Master of Pharmacy Leadership (MPL)
Overview
Advancements in the pharmacy profession and its educational landscape, along with new technologies and models of care have heightened the demand for pharmacists with leadership skills applied to organizational behavior and change management at the individual, dyadic, team, and organizational levels, facilitating collaborative practice, and leading public health initiatives and healthcare policy decision-making. The profession is primed for pharmacy leaders who not only lead but also support leadership development in others.
In this evolving landscape, a wide range of employers are looking to hire pharmacists who are ready to advance their public and private organizations and who are equipped to lead the profession within a healthcare system of evolving functions and complexity. There is demand for pharmacy leaders who can lead with a broad perspective of the healthcare system and a solid understanding of how pharmacy connects with it. Increasingly, pharmacy leaders also interact with policies that require a solid understanding of the processes and best practices involved in drug and clinical service policy decision-making, and of the interprofessional perspectives implicated in these decisions. Policies involving drugs and/or pharmacy services are developed, implemented, evaluated, and revised in the Canadian health care system in contexts such as: private pharmacy businesses, organizations that provide decision-makers with policy recommendations, provincial regulators, public drug plans, Health Authorities, and private health insurance companies. In order to engage in policy decision-making, pharmacy leaders need skillful assessment of the fundamental elements that influence policy-making in all contexts and settings, namely: evidence appraisal, economic evaluation, input from patients and other stakeholders, organizational culture and priorities, political climate, and commercial pressures. We developed the new Master of Pharmacy Leadership (MPL) program to meet this need.
The new MPL will be a new kind of program because of its unique curricular focus, flexible format to accommodate working pharmacists, online course delivery, and unique immersive opportunities within authentic professional settings. The MPL courses will challenge students to develop leadership skills while considering perspectives on policy- and decision-making within an environment that supports teamwork, fosters inclusivity, and models interprofessionalism.
What makes the program unique?
- Flexible duration: designed to be completed in 16 months although durations greater than this will be permitted to meet the needs of working professionals.
- Customized: A key feature of the MPL is the Capstone Leadership Project Course, a unique opportunity for students to align their professional goals with a special interest project of their choosing that, as part of a comprehensive internship experience, they will implement and evaluate within an authentic setting consistent with the nature of the project.
- Small cohort size: Enrolment will be limited to 10-15 students in each admission cycle. Each student will be provided with a highly individualized support system.
- One of a kind: the MPL is the only master-level pharmacy program in Canada focused on advanced-level leadership development for working pharmacists.
- The MPL is the result of a comprehensive and robust consultation with key health sector stakeholders and pharmacists to ensure the program provides the in-demand skills needed today to advance one’s career.
- A portion of the MPL curriculum is built around collaborations with the UBC Sauder School of Business, the UBC Faculty of Medicine, the School of Nursing, and other health disciplines.
Program Structure
The MPL curriculum will be delivered online with mainly asynchronous (and a few synchronous) components, making it accessible and flexible for working pharmacists who live and practice across urban and rural areas. Only a very small portion will be conducted in-person at the UBC Vancouver campus during the week of Program Orientation in September, at the outset of the Program.
The MPL is design to be completed in 16 months, although longer durations will be permitted to meet the needs of working professionals.
MPL students will be challenged to learn, expand their thinking, and grow through collaborative, interprofessional, innovative, and applied learning opportunities to address each of the Program’s learning outcomes. The main mode of curriculum delivery will be online, with mostly synchronous components. A small fraction of the coursework will require students to take part in in-person learning events, held during the Program Orientation in September.
The curriculum is comprised of 8 courses in addition to a Capstone Leadership Project Course that will include an internship, as follows:
- Leadership & Organizational Behaviour
- Leadership in Pharmacy Education
- Pharmacy Leadership Seminar
- Contemporary Leadership Issues in Pharmacy
- Interprofessional Perspectives on Healthcare
- Evidence Appraisal in Healthcare
- Economic Evaluation in Healthcare
- The Politics of Health Policy
- Capstone Leadership Project Course
Quick Facts
Program Enquiries
Tuition & Financial Support
Financial Support
Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options.
Employer support
Organizations may provide their employees with tuition benefits as part of an employment package to support lifelong learning of their workforce.
Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)
Professional / course-based programs usually do not provide merit-based funding. Some programs may offer bursaries.
Financial aid (need-based funding)
Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans.
All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.
Foreign government scholarships
Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.
Working while studying
The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.
International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.
A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement.
Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals
Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.
Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.
Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.
Cost Calculator
Applicants have access to the cost calculator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.
Career Options
Further Information
Specialization
Advancements in the pharmacy profession and its educational landscape, along with new technologies and models of care have heightened the demand for pharmacists with leadership skills applied to organizational behavior and change management at the individual, dyadic, team, and organizational levels, facilitating collaborative practice, and leading public health initiatives and healthcare policy decision-making. The profession is primed for pharmacy leaders who not only lead but also support leadership development in others.
Faculty Overview
Academic Unit
Program Identifier
Program Enquiries
Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update the application inquiries contact details please use this form.

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