Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD and MD/PhD)

Graduate Committee

Dr. Luis Marky (Chair & Graduate Program Director), Dr. Don Ronning, Dr. Joe Vetro, and Dr. DJ Murry

Pharmaceutical Science is an interdisciplinary field the utilizes a diverse group of scientific disciplines (e.g., biology, chemistry, engineering, and physics).  The Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD program provides instruction and training in drug discovery, drug delivery and targeting, biophysical chemistry, bio-materials nanotechnology, nanomedicine, biopharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. Students are mentored by members of the faculty whose research interests reside in developing new drugs to treat malaria, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and infectious diseases as well as delivering and/or targeting small and large molecular weight drugs or genes to treat cancer, ophthalmic, lung, bone, cardiovascular and other diseases.

PhD Curriculum

Degree Tracks

PhD students in Pharmaceutical Sciences must choose one of the following tracks:

• Drug Delivery & Biopharmaceutics;
• Biophysics;
• Medicinal Chemistry; or
• Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences

General Requirements

• Completion of coursework. 
• Completion of the Comprehensive Examination.
• Completion of a research project consistent with a PhD level of achievement.
• Completion and successful defense of a doctoral dissertation.
• Concurrence of the mentor and the student's Supervisory Committee.

The coursework requirements for the Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD program are detailed provided below. Students will need to complete the two core course (IPBS 801 and PHSC 845)  and all courses in track curriculum prior to taking the comprehensive examination.  The need for any additional courses beyond this curriculum will be determined by the student's Supervisory Committee.

Coursework

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
CORE COURSES (required courses for all tracks)
GRAD 800	RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT IN RESEARCH TRAINING *	0
PHSC 802	ESSENTIALS OF DRUG DISCOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT	3
PHSC 845	QUANTITATIVE PHARMACUETICAL ANALYSIS *	3
PHSC 960	CURRENT TOPICS IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES (each fall and spring semester)	1
PHSC 970	SEMINAR (each fall and spring semester)	1
PHSC 999	DOCTORAL DISSERTATION	1-15
The student's Supervisory Committee will assist in selecting appropriate electives
*Courses need to be completed, plus two elective courses, and track curriculum prior to taking Comprehensive Exam

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
DRUG DELIVERY & BIOPHARMACEUTICS TRACK
Required: Select 2 of the following 4 courses
PHSC 885	PHYSICAL PHARMACY	3
PHSC 852	PHARMACEUTICAL CHEMISTRY FOR DRUG DELIVERY AND NANOMEDICINE	3
PHSC 910	PHARMACOKINETICS AND BIOPHARMACEUTICS	3
BIOS 806	BIOSTATISTICS	3
Two elective courses

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
BIOPHYSICS TRACK
Required: Select 2 of the following 3 courses
PHSC 885	PHYSICAL PHARMACY	3
PHSC 848	NANOIMAGING/BIOIMAGING	3
PHSC 921	BIOPHYSICAL CHEMISTRY	3
Two elective courses

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY TRACK
Required courses
CHEM 8246	(ADV. ORG. CHEMISTRY MECH - This course is offered at the University of Nebraska - Omaha)
CHEM 8236	(ADV. ORG. CHEMISTRY SYNTHESIS - This course is offered at the University of Nebraska - Omaha)
PHSC 830	ADV MEDICINAL CHEM	3
PHSC 903	SPECTROSCOPIC METHODS AND ANALYSIS	3
One elective course

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
CLINICAL PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES TRACK
Required courses
BIOS 806	BIOSTATISTICS	3
BIOS 808	BIOSTATISTICS II	3
PHSC 905	APPLIED PHARMACOGENOMICS	3
PHSC 920	APPLIED PHARMACOKINETICS IN TRANSLATIONAL RESEARCH AND DRUG DEVELOPMENT	3
One elective course