Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)
Department website: https://pharmacy.utexas.edu/programs/ms-phd
The College of Pharmacy offers graduate study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy with a major in pharmaceutical sciences. This degree is a STEM Designated Degree Program, as identified by the Department of Homeland Security for purposes of the 24-month STEM optional practical training extension. Areas of doctoral specialization are: chemical biology and medicinal chemistry, pharmacology and toxicology, molecular pharmaceutics and drug delivery, health outcomes, and pharmacotherapy and translational sciences. Students pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy who hold a PharmD degree from a pharmacy program accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education have opportunities for advanced practice training. They may complete a specialty practice residency while pursuing the graduate degree. More information is available from the graduate advisor.
Graduate Handbook
Graduate handbook information is updated and maintained by each program. Graduate handbooks are available within each program's office and online. Please contact the program with concerns or questions.
Admission
The applicant should have a bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences, biology, chemistry, or a related field, or a professional pharmacy degree from an accredited institution in the United States or another country. Students are admitted to the program upon recommendation of the Graduate Studies Committee, provided that their undergraduate training includes appropriate work in fields related to the pharmaceutical and health sciences. Applicants without the appropriate background may be required to complete additional coursework after admission. For some areas of study, preference is given to students who have a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from a college accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education. Preference is also given to applicants for the doctoral degree.
Minimum Hours Required: 84
Average total hours for program: 84-126
Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Major | ||
| PGS 699W | Dissertation (students may take any credit hour combination of Dissertation equaling 6 credit hours) | 6 |
| Required Courses | 31 | |
| Advanced Pharmacotherapy Research Conference (may be counted for pharmacotherapy and translational sciences students instead of PGS 196S) | ||
OR | ||
| Seminar in Pharmacy (may be counted for all students) | ||
OR | ||
Hours chosen from: Seminar courses that have been reviewed and approved by the GSC | ||
| Approved graduate coursework to reach minimum total hours required | 47 | |
| All students must also follow the requirements and policies below: | ||
| Graduate Pharmacy Requirements | ||
| Graduate University Requirements | ||
| Total Hours | 84 | |
Additional Requirements and Policy
Typically, students complete their coursework, qualifying exams, dissertation proposal defense, and research and writing the dissertation in four to six years of full-time enrollment.
Students must complete at least 30 semester hours of required graduate coursework followed by at least six semester hours of research and dissertation courses for a minimum of 36 semester hours for the doctoral degree. Typically, students complete their coursework, qualifying exams, dissertation proposal defense, and research and writing the dissertation in four to six years of full-time enrollment. An overall grade point average of 3.00 must be maintained for program continuation and completion. While there is no prescribed sequence of courses for the program, students and their graduate advisors must develop an individualized education plan that accounts for the varied semester course offerings and prerequisites and that can be completed in two or three years.
The student selects a major professor who will supervise the qualifying examinations, act as chair of the dissertation committee, and assist with the selection of suitable dissertation committee members. Upon completion of the qualifying examinations, an application is forwarded to the Graduate Studies Committee and the graduate advisor, who then recommends to the vice provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies whether the student should be admitted to doctoral candidacy. The student meets with the appropriate committee and graduate advisor, who then recommend to the vice provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies whether the student should be admitted to doctoral candidacy.
After admission to doctoral candidacy, the student must enroll in the dissertation course each fall and spring semester.