Pharmaceutical Sciences Program
The Department of Pharmaceutical Science has a student-centered curriculum, as well as a strong undergraduate and graduate research program. These opportunities prepare graduates for academic, industry and research careers in the U.S. and other countries.
The M.S. program is designed to prepare graduates to pursue an advanced degree program and to obtain employment in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, research institutions and regulatory agencies.
The M.S. curriculum is stackable with the Ph.D. program in pharmaceutical sciences for students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. degree if selected.
The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences offers both a stand-alone Ph.D. program in pharmaceutical sciences and a combined PharmD/Ph.D. program. A limited number of competitive graduate assistantships, typically ranging from 1 to 3 per year, are available. These assistantships also come with a full tuition waiver for graduate assistants.
Application and Tuition Information
Application information, including information related to application materials, application deadlines, tuition and financial support are available on the Application and Tuition Information.
Can I apply for Spring or Summer semester?
Unless there is a need, the department generally accepts Ph.D. applications for fall semester only.
M.S. admissions are only for fall semester.
Will I be notified when my application materials have arrived to the department?
The department does not send acknowledgments upon receipt of applications. You will be informed by e-mail by the Graduate School if you are missing required application materials. It is your responsibility to ensure the arrival of all required documents. Please note that your application will not be forwarded to the department by the Graduate School for review until all the required documents have been received by the Graduate School.
How do you select students?
The following basic criteria are used to evaluate applicants:
M.S. Programs: The admission is based on the students cumulative GPA in undergraduate or graduate studies, Relevant Science Coursework, Reference letters, essay, primary research/work experience and interview.
Ph.D. Program: The selection is primarily based on the nature and quality of the student’s research experience and its fit to the available projects, their motivation and commitment to graduate studies as relayed in essay/personal statement and interview and their communication skills.
**All admissions decisions are contingent on confirmation that a US-equivalent bachelor’s is conferred.
How will I be notified of my admission status?
Once a decision has been made by the admissions committee, you’ll receive an e-mail notification from the department or graduate school. Please inform the Graduate School and the department of any changes in your contact information.
Does the department require prerequisite coursework?
The following prerequisites are the courses required for admission to our graduate program:
- Two semesters of general chemistry.
- Two semesters of organic chemistry.
- One semester of biochemistry.
In some instances, applicants who have not had prerequisites at the undergraduate level may be allowed to enroll and make up such a deficiency during their first year in the program.
**All admissions decisions are contingent on confirmation that a U.S.-equivalent bachelor’s is conferred.
Can I apply with a specific professor or research group?
In general, applications are made to the department graduate program, not to an individual professor or research group. However, faculty with funding are allowed to select their own students who meet the minimum requirements; the selection needs to be approved by the Pharmaceutical Sciences Academic Affairs and Admissions Committee.
