FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The University of Saint Francis is announcing two new partnerships with Manchester University for pre-professional students. In the field of pharmacy, USF students pursuing the associate of pre-pharmacy chemistry degree will have two seats reserved for each annual cohort entering the Doctor of Pharmacy Program at Manchester University. USF has a strong program in pre-pharmacy chemistry, as evidenced by its 100 percent placement rate of USF pre-pharmacy students that apply to pharmacy school or medical technology programs across the nation.
In the field of pharmacogenomics, USF bachelor degree science students will have four seats reserved for each annual cohort entering the Master of Science in Pharmacogenomics program at Manchester University. Pharmacogenomics studies the relationship between an individual’s genes and their response to medicines. This is a unique opportunity for Saint Francis students to get in on the ground floor of one the newest exciting fields of science. Students in the Manchester program can earn a master’s degree in as little as one year and then be on their way to a healthcare career.
These new relationships have been formed at an opportune time as USF students will begin using the newly renovated Achatz Hall of Science and Research Center in spring 2019.
“The Achatz renovations are about connecting with today’s students academically, socially and spiritually,” said the Chair of USF’s Chemistry Department, Dr. Andrea Geyer. “The new building will have state-of-the-art laboratories with classrooms built to support 21st-century skill development, including collaboration, critical thinking and communicating.”
Dr. Geyer added, “Our new classrooms will have the technology, the flexibility and the adaptability to mold to the needs of project-based learning, service learning and experiential learning, all of which are essential to student success in the careers of today and the future. Our laboratory spaces and instrumentation will allow us to forge new relationships with local industry that will lead to student internships, job placements and ultimately build relationships that will serve both the needs of our students and the Fort Wayne community.”
“We welcome this opportunity to further the studies of Saint Francis students with graduate-level programs at Manchester University,” said W. Thomas Smith, dean of Pharmacy Programs at Manchester. “Both Manchester and USF have rigorous programs that make this partnership a win-win proposition. Both schools have traditions of excellence and reputations for producing high-quality graduates who are prepared for careers in healthcare.”
Both the pharmacy and pharmacogenomics programs are based at Manchester’s Fort Wayne campus, near the Dupont Road Interstate 69 interchange. The school offers traditional and online master’s degree tracks in pharmacogenomics.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the School of Health Sciences, School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Keith Busse School of Business and Entrepreneurial Leadership and School of Creative Arts. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. In 2016, the University of Saint Francis expanded its presence to downtown Fort Wayne. USF Downtown houses the university’s business and music technology programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis campus experience includes 16 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships, and is recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution. Approximately 2,300 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.