Master of Science
M.S. degree in
Pharmaceutical Sciences, thesis-option with research
opportunities in Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, and
Pharmacodynamics.
The thesis-based M.S degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences
requires the writing and defense of a thesis. Research is performed
under the direction of a member of the graduate faculty at the
School of Pharmacy following completion of appropriate coursework.
Students must complete a minimum of 30 graduate credits of
approved coursework (required and elective), as well as, six
credits of research, the results of which must be presented in a
thesis. Up to six semester hours of transfer credit for approved
coursework can be obtained from other schools, provided the courses
were taken within the last five years and grades of B or better were
achieved. The time limit for completing the degree is five years.
Doctor of Philosophy
Ph.D. degree in
Pharmaceutical Sciences with research opportunities in Medicinal
Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, and Pharmacodynamics.
The Ph.D. degree in Pharmaceutical
Sciences is available and requires the writing and defense of a
thesis. Students must complete 40 didactic semester credits
beyond the B.S. degree. Graduate students entering the program with
an M.S. degree in Medicinal Chemistry/Pharmaceutical Chemistry,
Pharmaceutics, Pharmacodynamics or closely related field must
complete a minimum of 16 additional didactic credits. All core
courses in Pharmaceutical Sciences (see
Table 1 of Core Courses) and 5 courses from Table 2
must be taken if not originally taken as part of their M.S. degree.
Written preliminary examinations based on coursework taken as a
graduate student and an oral examination based on an original
research proposal researched and written by the candidate must be
taken and passed. Once all examinations have been passed, the
candidate must prepare and defend their dissertation proposal
(register for course #9998). Following approval by members of the
Dissertation Advisory Committee the proposal is signed and the
proposal is submitted to the Graduate School with the appropriate
forms. Following the approval and submission of the proposal and
the passing of all preliminary exams, he or she is elevated to Ph.D.
candidacy. In addition, 12 research credits, six of which must be
taken as dissertation credits after elevation to candidacy, are
required for all Ph.D students. During the dissertation stage,
students must register for a minimum of one semester hour of
dissertation credits each semester until the dissertation is
completed. A dissertation based on original research must be
written and approved by the Dissertation Advisory Committee,
followed by an oral defense of the thesis before the Examining
Committee. There is a residency requirement of one year of
full-time study at the School of Pharmacy.
Course requirements for Thesis-Based MS and PhD
programs (Tables 1, 2, and 3)
Core,
required and elective courses for Ph.D. and M.S. students are listed
in Tables 1, 2, and 3. All graduate students are required to
consult with their thesis advisor prior to registration for
courses.
Table 1. All students accepted into the thesis-based
programs in the department of pharmaceutical sciences must
complete the courses listed in Table 1 (total credits =
13-14).
Table 2. With the approval of their advisor, students must
choose five (5) core courses from Table 2 (14-15
credits).
Table 3. The remaining coursework (for a total of 30 for MS
students and 40 for PhD students) may be selected from appropriate
electives (Table 3) as determined by the students’advisors.
Advisors can request additions to Table 3 by submitting a syllabus
and their reason to the Graduate Office.
Courses not appearing on the lists must receive
departmental approval prior to registration. Courses taken without
department approval will not count toward the credit total at the
time of graduation.
Ph.D. students must take 12 credits of
research, 6 credits of which must come after being elevated to
candidacy. All M.S. students must take 6 credits of research.
Approved Courses for Graduate
Students Seeking
Thesis-Based Degrees
Students must consult with their thesis advisors prior to
registration to assure appropriateness of coursework.
Courses not approved by your advisor may not be counted toward your
total didactic credit requirement (30 credits for MS students, 40
credits for PhD students).
Table 1. Core Courses
for Pharmaceutical Sciences Program (Thesis-based MS & Ph.D.)
