Mar 28, 2024  
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog 
    
2017-2018 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Pharmacology, PhD and Pharmacology/Medicinal Chemistry Specialization, PhD


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Graduate and Professional Fields of Study by College & Department

Pharmacology is the study of the mechanisms of action of drugs and their effects on normal and disease states. It is a science based upon integrating chemistry, biochemistry, cell and molecular biology and physiology. Students in the Pharmacology program may develop research projects in the areas of renal physiology, autonomic and central nervous systems, cardiovascular pharmacology, signal transduction, cellular physiology of exercise and aging, or protein biochemistry. Graduates pursue careers in academia, government, and the pharmaceutical industry. Students may also study for a concentration in Medicinal Chemistry in the areas of (1) virtual drug screening and design; (2) high throughput screening and drug syntheses; (3) characterization of drug targets and developing of novel therapeutic interventions; or (4) therapeutic natural product screening and identification.

For more information, please visit the  Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmaceutics program website.

Admission Requirements


Applicants must have at least a Bachelor’s degree in pharmacy, biology, biochemistry, chemistry or related discipline from either an accredited academic or professional institution comparable to the Bachelor of Science degree awarded at the University of Houston. In addition, applicants to the Pharmacology program must have taken at least 3-credit hour course in human physiology and at least one 3-credit hour course in biochemistry. Applicants must submit satisfactory scores on the general aptitude portion (verbal, quantitative and analytical writing) of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and have a minimum 3.0 (A = 4.0) grade point average on all work attempted, graduate and undergraduate, beginning with the term in which the student took the first of the 60 most recently earned term hours. GRE scores are evaluated as one information source in the total graduate application, along with GPA, research experience and three letters of recommendation. In person or online interviews may be done with selected applicants. Application fees are $100 for international applicants and $25 for domestic. Applicants also may be asked to take placement examinations given by the department in order to determine eligibility for admission or to indicate deficiencies in undergraduate course work. A test for English proficiency is required for international applicants, according to the University Houston requirements.

Degree Requirements


Credit hours required for this degree: 80.0

The student must complete a minimum of 80 Cr. Hr. for the Ph.D. degree, including 40 Cr. Hr. of research and a minimum of 40 Cr. Hr. of graduate or doctoral degree courses approved by the departmental faculty. Although not counting towards your degree, 6X98 hours in excess of 11 may be taken to meet the full-time enrollment requirements for employment, immigration, and continuous enrollment. Before admittance into full doctoral degree candidacy, the student must progress through a two-step qualifying process. The student must (1) take a written examination that addresses the student’s knowledge in the area of his/her dissertation research, and (2)  prepare a proposal defining his/her dissertation project, and conduct an oral defense of it. Students must successfully defend their dissertation before the dissertation committee and the departmental faculty. This oral examination emphasizes the student’s dissertation and includes a comprehensive oral examination covering general knowledge in the field of specialty.

Required Didactic Courses, Pharmacology with Medicinal Chemistry Specialization


Elective Courses


Below are listed some courses that are often taken as electives, however there are numerous others available at the University of Houston and at Texas Medical Center Institutions. 

Academic Policies


A cumulative grade point average of at least 3.00 (A = 4.00) must be maintained in all graduate level courses required for the Ph.D. degree in order to obtain a Ph.D. degree from the College of Pharmacy. Graduate level courses are defined as all courses required for the Ph.D. degree as defined either by the department and/or dissertation committee.

Students who receive a grade of ‘C’ or lower in more than 8 Cr. Hr. of courses will be dismissed from the program. In addition, a student with an ‘I’ as the most recent grade in a graduate level course will not be eligible for graduation. A student receiving an ‘F’ in a course with 3 or more Cr. Hr. will be dismissed from the program with no appeal. A student receiving a ‘D’ in a course with 3 or more Cr. Hr. will be dismissed unless the program Graduate Education Committee determines that other aspects of the student’s career (e.g. high GPA, publications) warrant the student’s continuation. If the student is permitted to continue, he/she must repeat the course and achieve at least a ‘B’ grade. Failure to get a ‘B’ on the second try will result in immediate dismissal from the program. A student receiving two Unsatisfactory (U) grades in any course will be dismissed from the program. A student may be dismissed from the program if he/she fails to select a mentor by the end of year one, fails to appoint a committee by the end of the third long term, or fails to complete both parts of the qualifying exam by the end of the third long term.

DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAMS In Pharmacology and Pharmaceutics: Policies and Procedures

Academic Policies: College of Pharmacy  

University of Houston Academic Policies  

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Graduate and Professional Fields of Study by College & Department