Curriculum & Sample Schedule

Curriculum is formed by three core courses:

  • Principles of Drug Action & Therapeutics
  • Translational Research & Therapeutics: Bench, Bedside, Community, & Policy
  • Molecules to Man: Past, Present and Future Therapeutic Strategies for Disease

Other Courses:

  • All Pharmacology students are required to register for the pharmacology research conference (GMS 6590, Seminar in Pharmacology) each Fall and Spring semester beginning in their second year.
  • All Pharmacology students are required to register for a journal club each Fall and Spring semester beginning in their second year. Students are encouraged to participate in other journal clubs if they wish.
  • The advanced program curriculum is flexible enough to allow the students to tailor their electives to the needs of their chosen research and can integrate coursework offered by other GPBS concentrations or certificate programs.
  • The required classroom studies are typically completed by the end of their second year, although opportunities to take optional, specialized courses in subsequent years are available.

PhD Candidacy

  • Ph.D. candidacy is granted after successful completion of the minimum required course work and a qualifying exam.
  • This exam consists of an oral defense of a dissertation research proposal written using the National Institutes of Health grant application format. The dissertation research project is overseen by a committee consisting of the supervisory faculty member and other graduate faculty.

Graduating

  • After finishing the dissertation research, the student presents their research in a seminar to the faculty at-large and then defends this research to their supervisory committee.
  • The typical student will take 4-5 years to complete the necessary requirements leading to the Ph.D. degree.