Doctoral Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences
OVERVIEW
Who is this program for?
A doctoral program in pharmaceutical sciences is perfect for individuals eager to explore the development, formulation, and therapeutic applications of drugs, with a focus on pharmacology, drug delivery systems, and clinical trials. Graduates can pursue careers in pharmaceutical research, biotechnology, regulatory agencies, or academia, contributing to the discovery of new medications, improving patient care, and advancing drug safety and efficacy.
Program Overview
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. All students who are admitted to the Pharmaceutical Science Graduate Program receive a teaching or research assistantship which includes fully paid tuition and paid health insurance.
Admission Requirements
Please view the Graduate School's Admission Requirements. If there are Program Specific Requirements listed below, those will also apply.
Application Requirements
Please view the application requirements for the Graduate School. If there are Program Specific Requirements listed below, those will also apply.
Program Specific Requirements
1. CV
2. Personal Statement
Please provide a concise (1-3 pages), well-written statement about your academic and research background, your career goals, and how the PhD program will help you meet your career and educational objectives. In addition, please describe how your unique background, life experiences, and/or challenges that you have overcome motivated your decision to pursue a PhD in our program. This document will help our admissions committee decide if your academic preparation, career goals, and research interests are a suitable match for our program. Successful applicants usually have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or better, previous research experience, and research interests that match with those of one or more of our faculty mentors. You should also clearly indicate which area of the graduate program best suits your interest - Medicinal, Bioorganic & Computational Chemistry, Pharmaceutical Chemistry & Engineering, Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics, Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics (must have a PharmD degree upon entry), or Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy.
3. Transcripts
You will be asked to upload copies of transcripts from all higher education institutions attended and to self-report cumulative GPAs for each institution. If you are offered admission and decide to enroll, you will then be required to submit official transcripts to the Graduate School.
4. English Proficiency
Minimum English proficiency exam scores required for admission are: 90 (TOEFL), 7.0 (IELTS Academic), or 120 (Duolingo). Exceptions are made to this requirement for applicants who have earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree in the U.S.
5. Three letters of recommendation
As part of the online application you will be asked to supply contact information for three faculty or supervisors. Once your application has been submitted, the system will contact each person identified and their recommendations will be submitted directly to us. In addition to the items on the online application common form, we require a letter from each which should be uploaded into the system by the writer. There is no specific format for the letters, but recommenders are asked to comment specifically on the applicants academic ability, research experience, personal attributes and likelihood for success in a rigorous doctoral program of study. You can check back into your application at any time to see who has submitted a recommendation.
6. Application Fee
The UK Graduate School requires an application fee. We are unable to waive the fee.
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What You'll Learn
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/apply/phd-program.
Degree requirements, course descriptions and academic policies for all programs are detailed in the University Catalog.
Attend an Upcoming Event for this Program
These events are designed to answer your questions and give you a glimpse into what it’s like to be a part of our program.
Register Now"I’ve always wanted to make medicine more accessible, and now I’m working on new ways to deliver it. The program and mentorship gave me the freedom to tackle complex challenges in mRNA delivery, all while growing as a scientist and staying true to my passion for helping others."
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Explore Funding Options
As a graduate student, there are additional opportunities for student funding. Once you are admitted into a degree-bearing graduate program at UK, you can apply for a wide variety of financial assistance, including assistantships and fellowships. These opportunities can be tied to your program’s availability, so you should inquire with your program director about opportunities available within your program!
Program Specific Funding Opportunities
All students who are admitted to the Pharmaceutical Science Graduate Program receive a teaching or research assistantship which includes fully paid tuition and paid health insurance.
Tuition Rate
For residents of the states listed below, this program qualifies you to receive the University of Kentucky's in-state tuition rate through the Academic Common Marketplace.
Delaware
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