Pharmacology

Unique Features

• The university is strategically located within the Boston-area biomedical and pharmaceutical/biotech-industry ecosystem.
• The MS program provides opportunities for original research experience in department labs and the option to do a literature- or laboratory-based master's thesis for credit.
• Northeastern’s School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences is consistently ranked first in NIH funding among all private U.S. schools of pharmacy.
• The program offers opportunities for experiential learning through university and off-campus co-ops and internships.
• Faculty includes industry-practiced scientists in drug discovery and researchers in diverse areas of pharmacology.
• Those already employed in pharmacology positions can take specific courses for advanced training.

Career Outlook

Graduates of the program go on to work as researchers, mainly in labs, in pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Some graduates from the department have established careers as:

• Industry scientists and administrators (Big Pharma, biotech)
• Clinical laboratory staff
• Academic biomedical researchers
• Science teaching faculty
• Medical liaison specialists
• Pharmaceutical product representatives
• Medical writers

Program Objectives

Upon completion of the MS in Pharmacology program, students will be able to:

1. Evaluate critical topics of contemporary focus in pharmacology, including:
   • Explain current trends in pharmacology as applied to drug action, use, delivery, and toxicology
   • Integrate cross-disciplinary knowledge about drugs and their actions in living systems
   • Produce literature reviews encompassing retrieval, critical analysis, assessment, and written/oral presentation of current topics in pharmacology


2. Execute laboratory experiments in pharmacology that advance our understanding of drugs and their effects by:
   • Using methodology and instrumentation in pharmacology research for drug profiling
   • Applying experimental techniques to improve pharmacological knowledge
   • Maintaining and using data, records, and notes/documentation according to ethical standards of research practice and academic integrity


3. Identify major themes, knowledge gaps, and research problems regarding drug action, profiling, and therapeutic application to:
   • Conceptualize and communicate to diverse constituencies in good oral and written English principal concepts in pharmacology
   • Judge how social, economic, and ethical issues may impact drug use and therapeutic application
   • Recognize unsatisfied medical needs where additional pharmacological information could make a positive therapeutic impact


4. Advance drug discovery and translational medicine by employing pharmacology principles, specifically:
   • Apply practical understanding of the process of drug discovery and development
   • Recognize applications of pharmacology for improving healthcare outcomes
   • Apply pharmacology to increase drug discovery and development success
   • Predict areas where additional information on drug action and properties is needed to improve patient care