Roseman University. (Roseman University)

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SOUTH JORDAN — Students pursuing a degree in health professions will now have the option to fast-track their degree through a new partnership between Snow College and Roseman University.

The two institutions announced an articulation agreement this week that gets rid of "some of the potential red tape that may exist and some of the hoops." Students will have a pathway that could see them graduating from Snow College with an associate degree in two years.

After that, they can move seamlessly into a doctor of pharmacy, associate degree in nursing, registered nurse or bachelor of science in nursing pathway program at Roseman University, wrapping up their respective degree in three years.

"So five years out of high school, potentially, a student can have a doctorate in pharmacy," said Jeremy Wells, chancellor at the Roseman University South Jordan campus.

Snow College Provost Melanie Jenkins said faculty members are "so excited" about the new opportunity.

"I mean, imagine that, five years and a student could have a doctorate degree, so our faculty were really on board and supportive of this idea," Jenkins said.

Jeremy Wells, left, chancellor at the Roseman University South Jordan campus and Snow College President Bradley J. Cook, right, sign an articulation agreement between the two institutions. Students pursuing a degree in health professions will now have the option to fast-track their degree through a new partnership between Snow College and Roseman University. (Photo: Jim Bob Pipes, Snow College marketing manager)

As a community college that Jenkins described as "largely a transfer institution," agreements like the one with Roseman University are crucial to the success of Snow's students.

"We don't want them to start here and then have to retake classes or, you know, move back a little in the curriculum in order to be successful," Jenkins said.

Along with removing the guessing game as far as students wondering whether their classes and credits from Snow College will transfer, the agreement is also a significant cost reduction for students, Jenkins and Wells said.

Additionally, the Doctor of Pharmacy program at Roseman is one of the only three-year pharmacy programs in the nation, Wells said.

Since most other pharmacy programs take four years to complete, students who've gone through Snow College and Roseman University with the pathway will potentially be in the workforce before their peers.

"It helps on the tuition, you're only paying three years of tuition as opposed to four and, you're of course, out in the workforce working that fourth year. ... So that's significant," Wells said.