Admission:   A baccalaureate degree with a strong background in the natural sciences and/or health sciences is required for admission. Results of the Graduate Record Examination (verbal, quantitative and analytical) are required for Ph.D. applicants, while results of the advanced test in Biology or Chemistry are strongly recommended. To learn more about entry requirements go to the Graduate School Admissions page.

Course of Study: In the first year, students will complete a core curriculum that includes the course outlined on the "courses" page. Students will also complete two 2-quarter electives  by June of the second year.  One elective must be selected from the following:      Biochemistry and Structural Biology (Qtrs. I and II)      Fundamental Immunology (Qtrs. I and II)      Molecular Genetics (Qtrs. I and II)      Cell Biology (Qtrs. III and IV)      Gene Structure and Function (Qtrs. III and IV) The other elective may be chosen from any of the courses offered by the Graduate School. In addition to coursework, students are required to participate in a weekly student-run Pharmacology Journal Club and the annual Vincent DuVigneaud Research Symposium, held every May.  During the period of thesis research, students continue to register for and participate in the Pharmacology Seminar Series and attend all Pharmacology Program seminars, including the WMC Department of Pharmacology Seminar Series and the SKI Molecular Pharmacology & Chemistry Seminar Series.]

Laboratory Rotation:      Three laboratory rotations are required of each student.  Rotations are intended to assist the student in selecting a lab and mentor for thesis research and provide an opportunity for the student to participate in the diverse research activities available within the Program.  Exposure to the research interests of faculty will be presented during the Sept/Oct Meet the Faculty lunch series.  Rotations are typically 8-10 weeks in duration, but may be longer during a period in which the student is actively engaged in course work. Rotations should be no longer than 3 months in duration.       Under special circumstances a student may be permitted to do fewer than 3 lab rotations (e.g., in a case where the student has entered the Program with a Masters degree).  More than 3 rotations are available to students who desire additional lab exposures prior to selecting a thesis lab.

Retreat: (click for pictures)      The Pharmacology Program holds an annual retreat each Spring -- usually two days at a country inn.  Members of the Program gather for a series of informal scientific talks and poster presentations by students and post-doctoral fellows, describing their research activities.  The retreat also provides a relaxed setting for social and sporting activities that provide graduate students with an opportunity to get better acquainted with postdocs and faculty members in the Program.      All Pharmacology Program students attend and participate in the scientific program of the Retreat.  Students in years 03-05 present research talks while all other students present posters describing their research.  Students from other programs and post-doctoral fellows who are doing thesis research in labs of Pharmacology Program Faculty are also invited to attend.

Student Supervision:      By the end of the first quarter of the second year, each student typically selects a thesis lab and major sponsor (thesis advisor) in the Pharmacology Program.  Once a thesis lab is chosen, a Special Committee is created by the student.  The Special Committee consists of the major faculty sponsor and two minor faculty sponsors chosen from among all members of the graduate school faculty.  The student and major sponsor select minor faculty based on expertise in the student’s dissertation research subject area.     The Special Committee meets at least once a year to discuss research progress and future plans with the student (see below).  The Special committee also serves as the core group of examiners for the student’s Admission-to-Candidacy and Thesis Defense examinations.  Changes in Special Committee composition may be made by the student at any time, with approval of the major sponsor and Pharmacology Program Director.

Admission-to-Candidacy (ACE) Exam:      Students MUST take the Admission-to-Candidacy Exam (ACE) by the end of December of their second year.  The ACE Examining Committee consists of five individuals: a chairperson appointed by the Dean, the student’s three-person Special Committee and one additional examiner to be selected by the student and approved by the Program Director.      The objective of the Admission-to-Candidacy examination is to affirm that the student has attained the breadth of knowledge commensurate with the high standards of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy; and that the student is ready to undertake full-time thesis research.      The Admission to Candidacy Examination (ACE) consists of two parts: written and oral. For the written part, the student crafts a research proposal that poses and tests a novel hypothesis, in a subject area that is unrelated to the student’s intended thesis research.  The selected hypothesis is expected to be creative, insightful and testable by an experimental plan devised by the student.  Once the ACE topic is approved, the student is free of all responsibility to the thesis lab and given one month to work on the written proposal.  The text is limited to 15 typewritten pages (excluding references) in a 12 point font.  The student distributes the written proposal to each member of their Special Committee.  The faculty members of the ACE committee must approve of the written ACE according to the following guidelines before the oral exam can proceed.  The student then incorporate any necessary corrections to their written proposal and distributes it to the entire ACE committee.  As this time, the students schedules the Oral exam approximately two weeks later.  The oral exam is intended to test the student's factual knowledge as well as his/her ability to process, organize, and evaluate scientific data.      The student is responsible to complete the following form and provide to the Graduate School office at least two weeks prior to the due date of the written portion of the exam (and at least four weeks prior to the date of the oral portion of the exam).

Annual Committee Meetings:     The student is responsible for scheduling the first meeting with his/her Special Committee 3 months after successfully passing the ACE examination and he/she must have at least one meeting per year after that in order to remain in good academic standing.  The student should prepare an outline (according to the following guideline) or write a short paragraph describing their research in advance of their committee meeting, which should be distributed to their committee the day prior to the scheduled meeting.  At the annual committee meetings, the student will present the work they have accomplished and the work they are currently pursuing, and a plan for their future research will be discussed and agreed upon.

Thesis Research and Defense:      Thesis research is typically completed within 4-6 years of tenure in the Program.  The written thesis is crafted by the student under the direction of the Major Sponsor.      The Thesis Defense (Final Examination for the degree of Ph.D.) is scheduled with Graduate School Office at least 30 days in advance.  Normally, a completed written thesis is submitted to the Examining Committee two weeks in advance of the Thesis Defense date.  The Thesis Defense is public (friends and family are welcome) and begins with a 40-60 min seminar style presentation by the student that summarizes thesis research.  This is followed by the departure of all attendees, other than the student, Examining Committee and members of the graduate school faculty that wish to observe the exam.   Similar to the committee assembled for the ACE, the Thesis Examining Committee consists of five members: the Special Committee (major and two minor sponsors), one outside examiner (selected by the student and major sponsor) and a chairperson (appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School).  A successful oral defense and acceptance of the written thesis will result in a recommendation to the Dean for award of the Ph.D. degree in Pharmacology.

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