Courses of study leading to the master of science and doctor of
philosophy degrees in medicinal chemistry are offered. Most applicants
have undergraduate degrees in chemistry, biochemistry, biology,
pharmacy, or other physical or biological sciences. It is strongly
recommended that applicants have completed 6 credits of physical
chemistry prior to admission. Areas of research in medicinal chemistry
include drug discovery, natural product synthesis, prodrugs,
peptidomimetics, enzyme inhibitors, computational chemistry, molecular
modeling and natural product isolation, and structure elucidation.
Degree requirements for the M.S. include a minimum of 25 credits of
course work and completion of an original research problem and thesis
(6 credits). A nonthesis M.S. program is also available primarily for
individuals already employed who wish to obtain a graduate degree
part-time. The requirements are identical to those for the thesis M.S.
program except that 6 credits of additional course work are substituted
for the research requirement. An expository essay is also required.
The Ph.D. requirements include a minimum of 38 credits of course work
and 34 credits of research in medicinal chemistry. All students are
required to prepare and defend an original research proposal. A
residency requirement of one academic year must also be satisfied,
preferably after completion of most of the required course work.
For a more detailed account of degree requirements, courses,
facilities, faculty research interests, and application procedures,
please visit the Department of Medicinal Chemistry home page at
http://medchem.rutgers.edu.
