The study of pharmacology involves several disciplines, using the methods of biochemistry, cell biology, chemistry, molecular biology, and physiology. The graduate program, which is research oriented, has faculty members from several departments at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Rutgers University. Faculty research covers a range of specialties, including cancer pharmacology, drug design and metabolism, neuropharmacology, and signal transduction. The graduate program also participates in a combined doctor of medicine/doctor of philosophy (M.D./Ph.D.) program.
Applicants who have completed a bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, or neuroscience are viewed as optimal candidates for admission. However, those with undergraduate training in related areas also are acceptable candidates, provided deficiencies are eliminated during the first year of study.
The Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 72 credits, including 32 credits of coursework and 40 credits of advanced research. Admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. requires the satisfactory completion of coursework and a qualifying examination that includes the defense of a detailed research proposal. The doctoral dissertation is based on original laboratory research.
Joint Ph.D. degrees are awarded in this program. See related information in this catalog.
In addition to those courses in the course list, students draw upon courses offered in other graduate programs, such as biochemistry and molecular biology, computer science, microbiology, neuroscience, physiology, and toxicology. Students are encouraged to participate in seminar programs and journal clubs.
Except for transfer students and M.D./Ph.D. candidates, most students enter the program as recruits from the core curriculum in molecular biosciences. Upon completing the requirements of the core (one year), students opting to specialize in cellular and molecular pharmacology must select a faculty adviser from the program.
