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Ph.D. Program

Curriculum

Entering pharmacy graduate students must choose one of the three sequences to focus their graduate studies upon. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale must be maintained.  Coursework aimed at filling academic gaps in a student’s background will not count toward program requirements.

At the completion of this course of study and research, students will:

  • demonstrate the knowledge base expected at the Ph.D. level in their specialty
  • design and conduct independent research that adds to the understanding of their specialty
  • prepare and defend rational and structured proposals seeking support for research efforts
  • effectively communicate the results of their own research
  • be competitive for careers in academia, industry, government, or regulatory positions

Students choose one of the following sequences:

Social and Administrative Pharmacy

This sequence focuses on coursework and research skills that address the dynamics and complex nature of drug use and distribution systems. Students that pursue this sequence are advised and mentored by faculty members from the Department of Sociobehavioral and Administrative Pharmacy, a group of scholars whose specialties include among others, pharmacoeconomics and outcomes research, the economics of pharmacy, pharmacoepidemiology, data analytics, health disparities and special populations, cultural competency, patients’ decision making, public policy, social and behavioral pharmacy, biostatistics, and pharmacy administration (management, marketing and finance). Students are expected to complete original dissertation research in the intersection of any of these areas with medication use.

These courses are representative of the overall requirements of the program at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Curriculum Outline

Years
Course
Course Name
Credits
FIRST & SECOND YEARS
PHRP 7001 Health Economics 3
PHRP 7021 Population Health and Public Policy 3
PHRP 7023 Pharmaceutical Marketing 3
PHRP 7025 Pharmacy Management and Finance 3
PHRP 7110 Bioethics Principles of Life Science Research 3
PHRP 7120 Research Design 3
PHRP 7203 Social Measurement and Techniques 3
PHRP 7209 Pharmacoeconomics 3
PHRP 7211 Theories of Health Seeking Behavior 3
PHRP 7243 Research Design II 3
PHRP 7320 Advanced Biostatistics I 3
PHRP 7330 Advanced Biostatistics II 3
PHRP 7610 Scientific Writing 1
PHRP 7620 Research Funding and Proposal Development 1
PHRP 8301 Graduate Research* 12
PHRP 8400 Graduate Seminar* 4
PHRE Elective 3
THIRD YEAR
PHRP 8000 Dissertation Research** 24
PHRP 8301 Graduate Research* 3
PHRP 8400 Graduate Seminar* 2
PHRE Elective(s) 6
FOURTH YEAR (to SEVENTH YEAR)
PHRP 8000 Dissertation Research** 24
PHRP 8400 Graduate Seminar* 2
PHRP 8900 Dissertation Defense+
8

*repeatable courses

**Additional years may be required to complete the dissertation research. The curriculum for subsequent years is identical to the fourth year (maximum seven years allowed for Ph.D. completion).

+ this course is only available to students in their final semester.

Notes:

- Qualifying exams will commence during the summer semester of the second year..

- Graduation from the program requires the preparation and successful defense of a dissertation.

Drug Development (Pharmaceutics)

This sequence emphasizes the development of laboratory research skills and supporting coursework integral to the theory and practice associated with the incorporation of drug entities into the forms and formulations to achieve the most effective delivery of drugs to the site of biological and medical action. Students who pursue this track will be primarily under the tutelage of faculty members in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a group of researchers with expertise in pharmaceutics-related disciplines. Particular areas of expertise include a variety of drug formulations such as abuse-resistant formulations, novel drug delivery approaches, and molecularly targeted drug delivery systems.

These courses are representative of the overall requirements of the program at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Curriculum Outline

Years
Course
Course Name
Credits
FIRST & SECOND YEARS
PHRP 7004 Advanced Physical Pharmacy 3
PHRP 7012 Clinical Drug Development: Advanced Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics 3
PHRP 7030 Biostatistics 3
PHRP 7060 Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Design

 

1
PHRP 7110 Bioethics Principles of Life Science Research 3
PHRP 7204 Research Techniques and Instrumentation 3
PHRP 7229 Product Development and Industrial Pharmacy 4
PHRP 7610 Scientific Writing 1
PHRP 7620 Research Funding and Proposal Development 1
PHRP 8250 Advanced Topics in Pharmaceutical Sciences* 2
PHRP 8301 Graduate Research* 18
PHRP 8400 Graduate Seminar* 4
PHRE Elective(s) 6
THIRD YEAR
PHRP 8100 Dissertation Research** 24
PHRP 8250 Advanced Topics in Pharmaceutical Sciences* 1
PHRP 8400 Graduate Seminar* 2
FOURTH YEAR (to SEVENTH YEAR)
PHRP 8100 Dissertation Research** 24
PHRP 8400 Graduate Seminar* 2
PHRP 8900 Dissertation Defense+ 8

*repeatable courses

**Additional years may be required to complete the dissertation research. The curriculum for subsequent years is identical to the fourth year (maximum seven years allowed for Ph.D. completion)

+ this course is only available to students in their final semester

Note: Graduation from the program requires the preparation and successful defense of a dissertation.

Molecular Medicine and Pharmacogenomics

This sequence emphasizes laboratory research and the development of research skills integral to elucidation of the mechanism of action of drugs, as well as the extent and characteristics of those actions. Students who pursue this sequence will be primarily under the tutelage of faculty members in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, a group of researchers with expertise in pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, toxicology, neuroscience, and biochemistry. Particular areas of expertise include cardiovascular pharmacology, molecular pharmacology, central nervous system diseases, and cancer pharmacology.

These courses are representative of the overall requirements of the program at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Curriculum Outline

Years
Course
Course Name
Credits
FIRST & SECOND YEARS
PHRP 7006 Advanced Pharmacology 4
PHRP 7012 Clinical Drug Development: Advanced Pharmacokinetics and Biopharmaceutics 3
PHRP 7020 Experimental Statistics and Informatics 1
PHRP 7030 Biostatistics 3
PHRP 7060 Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Design 1
PHRP 7110 Bioethics: Principles of Life Science Research

 

3
PHRP 7114 Molecular and Cellular Pharmacodynamics 3
PHRP 7204 Research Techniques and Instrumentation 3
PHRP 7220 Advanced Pharmacogenomics and Molecular Medicine 3
PHRP 7222 Applied Pharmacology 3
PHRP 7226 Journal Club 1
PHRP 7610 Scientific Writing

 

1
PHRP 7620 Research Funding and Proposal Development 1
PHRP 8301 Graduate Research* 18
PHRP 8400 Graduate Seminar* 4
PHRE Elective(s) 6
THIRD YEAR
PHRP 8200 Dissertation Research** 24
PHRP 8400 Graduate Seminar* 2
FOURTH YEAR (to SEVENTH YEAR)
PHRP 8200 Dissertation Research** 24
PHRP 8400 Graduate Seminar* 2
PHRP 8900 Dissertation Defense+ 8

*repeatable courses

**Additional years may be required to complete the dissertation research. The curriculum for subsequent years is identical to the fourth year (maximum seven years allowed for Ph.D. completion).

+ this course is only available to students in their final semester

Note:Graduation from the program requires the preparation and successful defense of a dissertation.

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