Ph.D. in Natural Sciences: Pharmaceutical Science

Program Requirements

The program is comprised of at least 45 credit hours, including:

• At least 12 credit hours in the Pharmaceutical Science primary discipline
• At least 9 credit hours outside the primary discipline
• A 3-credit hour statistics course
• 6 credit hours of electives
• 3 hours of the divisional seminar course
• At least 12 credit hours of dissertation research

Complete course listing on Academic Catalog

Program Benchmarks

• Submit annual evaluations of your accomplishments and progress.
• Complete part one of your plan of study by the end of the first year after admission.
• Complete part two of your plan of study by the end of the third year or before comprehensive exams are taken.
• Successfully pass comprehensive oral and written exams by the end of the third year.
• Successfully defend your dissertation.

Costs, Aid and Funding Opportunities

Cost is a major consideration when deciding whether to continue your education. Please contact the program coordinator about assistantships that may be available.

We also encourage you to learn more about costs and financial aid and external funding opportunities that can make earning your degree more affordable.

• Applicants are considered for employment as graduate assistants and recipients of student fee and tuition fee waivers. Email the School of Graduate Studies or call 816-235-1301 with questions about graduate assistantships and other funding possibilities.
• Current students can apply for scholarships. Scholarship information is shared internally via email as it can vary each fiscal year.
  
  
• Estimated costs 
• International student costs  
• Financial aid  
• Funding opportunities

 Application Procedures and Requirements

1. Prepare required documentation, including:
   1. Official transcripts from all previously attended institutions
   2. Statement of purpose outlining your interests and career goals
   3. Three letters of recommendation
   4. GRE scores (Optional, but strongly encouraged) - recommended aggregate score of 295+ for verbal and quantitative, and analytical writing 3.5+
2. Complete the online application. Please be sure to pay applicable domestic or international program fees.
3. Make sure you meet discipline-specific requirements, which are listed in the academic catalog.
4. Applicants are encouraged to contact faculty within the Division of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences to see if a faculty member could serve as a research mentor. 

Application Deadlines

• The application deadline for this program is December 15 for fullest consideration.
• Applications submitted after the deadline will only be reviewed on a space-available basis.
• It is strongly recommended that applicants reach out to the program coordinator prior to applying.
• Applications received by the December 15 deadline will receive final admission decisions by February 15.