Graduate Catalog

Pharmaceutical Sciences

www.pharmacy.umaryland.edu/graduate/psc/

Degree Offered

PhD

Program Description

The PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PSC) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore offers students outstanding opportunities to be part of cutting-edge biomedical and pharmaceutical research while preparing them for careers in academia, government, and industry. A wide range of research is conducted in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, including medicinal chemistry, biochemistry, bioinorganic chemistry, cellular and molecular biology, computational chemistry, biophysics, microbiology, neuroscience, pharmacometrics, pharmacokinetics, drug formulation, drug transport and delivery, industrial pharmaceutical research, and translational and regulatory sciences. Research is interdisciplinary, and students have access to state-of-the- art facilities that include the Computer-Aided Drug Design Center, Mass Spectrometry Center, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Good Manufacturing Labs, Bio- and Nano- technology Center, Center of Excellence in Regulatory Science and Innovation, and more.

The program provides a mentor-driven plan of study that is individualized and dependent on the student’s and mentor’s specific research interests. Each student in the program develops their educational experience with the advice of their mentor and an advisory/thesis committee. Graduate students enrolled in the PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences program are fully funded, typically by teaching and research assistantships. This support includes an annual stipend, tuition remission, health insurance, and student fees.

Program Admission

Applications are due by Jan. 15 for admission the following fall semester. We favor applicants with a BA, BS, or MS degree in the general areas of biology, biochemistry, chemistry, chemical engineering, molecular biology, pharmacy, and pharmaceutical sciences, although related degrees are considered. In addition to the Graduate School’s minimum admission requirements, applicants should have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 with A or B grades in recent science courses, competitive Graduate Record Examinations scores and strong letters of recommendation. International applicants whose native language or language of the home is not English must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam. The minimum acceptable TOEFL score for admission is 80 for the internet-based test. IELTS test takers must score at least Band 7. The program encourages applications from groups under-represented in the sciences.

Degree Requirements

Students pursing a PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences must complete a minimum of 32 course credits (24 required, 8 elective) and a minimum of 12 doctoral dissertation research credits.

Required Courses

At a minimum, students must complete the following courses to graduate:

Required Core

PHAR 600PRINCIPLES OF DRUG DISCOVERY

3

PHAR 601PRINCIPLES OF DRUG DEVELOPMENT

1 TO 3

PHAR 615PSC ETHICS AND BIOSTATISTICS

1 TO 2

PHAR 628BIOANALYTICAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL METHODS

1 TO 3

PHAR 639SPECTROMETRIC METHODS

1 TO 3

PHAR 705PSC JOURNAL CLUB

1

Note: Under certain circumstances, students may be exempted from some required core curriculum courses. Examples of this would be in the case of students who have completed the UM PharmD program and are exempt from parts of PHAR 600/601, or students who find appropriate alternatives to the PHAR 628/639 methods courses. All exemptions must be approved by the graduate program director and the graduate program steering committee.

PHAR 600 and PHAR 601: PharmD students may take 1 to 3 credits.

PHAR 628 and 639: 4 credits out of 6 total from the two courses are required. Credits beyond the 4-credit requirement may count as elective credits.

PHAR 705: Students enroll in PHAR 705 every semester.

Required Student Rotations

PHAR 608INTRODUCTION TO LABORATORY RESEARCH

1 TO 2

Most students are required to complete two laboratory rotations, minimum of eight weeks per rotation. All students must join a laboratory by the end of their first year.

Required Seminars

Students must complete three seminars.

PHAR 708COMPREHENSIVE EXAM SEMINAR (THIRD YEAR, FALL SEMESTER)

1

PHAR 709DEPARTMENTAL SEMINAR

1

Students are required to present one departmental seminar after their comprehensive exam. Students register for 1 credit during the semester in which they are presenting, six to 12 months before their dissertation defense.

Dissertation Defense

Dissertation Research/Thesis Committee

PHAR 899DOCTORAL DISSERTATION RESEARCH

1 TO 12

Students need a total of 12 credits to meet graduation requirements. The thesis committee is formed after the comprehensive exam and is required to meet on a yearly basis to evaluate progress and direction (it may need to meet more frequently to suit individual student needs).

Elective Courses

Students must take at least 8 credits of elective courses to fulfill graduation requirements.

Available Electives

Students may select from various graduate-level courses within the department and, with approval, courses within other University of Maryland graduate programs.