The Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences is a multidisciplinary program designed to prepare motivated individuals for academic, industrial, or government careers in pharmaceutical and biomedical research. It is a graduate training program that encompasses research in areas of pharmaceutical sciences that range from identifying fundamental mechanisms of human disease, to the design, development and formulation of new medicines, to understanding the impact of drug policies on health care systems. Within this broad scientific framework, students develop individually tailored programs of study to meet their particular research interests and career objectives.
Intense, laboratory-based and data analysis-driven research, using state-of-the-art techniques and instruments, forms the basis of a student’s PhD dissertation. Each student develops the skills and judgment to make a unique, scholarly contribution to our understanding of drugs and how therapies impact human health and disease. Students receive the training that will enable them to become independent scientists who can conduct front-line research in pharmaceutical sciences in industrial, academic or governmental settings.
The overall goal of the graduate program is to provide the graduate student with a comprehensive, structured, yet flexible educational experience comprised of both coursework and independent, highly creative research. This goal is supported by additional components, such as research rotations for first-year students and a program-wide seminar series. The intent is to provide both depth and breadth of expertise in the Pharmaceutical Sciences along with developing the creative and critical approach to research that characterizes a PhD-level scientist. Our faculty have established a set of Guiding Principles that direct the evolution of our program to meet these criteria. These can be found at https://pharmacy.uky.edu/node/307 .
Doctoral degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences at the College of Pharmacy are obtained through one of five Tracks. The Traditional Pharmaceutical Science Tracks provide training that is based on advanced coursework in contemporary basic pharmaceutical sciences plus independent laboratory or computational research under the direction of a faculty mentor. In the Traditional Pharmaceutical Science Tracks the many research opportunities available are organized into three broad disciplinary areas: Medicinal, Bioorganic and Computational Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Engineering, and Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. The Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics Track requires a prior degree in an area of professional health care, and focuses on training in translational research at the interface between basic and clinical studies. The Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy Track trains scientists to conduct research on the safe, efficient, and effective use of pharmaceuticals to improve the health of individuals and populations.
The GRE is not required for admission to this program.
Applicants must meet the Graduate School admission requirements.
Fall: December 16 (domestic and international students)
College of Pharmacy
789 South Limestone
Lexington, KY 40506
(859) 323-8751