NDSU offers both MS degrees and Ph.D. degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences (current students). The graduate program emphasizes both research and teaching excellence. Our size allows us to offer individual attention to the graduate student.

The master's program requires a minimum of 30 semester credit hours, of which 20 must be in the major field. Thesis research carries no fewer than eight and no more than 15 credits.

The doctor of philosophy degree is awarded in recognition of high scholarly achievement as evidenced by a period of successful study, the satisfactory completion of examinations and the development of an acceptable dissertation project covering some significant aspect of a major field of learning and research. Doctoral students must select a minor area of study and complete a minimum of 19 credit hours in that area. Upon completion of most of the course work, the student must pass written and oral preliminary examinations before being formally admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree.

Students with a bachelor of science degree in biology or chemistry must have an adequate background for graduate work in the College. After successful completion of either degree program students have had a high level of success gaining highly desirable employment in academia, industry and governmental agencies doing work in pharmaceutical sciences.

Pharm.D./Ph.D. Program

College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences at North Dakota State University

Purpose:

The entry level curriculum leading to the Pharm.D. degree requires a minimum of six years of study. Sixty-five semester hours are required in the pre-professional curriculum. Admission to the professional program is competitive, based upon successful pre-pharmacy academic performance and available positions in each class. After successful completion of sixty-five semester hours, interviews, and the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT), students are admitted to a four-year professional program. The first year (P1), second year (P2), and third year (P3) professional program is focused on didactic education on campus and the fourth year (P4) on experiential training with qualified preceptors at various practice sites. A wide variety of experiential rotation offerings are available to students. Students should plan to travel outside the Fargo-Moorhead area to fulfill their experiential program requirements.

The Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, one of three academic divisions of the College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences, subscribes to the missions of the College and of North Dakota State University in the provision of Teaching, Research, and Service. The Department provides instruction in disciplines applicable to science. The faculty design and conduct research in the natural and biological sciences, as well as mentor graduate and Professional students in advanced concepts of pharmaceutical science and in the process of scientific inquiry.

NDSU offers both MS degrees and Ph.D. degrees in Pharmaceutical Sciences. The graduate program emphasizes both research and teaching excellence. The doctor of philosophy degree is awarded in recognition of high scholarly achievement as evidenced by a period of successful study, the satisfactory completion of examinations and the development of an acceptable dissertation project covering some significant aspect of a major field of learning and research. After successful completion of a Ph.D. degree program students have had a high level of success gaining highly desirable employment in academia, industry and governmental agencies doing work in pharmaceutical sciences.

The dual program (Pharm.D./Ph.D.) is designed to provide an opportunity for outstanding professional students in the Pharmacy Program at North Dakota State University obtain research experience and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

It is proposed that this can be accomplished with an additional 3 years of study and research placed between the second and the third years of the four-year professional program.

It is believed that the combination of the Pharm.D. and Ph.D. degrees will greatly enhance the student’s research background, critical thinking skills, and marketability for leadership positions within the profession of Pharmacy in academic, government, and industrial environments.

Summer Research Experience

During the summer between the P1 and P2 years, up to six students per year will be allowed into an introductory research experience phase of the Pharm.D./Ph.D. program and will spend twelve weeks rotating through three research laboratories (3cr 718).  A summer stipend will be provided for each participating student in return for a 20 hr/week commitment (These funds are to be obtained from the College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Sciences’s programmatic fee funds).

Admission

Students in the Doctor of Pharmacy program will make an application to the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences by December 20th at the end of the fall term of their second year (P2) in the program for acceptance into the Pharm.D./Ph.D. program. At the same time, an application to the graduate school should also be made requesting unclassified status.  The GRE should also be taken by the end of this semester.  Pharm.D./Ph.D. applications will be considered by the Department as for all graduate students.  Between January 15th and February 15th, an interview will be scheduled at the convenience of the student and the faculty admission committee.  Applicants will receive a decision by March 1st as to their admission into the Pharm.D./Ph.D. program.  The accepted students will then attend PSCI 701 (2 Cr.- Quantitative drug design) in the summer semester.  Thereafter, students will indicate their preference for a dissertation advisor, and their lab assignment will be finalized.

Course requirements during the professional program

The P1 curriculum is unchanged.  In the fall semester of the P1 year, a faculty member(s) will make the students aware of the Pharm.D./Ph.D. option, and briefly outline the program.  Students considering the Ph.D. option are advised to enroll in the PSCi 611 in the Spring semester of the P1 year. At the start of the P2 year, students will be required to enroll in Pharmacokinetics 670 during the fall term.  For the spring term, the student will be required to enroll in any two of the following Pharmacodynamics courses, 612/613/614/615/616.  This will enable students to complete four graduate level courses during their P2 year (12cr).  At the conclusion of their P2 year, these students will receive their BS in Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The Ph.D. Graduate Dissertation Years (i.e. G1, G2, G3)

Beginning June 1st (September 1st for “late” P2s) of the first Ph.D. year (G1), the students will receive a monthly stipend, and tuition waiver and will continue to receive during Ph,D. graduate year 2 (G2) and year 3 (G3). For this time period the students are full-time graduate students in the Department, subject to the same expectations (e.g. seminar participation, 6cr of PSCI 790, year-round study, etc.).  During the three graduate years, the students will be required to complete Stat 725 (3cr), BIOC 701 (4 Cr.) and BIOC  702 (4 Cr.) In addition, if interested students may take other 700-level courses available in the department and university. Thus by the end of G3, the students will have a minimum of (12 Cr.) 600-level and (upto 21 Cr.) 700-level didactic credits. At the end of three graduate years, students would be able to write dissertation and pass the final thesis examination.

In addition to didactic credits, students will take 1 Cr. Seminar (PSCI 790) in the fall and the Spring semesters of each of the three graduate years. Students will also be required to take 60 thesis research credits (PSCI 799) during three graduate years.

The Clinical Years (i.e. P3 & P4)

For the final two years of the professional program, dual degree students will receive a waiver of tuition and programmatic fees.  No changes in the didactic coursework of the P3 year are proposed. 

Program requirements for the participants

Once accepted into the dual degree program (i.e. the G1 year and beyond), the student is considered to be a full-time graduate student in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Ph.D. Summary: 12cr of 600 and at least 18 out of 21 suggested cr of 700=30 didactic credits, with 6cr seminar and 60cr dissertation gives a total of 96 graduate credits.  Upto 12 Cr of 600 level courses can be used for the Pharm.D.

P3 & P4 years will remain as it is.

Suggested Course Schedule for Pharm.D. /Ph.D.  Students:

P-1 Year: It would remain the same as Pharm.D. except students are suggested to take

PSCI  611 (3 Cr) for PSCI  411 (3 Cr). In summer, students are advised to take PSCI 718 (3 Cr. Research rotations in three laboratories).

P-2 Year: It would remain the same as Pharm.D. except students are advised to take PSCI 670 (3 Cr) for PSCI 470 (3 Cr) and at least any other two of the 3 Cr courses PSCI 612/613/614/615/616  for PSCI 412/413/414/415/416 courses. In the summer of the P-2 year, students will have PSCI 741 (2 Cr).

G-1: BIOC 701 (4 Cr), BIOC 702 (4 Cr), STAT 725 (3 Cr), PSCI  747 (3 Cr.), PSCI 790 (2 Cr), PSCI 799 (15 Cr)

G-2: PSCI 762 (2 Cr.), PSCI 790 (2 Cr), PSCI 799 (25 Cr)

G-3: PSCI 790 (2 Cr), PSCI 799 (20 Cr)

P-3: Unchanged