History of the School

The School of Graduate Studies and Research at Meharry Medical College began in 1938 as a series of short courses in the basic and clinical sciences. In 1947, a Master of Science Degree program was implemented as the first graduate degree, a PhD program was established in 1972, and an MD/PhD program in 1982.  The PhD program has graduated more than 208 PhDs in the U.S. and currently is the top producer of African-American PhDs in the Biomedical Sciences in the U.S .  The Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) Program at Meharry Medical College was established in 1974 and graduated its first class of one student in 1978.  To date the program has graduated approximately 300 professionals who occupy positions of leadership in many public and private sectors of the country. The Master of Science and Clinical Investigation (MSCI) was established in 2004 and has graduated four individuals who are at the forefront of clinical and translational research.