Education & Training | Graduate
Ph.D. Program in Pharmacology
Program Objectives
The goal of the Ph.D. program is to train individuals who are well-grounded in the principles of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Biochemistry. The first-year core curriculum provides all students with the necessary fundamental scientific background to succeed in advanced programs of study and research. Graduates of the doctoral program will be able to perform high quality research in a specialized area, and will be competent to teach the disciplines of Pharmacology/Physiology/Biochemistry at the postgraduate level.
Structure of the Program
The curriculum leading to the Ph.D. degree in Pharmacology is designed to provide an in-depth understanding of basic pharmacology in concert with an individualized program of original research study. The overall length of the program is generally four or five years. In this program, the student benefits from a broad selection of research areas, encompassing most aspects of modern biomedical sciences (see below). This diversified educational experience prepares students for scientific careers in the twenty-first century. The first-year courses are interdisciplinary and include cell biology, biochemistry, departmental laboratory rotations and elective courses (see IGPBS web site).
After completion of the first-year curriculum, the student may select a mentor from the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology faculty and complete the degree requirements of this Department. These requirements include courses in Mechanisms of Drug Action, Advanced Pharmacology, biostatistics, research ethics, as well as electives in pharmacology or a related discipline. Students must also give two seminars prior to their qualifying exam, in order to demonstrate understanding of research papers and be able to present scientific data in a coherent manner.
Specialized areas of research interest within the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology include:
- Neuropharmacology
- Psychopharmacology
- Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology
- Toxicology
- Clinical Pharmacology
Admission Requirements and Procedure
Applicants are admitted into the doctoral program in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology through the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (IGPBS). Applications must be completed and official documentation received by February 1st. After the one-year Interdisciplinary Program, students request entry into the graduate program of their preference.
Students admitted to the Ph.D. program in Pharmacology are supported by an annual fellowship or stipend and a Tuition Scholarship Award. Continuance of support is contingent on the students remaining actively involved and in good standing in the program.
Ph.D. Program Requirements:
Requirements are based upon University at Buffalo Graduate School Policies and Procedures and Departmental Guidelines.
University/Institutional Graduate School Requirements:
- A minimum of three years (72 credit hours) of graduate study
- A minimum residence of one year (24 credit hours)
- Continuous registration for a minimum of one semester hour each Fall and Spring term until all requirements for the degree are completed.
- A Ph.D. dissertation which is an original contribution, normally written in English.
- A Major Professor and a minimum of two members of the Department's Graduate Faculty and a third member from outside of the Department shall form the Thesis Advisory Committee. All should hold the rank of Assistant Professor or above in the University faculty.
- A qualified Outside Reader for each Ph.D. dissertation from outside the Department is recommended but not required.
Note: After completing the first year of interdisciplinary curriculum, students typically fulfill Ph.D. requirement by following the sequence listed below:
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Class Schedule
Required courses for IGPBS Program
SEMESTER 1 Course # Course Title Credits Yr 1 Fall BMS 501 Cell Biology I 4 cr BMS 503 Principles of Biochemistry 4 cr BMS 509A Laboratory rotation 2 cr BMS 511 IGPBS Seminar 2 cr ( TOTAL CREDIT HOURS : 12 cr ) SEMESTER 2 Course # Course Title Credits Yr 1 Spring BCH Biochemistry - one of the following (2cr): a. BCH 507 Protein structure 2cr b. BCH 508 Regulation of gene expression 2cr BMS Cell Biology - one of the following (2cr): a. BMS 505 Dynamic Cell Interactions 2cr b. BMS 506 Cell Growth, Differentiation, and Transformation 2cr BMS 510A Lab Rotation 2cr BMS 510B Lab Rotation 2cr BMS 512 IGPBS Seminar 1cr ELECTIVE 2-4 cr ( TOTAL CREDIT HOURS : 15-17 cr )
Courses for the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology:
SEMESTER 3 Course # Title Credits Yr2 Fall PMY 501 Mechanisms of Drug Action 2cr PMY 502 Toxicology and Chemotherapy 2cr PMY 505A Pharmacology Seminar 2cr STA 527 Statistics 4cr PMY 751 Thesis Research 1-5cr SEMESTER 4 Course # Title Credits Yr2 Spring PMY 517 Autonomic/Cardiovascular Pharmacology 2cr PMY 518 CNS/Sensory Pharmacology 2cr PMY 525 Advanced Pharmacology 4cr GSC 640 Graduate Research Ethics 2cr PMY 752 Thesis Research 1-5cr PMY 506A Pharmacology Seminar 2cr SUMMER Course # Title Credits Yr2 Summer Proposition Examination SEMESTER 5 Course # Title Credits Yr3 Fall PMY 751 Thesis Research 1-9cr SEMESTER 6 Course # Title Credits Yr3 Spring PMY 752 Thesis Research 1-9cr SEMESTER 7 Course # Title Credits Yr4 Fall PMY505 Pharmacology Seminar 2cr PMY 751 Thesis Research 1-9cr SEMESTER 8 Course # Title Credits Yr4 Spring PMY 752 Thesis Research 1-9cr
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Grading and Promotion Standards
The Department requires a minimum grade of “B” in all course work. Failure to meet these requirements in a single course results in a probationary period; multiple failures to meet the “B” requirement may lead to dismissal from the program. The Graduate School also requires an overall average of 3.0 for degree conferral.
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Candidacy/Proposition Examination
Advancement to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree requires the completion of all programmatic course requirements, and satisfaction of the Proposition Examination requirements, as detailed in the following section, including the successful oral defense.
Before undertaking full-time laboratory research, each student must take a qualifying (Proposition) exam in which he/she selects a topic of his/her choice and writes an NIH-style grant proposal. The document will be read by five members of the Department's Proposition Exam Committee, and if it is deemed satisfactory, the student will defend the written document by an oral defense.
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Thesis Research, Thesis Preparation, Thesis Review
Thesis research is conducted by the student under the supervision of his/her Major Professor and a Thesis Advisory Committee. A Major Professor, a minimum of one member of the Department’s graduate faculty and one member from outside of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology shall constitute the Thesis Advisory Committee for the Ph.D. degree.
The research will culminate in a written thesis dissertation, which is an original contribution to the scientific literature and supervised by the Major Professor and the Thesis Advisory Committee. The oral defense of the thesis is scheduled after the candidate’s Thesis Advisory Committee has approved the thesis as a document. A qualified ouside reader from outside the Department is recommended but not required. The thesis is presented to the faculty and students in a seminar, followed by an oral defense. Students typically complete degree requirements within 8-10 semesters.
See Departmental Guidelines for Graduate Studies (PDF) for in-depth program details.
Program and application information.