Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ph.D.

Pharmaceutical Sciences, M.S./Ph.D.

General Information and Program Overview

The Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program (PSGP) is a research‐oriented degree program that offers multidisciplinary training in the areas of Drug Design & Discovery (DDD) and Drug Delivery & Clinical Pharmacology (DDCP). Students who fulfill the academic criteria of course work and original research culminating in a thesis or dissertation will earn the Master of Science (M.S.) or Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree, respectively.

The two areas of specialization, DDD and DDCP, were created to develop a curriculum that is interdisciplinary and at the cutting edge of the ever‐advancing field of pharmaceutical sciences, thus providing a state‐of‐the‐art educational experience for the student. The graduate program in Pharmaceutical Sciences prepares students for careers in academia, government and advanced scientific research in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

The DDD track offers students the ability to gain knowledge and conduct research in the areas of drug design and synthesis, biosynthesis of natural products, neuropharmacology and immunology. The DDCP track offers the students the ability to gain knowledge and conduct research in the area of drug delivery systems with a focus on the use of nanotechnology in targeted drug delivery. The DDCP track also offers the opportunity for students to train in clinical pharmacology by acquiring advanced pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic analysis skills and through the use of modeling and simulation techniques.

Please consult the Pharmaceutical Sciences website for additional information, details of the Graduate Program that are not covered here and for updates. (www.umes.edu/pharmacy)

Objectives of the Program

The goals of the PSGP are:

1. To provide the best training for students interested in pursuing careers in biopharmaceutical drug development; to conduct high‐quality research relevant to pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries; to offer innovative educational programs; and to support the biopharmaceutical industry, especially in Maryland.
2. For students to attain a high level of scholarship, research and leadership skills that contribute to the pharmaceutical sciences; for students to engage in the conduct of original research focusing on contemporary issues facing the pharmaceutical industry; to provide students with training at the highest level in life sciences pertaining to pharmaceutical sciences; and to prepare students for professional careers in academia and advanced scientific research in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.

Admission

Students will be required to have the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree in the biological, chemical, or pharmaceutical sciences, or in a related field. Students are expected to have completed university courses in the following areas:

1. Biochemistry or cell and molecular biology;
2. Organic chemistry;
3. Calculus.

Additional advanced coursework in biology, chemistry or pharmaceutical science is expected. Specific requirements include a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, a combined verbal and quantitative GRE score of 151 verbal, 153 quantitative, and 4.0 for analytical writing., and a minimum internet‐based TOEFL score of 55 or computer‐based TOEFL score of 213. Applicants to the PSGP will be considered at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels. For applicants to the Ph.D. track with a bachelor’s degree, admission may initially be to the M.S. track with final acceptance to the Ph.D. track contingent on successful completion of a probationary period (usually one year) and on the recommendation of the student’s Research Advisory Committee (RAC).

Applications will be evaluated by the Admissions Committee of the PSGP based on the following criteria:

1. Applicant’s research interests must be clearly stated and relevant to one or more of the PSGP faculty.
2. The academic preparation of the applicant must be consonant with stated interests and admissions requirements.
3. The undergraduate cumulative GPA and GPA in science courses. Students with a GPA below 3.0 may be provisionally accepted on the basis of related research or work experience.
4. Prior research experience will be favorably considered, although not required.
5. Applicants must submit the following documents as part of their application for graduate study in the PSGP.
   1. GRE Scores (Only the General Test is required, although one of the Advanced Tests is strongly recommended).
   2. Official college transcripts.
   3. A brief essay clearly defining areas of research interest within PSGP. The essay will assist with identification of an Academic Advisor should the applicant be admitted to the program.
   4. Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the academic/research work of the applicant.

The Admissions Committee will perform the initial screening of the applicant’s credentials. Students missing prerequisite courses may be offered provisional admission. Upon entry into the PSGP, the academic record of the entering students will be analyzed, and appropriate supplementary courses will be suggested in order to ensure the academic success of the students enrolled in the program. Receipt of the application will initiate the search for an appropriate faculty member to serve as the Academic Advisor for the student. All students admitted to the PSGP will have an assigned Advisor. If an applicant has had discussions with a member of the faculty about serving as an Advisor, that fact should be stated in the application. The faculty member should forward a letter of agreement to the Dean of the Graduate School with a copy to the PSGP Admission Committee.

Application Deadline

Fall Semester – May 15

Advisors and Research Advisory Committees

Upon admission to the PSGP, students will be assigned to an Academic Advisor. Any request for a change of Advisor must be submitted to and approved by the PSGP Director. In certain situations, a student may request a second Academic Advisor. This might happen if, for instance, the professor most familiar with the student has only Associate Graduate Faculty status. In this case, it is possible to set up a co‐advisor team of two professors to jointly serve in the role of advisor (the other having Regular Graduate Faculty status). Due to the expected divergent interest and goals of students in the PSGP, the early formation of a Research Advisory Committee (RAC) is mandatory. During the first semester of enrollment in the PSGP, the student and the Advisor must form this Committee and submit its membership to the PSGP Director for approval. The RAC should meet during the first semester, and must make its written recommendations for a program of study before the end of the second semester.

A Master’s RAC will consist of three members, all of whom must be Regular or Associate members of a University System of Maryland (USM) campus Graduate Faculty. A Ph.D. RAC must have at least five members, three of whom must be Regular or Associate faculty. The Ph.D. RAC can consist of a minimum of three members who are USM graduate faculty until the Comprehensive Examinations, at which time it must consist of five or more members. The student’s advisor will serve as Chair of this Committee. The membership of the RAC should not be drawn entirely from a single laboratory or department. Replacement of Committee members is expected, as needed, based on the advisor’s recommendation.

The program of study will be planned by the RAC in the first or second semester and will include any missing prerequisites (all prerequisites must be completed within the first year in the program), all required core courses, and any specialized courses recommended by the Committee. The total credits of the required and suggested courses may exceed the general credit minimum (30 for M.S. and 53 for Ph.D.). Following the RAC’s recommendation, the program of study must then be approved by the PSGP Director.

The RAC is responsible for initial approval of the student’s area of research. Once the student has chosen an area of research, a proposal should be written and disseminated to the RAC. This preliminary research proposal should be brief, yet concisely state the student’s research interests. Students in the Ph.D. track will later develop a more comprehensive research proposal which they must defend before advancing to candidacy. Students in the M.S. track will develop a more complete thesis proposal to submit to their RAC as described below. The approved preliminary proposal should be filed with the PSGP Director by the end of the second semester following entry into the PSGP. A M.S. student’s RAC will approve the thesis proposal and the thesis defense. Master’s thesis students are not required to take comprehensive examinations. For Ph.D. students, the RAC will administer the defense of the dissertation proposal, oversee the student’s research, and administer the dissertation defense.

Annual progress reviews initiated by the advisor will be conducted through the RAC and the Director to ensure satisfactory progress of students toward degree completion (coursework and research direction). The RAC is responsible for tracking the progress of students throughout their graduate career.

Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program Time Limits

• Full time Master’s students will be limited to four (4) years in which to graduate.
• Full time Doctoral students will be limited to seven (7) years in which to graduate. Students must be advanced to candidacy, i.e., have taken and passed the written and oral comprehensive examination and the dissertation proposal defense within 6 semesters after initial enrollment.
• Part‐time Doctoral and Master’s students will follow the Graduate School’s time limits for Master’s degrees (5 years) and Doctoral degrees (5 + 4).
• An extension of these time limits may be granted upon request of the student’s RAC, and with the approval of the PSGP Director and the UMES Dean of Graduate Studies.

External Support of Research Activities

Funding of PSGP students will be through private (student loans) and government agencies (graduate scholarships). UMES faculty have received funding for research from a number of federal and state agencies and private organizations including: National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Agriculture, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Department of the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Mid‐Atlantic Fisheries Development Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, US Forest Service, Agency for International Development and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

For additional information on the PSGP please contact

Mark A. Simmons, Ph.D.
Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Director, Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Program
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
School of Pharmacy
314 Somerset Hall
Princess Anne, MD 21853
410‐621‐2028; 410‐651‐8394 (fax)
PSGP@umes.edu

Course Requirements

• PSGP 801 Drug Design and Discovery I Credit: 3

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• PSGP 803 Advanced Drug Metabolism I Credit: 3 (DDD track) or
• PSGP 821 Stem Cell Biology and Applications Credit: 3 (DDCP track)

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• PSGP 805 Dosage Forms and Advanced Drug Delivery Systems Credit: 3
• PSGP 725 Advanced Instrumental Analysis Credit: 3
• PSGP 809 Seminar/Journal Club Credit: 1
• PSGP 601 Responsible conduct of research (RCR): Research Ethics Credit: 1
• PSGP 810 Grant proposal, Scientific Writing and Academic Development Credit: 3
• CSDP 604 Computer Methods in Statistics Credit: 3
• PSGP 899 Research/Ph.D. Dissertation Writing Credit: 1-9
• Electives (18)

Elective Courses

• PSGP 602 Oral Solid Dosage Forms Credit: 3
• PSGP 802 Drug Discovery II Credit: 3
• PSGP 804 Advanced Drug Metabolism II Credit: 3
• PSGP 811 Principles of Pharmacology Credit: 3
• PSGP 812 Advanced Bioorganic Chemistry I Credit: 3
• PSGP 813 Advanced Bioorganic Chemistry II Credit: 3
• PSGP 814 Advanced Neuropharmacology Credit: 3
• PSGP 815 Clinical Chemistry Credit: 3
• PSGP 816 Advanced Molecular Pharmacology Credit: 3
• PSGP 817 Advanced Immunology Credit: 3
• PSGP 818 Advanced Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics Credit: 3
• PSGP 819 Modeling and Simulation Methods in Quantitative Clinical Pharmacology Credit: 3
• PSGP 820 Translational Nanomedicine Credit: 3
• AGRI 684 Recombinant DNA Technology Credit: 3
• AGSC 605 Statistics in Agricultural Research Credit: 3
• ANPT 622 Analytical Laboratory Methods Credit: 2
• BCHM 671 Protein Chemistry and Enzymatic Catalysis Credit: 3
• CHEM 632 Advanced Organic Chemistry Credit: 3
• CHEM 670 Advanced Biochemistry Credit: 3
• CHEM 710 Polymer Chemistry: Environmental and Biomedical Aspects Credit: 3
• TOXI 601 Advanced Toxicology I Credit: 3
• TOXI 602 Advanced Toxicology II Credit: 3
• TOXI 688D Molecular Genetics and DNA Damage Credit: 3
• TOXI 688G Advanced Molecular Toxicology Credit: 3

Total Credits: 53

Examinations for Candidacy

Formal application for advancement to candidacy for the Doctoral degree requires successful completion of both a written comprehensive examination and an oral defense of the dissertation proposal. The written comprehensive examination must be passed before the student can defend the dissertation proposal.

1. Comprehensive Examination
   The comprehensive exam must be taken by the end of the student’s fifth semester. This examination is intended to determine whether the student demonstrates sufficient evidence of scholastic and intellectual ability in the major and related academic areas. Students will not be allowed to take this exam until they have completed all of the didactic course requirements of the program with a GPA of 3.0 or better. The examination will not be a defense of the research proposal. The RAC is responsible for administering the written comprehensive examination. This examination must be successfully completed before the dissertation proposal can be defended. The RAC will determine whether the student passes (a minimum of four affirmative votes is required), or fails. If failed, the examination may, at the recommendation of the RAC, be taken again. In this case, the examination should the examination is failed a second time, admission will be cancelled. Any conditional passing of the examination must be satisfied before the examination can be rendered successfully completed.
2. Dissertation Proposal Defense
   The proposal defense is an oral examination on the research proposal administered by the RAC. At least two weeks prior to the examination, the student must supply the Committee members with a formal research proposal in a PDF file following the guidelines and page limits of a NIH R01 grant proposal, PHS 398 Research Plan Form. The RAC will examine the student on all aspects of the proposed research to determine whether the research plan is sound, whether the student has the proper motivation, intellectual capacity and curiosity, and has, or can develop, the technical skills necessary to successfully pursue the Ph.D. degree. The student passes if there are at least four affirmative votes. If failed, the student must re‐defend the proposal within one year; a second failure will result in cancellation of admission.

The research proposal should be defended within one year of unconditionally passing the written comprehensive examination and at least one year before projected completion of the degree requirements.

At the successful completion of this defense, the student officially applies for Advancement to Candidacy for the Ph.D. Degree and should submit the necessary form to the UMES Graduate School. Students must be admitted to candidacy at least six months prior to the defense of the dissertation (final oral defense).

Ph. D. Dissertation Seminar & Dissertation Defense

A candidate for the Ph.D. degree will present a public seminar on his/her dissertation research. The seminar should, under normal circumstances, be given within five weeks in advance of the day of the oral final examination. The student and the advisor will be responsible for initiating arrangements for the date and advertisement of the seminar. The seminar will be open to faculty, students, and other interested parties.

The final oral defense of the dissertation will be conducted according to the “Procedures for the Oral Defense”  in the UMES Graduate Catalog.

Teaching

In order to promote development as teacher‐scholars, all students enrolled in the PSGP will be required to teach during two semesters. Teaching is required regardless of the source of stipend support. First year students will not teach. In the second year, all students must serve as a teaching assistant in a designated course. Additional teaching, not exceeding one course per year, is encouraged.