Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Pharmaceutical Sciences

Application Period for Fall 2023 Admission Closed;
Please Check Back for Fall 2024 Application Information

To learn about the admissions process, please visit the Ph.D. Programs Admissions page.

Medicinal Chemistry Concentration

Students may study for a concentration in Medicinal Chemistry in the areas of (1) virtual drug screening and design; (2) high throughput screening and drug syntheses; (3) characterization of drug targets and developing of novel therapeutic interventions; or (4) therapeutic natural product screening and identification.

Pharmaceutics Concentration

Pharmaceutics is a multidisciplinary science that focuses on the study of the physical, chemical and biological properties of drugs and dosage forms. Cutting across the traditional disciplinary boundaries, pharmaceutics examines the relationship of drug properties to dosage form design, fabrication, evaluation and therapeutic efficacy. Students in the Ph.D. program's Pharmaceutics Concentration may develop research programs in the areas of drug delivery systems, drug stability, dosage forms, pharmacokinetics and drug discovery.

Pharmacology Concentration

Pharmacology is the study of the mechanisms of action of drugs and their effects on normal and disease states. It is a science based upon integrating chemistry, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology and physiology. Students in the Ph.D. program's Pharmacology Concentration may develop research projects in the areas of renal physiology, autonomic and central nervous systems, cardiovascular pharmacology, signal transduction, cellular physiology of exercise and aging, protein biochemistry, and cancer biology.

Clinical and Translational Research Concentration

This concentration provides a student with 1) a solid foundation in the basic principles of pharmaceutical sciences (pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, research methods & design, literature evaluation, statistics and epidemiology, and regulatory affairs); 2) in-depth knowledge in the principles and applications of clinical and translational research; and 3) exposure to interdisciplinary training in such areas as molecular biology, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, and others. The student will develop research projects to promote the translation of pharmaceutical sciences discoveries into clinical practice and utilize the patient bedside as a platform for breakthrough research.

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PPS Laboratory Tour via YouTube

"What is Pharmacology?" via YouTube (courtesy of ASPET)

Student Support

Almost all of our students (international and domestic) are awarded stipends from Research or Teaching Assistantships, and are reimbursed for all tuition and fees. Please see the Financial Aid section for more details.

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