College of Pharmacy

Doctor of Pharmacy / Doctor of Philosophy Pathway/ Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

The Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology has developed a pathway for students who are interested in simultaneously pursuing a Pharm.D. and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology. This program is intended for students who are interested in a career that merges basic research on the mechanisms of action of drugs on biological systems with a clinical emphasis. The program has been designed to integrate core curriculum requirements of the Ph.D. program with the curriculum of the Pharm.D. program, by making course substitutions where possible, and waiving some course requirements in the Ph.D. program. In doing this, we minimize curriculum redundancy between the two programs, while ensuring that the student is adequately prepared for the demands of both degrees.

During the joint program pathway, students engage in three research rotations that begin during the summer before their P1 year and are completed by the end of the Fall semester of their P2 year. Students then choose a dissertation mentor/laboratory at the beginning of the Spring semester of their P2 year. Students are also expected to use two clerkship rotations for laboratory research. The program is structured so that students take their Ph.D. qualifying exams at the end of the P2 year. The curriculum requires students to complete their Pharm.D. degree one semester later than would be the case if they were only enrolled in the Pharm.D. program, and to take their pharmacy licensure exam in the fall of the 5th year. From that time on, the students engage in full time dissertation research to complete the Ph.D. program.

Students who are interested in pursuing this pathway should apply to both programs simultaneously. The student must first gain admission to the College of Pharmacy Pharm.D. program before they can be accepted into the joint program pathway. Students are accepted into the Ph.D. program if the student meets the admissions criteria for that Ph.D. program and if there are appropriate research mentoring and support available for the student. Interested students should contact the Director of Graduate Admissions in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology for application procedures and information.


*Pre-P1 summer, research rotation
P1 Fall Semester

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
MDCH 5110 Physiol Chem I  4 PharmD 
PHPRC 5112 Intro Pharm Prac   4 PharmD  
PHARM 7113 Basic Pharm Sci   3 PhD
PCTH 5114  Social Foundations   2 PharmD 
PHTX 6600  Methods in Pharm/Tox   2 PhD 
PHTX 7920  Research Rotation   1 PhD
INTMD 7570 Research Ethic  1 PhD
Total Credits    17    


P1 Spring Semester

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
MDCH 5120 Physiol Chem II   3 PharmD 
PHTX 5121 Pathophysiol  5 PharmD 
PHTX 6680 Statistical Methods  2 PhD 
PHPRC 5124 Comm Serv Practicum  3 PharmD   
PHCEU 5125 Dosage forms/delivery Systems   4 PharmD  
PHTX 7920  Research Rotation  1 PhD   
Total Credits    18    


P1-P2 Summer

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement
PHTX 7920 Research  n/c Choose mentor, research


P2 Fall Semester

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
PHTX 6211 Pharmacol I  6 PhD 
PHPRC 5213 Drug Lit Eval II  4 PharmD 
PHPRC 7313 Law  3 PharmD 
BLCHM 6040 Genetic Engineering*  2 PhD
PHTX 7920 Research  1 PhD  
Total Credits    16  


P2 Spring Semester

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
PHTX 6221 Pharmacol II  6 PhD  
PHPRC 5226 Dispensing  3 PharmD 
PHPRC 5222  Therapeutics I  5 PharmD 
PHTX 6600 Professional Skills  2  PhD 
PHTX 7920 Research   1 PhD 
Total Credits     17  


P2-P3 Summer

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
PHPRC 7401 Core Inst Clerk (4 weeks)  4 PharmD
*Comps/admitted to PhD candidacy in May
PHPRC 7401 Core Comm Clerk (4 weeks)   4 PharmD
PHPRC 7425 Comm Prac Seminar  1 PharmD
PHTX 7970 Research   n/c PhD  
Total Credits      9  
* May be possible to replace this with BIOL 5110 Mol Biol/Gen Eng if offered again in the future (3 cr, usually in Spring, so could be taken in P2 Spring). 


P3 Fall Semester

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
PHPRC 7312 Therapeutics II  6 PharmD
PHPRC 7314 Comm Pharm  3 PharmD 
PHTX 6710/20 Journal Club  1 PhD 
PHCEU 7315 PK  3 PhD
PHPRC 7315 Clinical Tox.   2 PharmD
PhD Elective  (or P5)   PharmD 
PHTX 7970  Research   n/c  PhD 
Total Credits      18  


P3 Spring Semester

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
PHPRC 7321 Intro Clerkships  3 PharmD 
PHPRC 7325 Appl. Clin PK  2 PharmD  
PHPRC 7322 Therapeutics III  5 PharmD 
NURS 6020  Phys Assess  2 PharmD 
MDCH 7201  Herbal Meds  2 PharmD 
PHTX 6710/20 Journal Club  1 PhD 
PHTX 7970 Research  1 PhD 
Total Credits     16  



P3-P4 Summer

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
PHPRC 7403 Adult Med Clerk  6 PharmD
PHPRC 7510 Elective Clerk  6 PharmD 
PHTX 7970  Research    3 PhD 
Total Credits     15  


P4 Year Fall Semester

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
MDCH 5210 Med Chem I  2 PharmD 
PHPRC 7123 Management  2 PharmD  
PHTX 79XX Research Clerk  6 PhD 
PHPR 7200  Clin Sem   2  PharmD 
Total Credits     18  


P4 Year Spring Semester

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
MDCH 5220 Med Chem II  2 PharmD 
PHPRC Amb Care Clerk
(Dr. Munger, preceptor)		  6 PharmD
PHPRC 7200 Clin Sem 2  2 PharmD 
PHTX 79XX  Research Clerk   6 PhD 
Total Credits     16  


P4 Summer

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
PHPRC 7410 DI/PCC Clerk  6 PharmD
Graduate w/ PharmD (Aug)       
PHTX 7970 Research   PhD  
Total Credits     6  


P5 Fall

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
BIOEN 6050 Cell. Physiol.  3 PhD 
PHCEU 7970  Research   7 PhD
Journal Club      1 PhD 
PHTX Seminar     1 PhD 
NAPLEX Exam (Sept.)       
Total Credits     12  


P5 Spring

Course  Name  Credits  Primary Requirement 
PHTX 7970 Dissertation Research  3 PhD 
Journal Club   
Seminar