Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Pharmaceutics or Pharmacology/Medicinal Chemistry

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Pharmacology and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Pharmaceutics degree programs emphasize independent research that focuses on the in-depth study of a pharmacological or pharmaceutical problem in each student's chosen research specialty area. These degree programs allow students to master the skills necessary for careers in academia, industry and government.

Pharmacology emphasizes molecular and cellular aspects of pharmacological research to understand function at the cellular, organ and whole body level. Areas of research emphasis in the department include cardiovascular/renal pharmacology, cellular signalling and transport, traditional medicine and natural products, and neuropharmacology. Students in the Pharmacology program may develop research programs in the areas of renal, autonomic, central nervous system, cardiovascular pharmacology, signal transduction, cellular physiology of exercise and aging, protein biochemistry or medicinal chemistry of natural products.

Pharmacology/Medicinal Chemistry encompasses the search for, design of and synthesis of new drug entities, structural analysis of drugs, structure-activity relationships, interactions between drugs and molecular targets, natural product chemistry and aspects of drug metabolism.

Pharmaceutics emphasizes development of novel drug delivery methods, absorption, metabolism and drug formulations. Early course work provides a solid foundation in pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, physical pharmacy, dosage formulation and delivery systems. Areas of research interest include oral dosage formulations, transdermal and liposomal drug delivery, therapeutic DNA delivery, absorption and metabolism, and pharmacokinetics. Students in the Pharmaceutics program may develop research programs in the areas of drug delivery systems, drug stability, dosage forms and pharmacokinetics.

For more information, please visit the Pharmacology & Pharmaceutics section.

Ph.D. in Pharmacy Administration and M.S. with Residency in Pharmacy Administration

The mission of the Pharmacy Administration graduate programs is to advance research and development in the field of pharmacy administration to enhance the safe and effective delivery of pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical care. Graduate students are trained to conduct theory-based, systematic and scientific inquiry to generate new knowledge of drug therapy safety and effectiveness, patient and provider health behaviors and preferences, health system organization and delivery, and the impact of the pharmacy profession on public health.

Pharmacy Administration research encompasses issues and topics related to Pharmacoeconomics, Pharmacoepidemiology, Pharmaceutical Outcomes Management, Health Services Research, Pharmacy Business Administration, Pharmaceutical and Pharmacy Management, Pharmaceutical Marketing, Consumer Health Behavior, Managed Health Care, Health Policy, Pharmaceutical Care, Health Systems Operations, and Information Systems in Health Care. 

Detailed information about the Ph.D. program is available here and detailed information on the M.S./Residency program is available here.