Pharmaceutical Sciences (MS): Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery Systems

Just as cars are useless without roads, drugs are useless without an effective delivery system. This is especially important in contemporary pharmaceutical research as new chemical entitites are either too hydrophobic (e.g., many anticancer drugs) or hydrophilic and highly labile (e.g., nucleic acids). The Bouvé College of Health Sciences’ pharmaceutics faculty and students are developing the pathways that bring small molecule drugs and biological therapies directly to the target cells.

Our comprehensive program in pharmaceutics has specialists in drug development and delivery who use many approaches to create and deliver treatments. Their goal is to better understand how the chemical and physical properties of drugs and their dosage forms affect drug performance in healthy and diseased systems. Graduate students may elect a program concentrating in:

With a strong focus on nanotechnology-based advanced delivery systems that address contemporary needs, this concentration also gives you the opportunity to study with some of the world’s top researchers. Pharmaceutics students have the option of performing industrial internship during the summer in some of the most prestigious pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies in the area.

Curriculum

Pharmaceutical Science Core 5-7 SH

PHSC 5100 / Concepts in Pharmaceutical Science / 2 SH / (Formerly PSC G100)
PHSC 6210 / Drug Design, Evaluation and Development / 2 SH / (Formerly PSC G210)
PHSC 6212 / Research Skills and Ethics / 1 SH / (Formerly PSC G212) or
CHEM 5600 / Research Skills and Ethics in Chemistry/ 3 SH / (Formerly CHM G200) or
BIOL 6381 / Ethics in Biological Research / 2 SH / (Formerly BIO G381)

Pharmaceutics/Drug Delivery Specialization Core 16-20 SH

PHSC 6214 / Experimental Design and Biometrics / 2 SH / (Formerly PSC G 214)
PHSC 6216 / Human Physiology and Pathophysiology / 2 SH / (Formerly PSC G216)
BIOL 6300 / Graduate Biochemistry / 4 SH / (Formerly BIO G300)
or PHSC 5300 / Pharmaceutical Biochemistry / 2 SH
BIOL 6301 / Molecular Cell Biology / 4 SH / (Formerly BIO G301)
or PHSC 5310 / Cellular Physiology / 2 SH
PMST 6250 / Advanced Physical Pharmacy / 2 SH / (Formerly PCT G250)
PMST 6252 / Pharmacokinetics and Drug Metabolism / 3 SH / (Formerly PCT G252)
PMST 6254 / Advanced Drug Delivery System / 3 SH / (Formerly PCT G254)

General Elective Core 6-12 SH

Advisor consultation is required when choosing electives

Common elective courses:
PHSC 6226 / Imaging in Medicince and Drug Discovery / 2SH
PHSC 5200 / Advanced Immunology / 2SH
PHSC 6222 / Chemistry and Biology of Drugs of Abuse / 2SH
PHSC 6218 / Biomedical and Chemical Analysis / 2SH
CHEM 5676 / Bioorganic Chemistry / 3SH
NNMD 7270 / Introduction to Nanomedicine / 3SH
PHSC 6984 / Research / 2SH
PHSC 5976 / Directed Study / 1SH
PHSC 6300 / Seminar (Journal Club) 1SH
PT 5410 / Functional Human Neuroanatomy / 4SH
NRSG 6800 / Intro to Industry Research / 3SH

Total number of credits 33 SH

Sample course format: Pharmaceutics Focus