PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences
The current Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences with specialization in Pharmacy graduate program is offered by the Department of Pharmaceutics. The departmental faculty has decided to use 'track' method for accommodating the diversity of the Deparment's graduate population, its multi- and interdisciplinarity. We now propose a revised specialization in Pharmacy in this degree program with two tracks: (a) in Pharmaceutics, and (b) in Drug Discovery.
The focus of the Department of Pharmaceutics, which houses the Center for
Drug Discovery, differs sufficiently from that of other departments as to
justify a specialization. The uniqueness of the department is evident in present
research activities which encompass basic, applied and clinical investigations
in the areas of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, Pharmaceutical
Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Analysis, Drug Delivery, and Drug Discovery.
Specifically, Biopharmaceutics and Pharmacokinetics, encompasses the absorption,
distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs in animals and humans, and the
relationship between drug concentration and effect; Pharmaceutical Biotechnology
includes molecular biology, immunology, and aspects of the delivery of peptide
and protein drugs; Pharmaceutical Analysis involves the application of
spectroscopy, chromatography, extraction, electrophoresis, immunoassays, and
radioisotope assays to drug determination; Drug Delivery includes physical,
biological and chemical approaches to drug delivery, formulation and evaluation
of dosage forms; and Drug Discovery is associated with receptor-oriented/retrometabolic
drug design, computer assisted drug design, chemical/physical approaches to
controlled drug delivery, pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic correlation approach
to improved therapeutic index.
The objectives of the Ph.D. program in the Department of Pharmaceutics are:
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| To provide a foundation in the pharmaceutical sciences in general, as well
as in the specific tracks identified, with emphasis on pharmacokinetics,
biopharmaceutics, pharmaceutical analysis, pharmaceutical technology/drug
delivery, pharmacodynamics, pharmaceutical biotechnology, and drug design
and discovery.
| To educate individuals capable of conducting independent research and with
in-depth specialized knowledge in one of the above areas and to provide a
solid educational, technical and experiential foundation for students in the
industrial, academic, governmental or other arenas.
| To provide an environment that nurtures and stimulates the research interests and the intellectual advancement of students and faculty, including a forum for scientific and professional discussion. |
Nicholas Bodor, PhD, Graduate Research Professor,
Director, Center for Drug Discovery
Research Interests:
Design of drugs with improved therapeutic index, based on retrometabolic
concepts, design of new chemical and physical delivery systems, computer
assisted drug design, drug transport and metabolism, and theoretical mechanistic
organic chemistry. Ongoing research is performed in all of the areas mentioned.
Gayle A. Brazeau, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics,
Research Interests:
Dr. Brazeau's research interest is focused upon elucidating the mechanisms of
drug-induced myopathies or muscle damage following systemic or intramuscular
administration using in vitro and in vivo animal models. Compounds that have
been investigated include alcohol, cocaine and the MG-COA reductases. Other
research interests focus around the development of long-acting intramuscular
injectables and their effects on muscle tissue, drug absorption and
pharmacokinetics.
Hartmut Derendorf, PhD, Professor of Pharmaceutics
Research Interests:
Correlation of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behavior of drugs (corticosteroids,
analgesics, antibiotics); analysis of drugs and metabolites in biological fluids
by HPLC- pharmacodynamic evaluations by pharmaco-electroencephalography (EEG);
pharmacokinetics in sickle cell patients.
Guenther Hochhaus, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics,
Research Interests:
Dr. Hochhaus' research includes the development of novel analytical techniques
for the measurement of drugs in biological fluids by chromatographic and
immunological techniques- the metabolism, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic
properties of opioid peptides, pharmacokinetic/dynamic (PK/PD) behavior of
anti-asthmatic drugs and their relevance for the formulation of targeted
pulmonary delivery systems.
Jeffrey Hughes, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutics,
Research Interests:
Dr. Hughes' long term goals are to elucidate the physicochemical parameters of
antisense oligonucleotides and other macromolecules which influence their
cellular permeability and disposition. After a basic understanding is achieved
he intends to use these principles to develop better delivery systems for
oligonucleotides and other biotechnology derived products.
Laszlo Prokai, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics
Research Interests:
Dr. Prokai's research interest has been focused on metabolism-based drug
targeting and drug delivery. He has been developing strategies that enable
delivery/targeting of neuropeptides into the central nervous system to medicate
neurological disorders, and has been studying the involvement of anti-opioid
peptides in opiate abuse in animal models. His research interest also includes
site- and stereospecific ocular drug targeting by chemical delivery systems for
improved treatment of glaucoma. Dr. Prokai's expertise incorporates mass
spectrometry, and he has been developing the technique for biomedical and
pharmaceutical applications, characterization of synthetic and biooligomers and
polymers, as well as for investigation of supramolecular interactions of
pharmaceutical and biomedical interest.
Michael A. Schwartz, PhD, Professor of Pharmaceutics, Dean Emeritus
Dr. Schwartz will lecture in graduate courses related to dosage forms and
drug stability in the program.
Adjunct faculty will be selected by the faculty of the department and the center based on the suggestion of individual faculty member(s) and a departmental ballot. The role of adjunct faculty is to give guest lectures in graduate courses offered by the department and the center upon mutual agreement between the course coordinator and the adjunct faculty, and to advise students in graduate research (The adjunct faculty, the student, and the chair of the supervisory committee should decide about the level of involvement by the adjunct faculty). Participation in supervisory committees by an adjunct faculty will be governed by the guidelines given in the current Graduate Catalog of the University of Florida.
Richard H. Hammer, PhD, Professor Emeritus
Research Interests:
Design, synthesis, and pharmacological testing of novel soft anticholinergic
analogs of atropine and scopolamine as non-toxic short-acting mydriatics,
antiperspirants, and cardiovascular agents.
Robert A. Baughman, PhD, Vice President and Director of Research &
Development
Emisphere Technologies, Inc.
Research Interests:
Characterizing absorption mechanism for macromolecules, optimizing oral drug
delivery, the disposition of therapeutic peptides and proteins, and the effect
of disease states on drug pharmacokinetics. Dr. Baughman has conducted
pharmacokinetic studies on over 15 recombinant products, including clinical
pharmacokinetic trials with tPA, rhGH, TNF and rlFN-b.
Marcus E. Brewster, PhD, Director of Drug Delivery
Janssen Pharmaceutica, Belgium
Research Interests:
Dr. Brewster has three main research interests including (1) The use of
cyclodextrins and chemically modified cyclodextrins as solubilizing and
stabilizing pharmaceutical excipients. These approaches have been applied to
improving parenteral dosing forms. (2) The use of quantum mechanical (molecular
orbital) approaches to examine problems of biological and chemical importance.
Applications include evaluating enzymatic pathways and drug stabilities. (3)
Organ targeting and especially brain targeting of drugs using redox and other
technologies.
Ricardo Gonzalez-Rothi, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Pulmonary Division
Research Interests:
Dr. Gonzalez-Rothi is board certified in Internal Medicine with a Pulmonary
Medicine subspecialty. His research interests center around targeted drug
delivery to the lung via the aerosol route, specifically delivery of anti-mycobacterials
and corticosteroids to pulmonary alveolar macrophages. He is presently involved
in a multidisciplinary project to design liposome formulations of various
corticosteroids in order to modulate lung macrophage functions. Besides in vitro
studies on macrophage cell lines, which include receptor binding assays and a
variety of immune macrophage functions, various pharmacokinetic aspects of
intrapulmonary delivery of liposomal corticosteroid formulations will be studied
in vivo. Dr. Gonzalez-Rothi is on the NASA Space Shuttle Medical Support Team.
Governance
Decisions concerning curricular revision and student admissions are made after
the department faculty has met to discuss such matters and each faculty member
has voted on that particular issue.
Recruitment of
Students
The PhD program of the Department of Pharmaceutics is listed in the graduate
catalog, and is advertised in mailings to well qualified graduates of the
University of Florida and on the College of Pharmacy Home Page on the Internet.
Admission
Policies and Procedures
The College of Pharmacy adheres to the minimum standards set forth by the
Graduate School:
| A grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (4-point system);
| A minimum of 1000 on the combined verbal and quantitative portions of the
Graduate Record Examination (advanced portion of GRE not required);
| Three (3) letters of recommendation.
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In addition to the above requirements, foreign applicants must have:
| A score of 575 or higher on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL);
| A score of 45 or higher on the Test of Spoken English (TSE). (This test
can be taken before or after admission to Graduate School; however, it is a
prerequisite for a teaching assistantship)
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Although a formal interview is not required at this time, applicants are encouraged to visit the department/center prior to or during the application process.
Financial Assistance
It is the general policy of the Department of Pharmaceutics that all students
accepted to pursue graduate studies receive support in the form of a teaching or
research assistantship, or show evidence of adequate support from a fellowship
or other source. Currently, the minimum stipend is approximately $11,600/year.
Teaching assistantships are normally provided for a four (4) year period of time contingent upon continuing funding from State sources. A student may receive support for one (1) more year if a relevant reason is presented to the departmental faculty by the major advisor, and the departmental faculty approves the request by majority vote of all the faculty. Except in extenuating circumstances, the department or the center is not financially responsible for any student taking longer than 5 years to complete the doctoral program.
Those students assigned to teach during any given semester by the graduate studies coordinator are appointed Teaching Assistant (0.33 FTE) and are required to work 13.3 hours per week. All graduate students receiving a stipend who are not employed as teaching assistants will be designated Research Assistants or Fellows depending on the source of funds. Stipends are provided so that students may pursue research required to complete their educational programs. Students are expected to diligently pursue that research.
Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, every graduate student will receive a statement specifying (i) total amount of stipend for that period, (ii) position to which appointed, e.g. TA, R.A., or other, (iii) starting and ending dates of appointment, (iv) assignment for that period, (v) the supervisor for that period, and (vi) other pertinent information. A copy of this document will be kept in the student's personnel file. Students will be asked to sign the form to indicate that it has been read, understood and accepted.
At the end of each fiscal year, each student will be evaluated on his/her assigned duties by the supervisor in writing. The student has the right to a written rebuttal in case he/she does not agree with the evaluation. The evaluation will also be kept in the student's personnel file.
A professor may usually not have more than two (2) College-supported graduate students at any one time.
A faculty member may support with his/her own funds any number of graduate students in addition to the College-supported graduate students. The stipend paid by the faculty member cannot be used to supplement an existing college supported stipend.
Students are encouraged to apply for national and graduate school fellowships and awards. If a student succeeds in receiving a grant, the department or the center may supplement the student's salary with a fraction of the amount up to the current funding levels (provided the granting agency allows such an arrangement).
Decisions concerning the allocation of state stipends are made by the departmental/center faculty at the same time as a decision is made to admit a particular candidate.
Selection
of Discipline for Degree and Major Professor
Upon entering the department, students are required to meet with each faculty
member before selecting an advisor. Even if a student indicates an interest in
working with a particular faculty member, he/she must nevertheless interview
with all (graduate) faculty members of the whole department before a final
decision is made. However, students who have made individual arrangements with a
professor prior to entering the program and are sponsored through non-College
funds provided by this professor will not need to go through this selection
process.
Students must select a major advisor by the end of their second semester of graduate school but are encouraged to do so as early as possible.
If a student desires to change the major advisor, he/she must discuss the change with the current advisor. If both parties agree to such change, the student can select a new advisor. If the parties cannot come to an agreement concerning the proposed change, then the student and the faculty member must each write a letter to the department chairperson explaining the situation. The student must specify the reason(s) for wanting to change. The advisor's letter must specify the reason(s) for the disagreement and contain an overall evaluation and appraisal of the situation. The department chairperson will evaluate the letters, discuss the situation with both individuals, and make a decision. If the student is permitted to change advisors, he/she will not be allowed to continue the same research project with another faculty member, except if both faculty members agree in writing to the department chairperson that the student should continue the same project under the new advisor.
The department graduate coordinator will advise the student in general
policies as set forth in this document. This individual is also responsible for
general oversight of the graduate program for quality assurance, assignment of
teaching duties, and recruitment of graduate students.
Supervisory Committee
The supervisory committee is proposed by the student's major advisor in
consultation with the student, nominated by the department chairperson, approved
by the Dean of the College of Pharmacy, and appointed by the Dean of the
Graduate School. Each committee member should hold Graduate Faculty status with
the Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School is an ex-officio member of
all supervisory committees. The supervisory committee must be appointed no later
than the second term of the doctoral program. The student is encouraged to meet
with the supervisory committee as often as possible.
The supervisory committee shall consist of at least four (4) members of the Graduate Faculty. At least two (2) members must be from the Department of Pharmaceutics, and at least one (1) member other than the chairperson must be tenured faculty; at least one (1) member must be from a different educational discipline outside the College of Pharmacy. The chairperson need not be tenured, but must hold a full-time tenure track position in the Department of Pharmaceutics.
In unusual cases, the doctoral research may require the guidance of a specialist in an area of study other than that of the supervisory committee chairperson. In such cases, the department chairperson may recommend the appointment of a co-chairperson who should be on the graduate faculty.
DUTIES OF THE SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE
| To provide optimum support and guidance to the student to help the student
meet his/her academic goals.
| Inform the student of all regulations governing the Ph.D. degree. This
does not absolve the student from the responsibility of becoming informed of
these regulations.
| To meet soon after appointment with the student to consider the student's
individual goals and proposed program, and evaluate the student's progress
to date.
| To conduct the student's oral qualifying examination after the student has
completed all required course work and the written qualifying examination.
At this point, the committee will also discuss and approve the student's
dissertation topic, and, if the student has passed the examination to the
committee's satisfaction, recommend the student's admission to candidacy.
| The supervisory committee should monitor and evaluate the student's
progress and give clear directions as to the final work plan leading to
graduation. It is recommended that the committee meets once a year before
the student advances to candidacy and every six months thereafter to review
the student's research and to make suggestions for completion of research,
and approve that the student is ready to write up the dissertation as soon
as the major advisor and student believe that the research is nearing
completion.
| To conduct the final oral examination in defense of the thesis. | |
Curriculum
A minimum of 90 semester hours beyond the Bachelor's degree is required for the
doctoral degree. All credits earned in the approved degree program count toward
this minimum. Course work must be 5000 level or higher. Courses for major credit
must be taken by letter grade, except for those courses listed as S/U in the
catalog.
Each student, together with his/her committee, will put together a course program of study specifically designed to meet the student's interest in one of the available tracks within the specialization. This will include the following core courses:
| A pharmacology course: Pharmacology PHA 5515/5516 (5 credits), or
Pharmacology GMS 6500 (5 credits), or Molecular Pharmacology GMS 6563 (3
credits)
| A drug metabolism course: In Vivo and In Vitro Stability of Drugs
PHA 6116 (3 credits), or Drug Metabolism and Toxicity PHA 6425 (2 credits),
or Advanced Metabolism BCH 6206 (3 credits)
| A statistics course: Statistics STA 6166 (4 credits), or Analysis
of Research Data STA 6201 (3 credits) | |
In addition, all graduate students that choose the Pharmaceutics track will be required to take at least 3 of the following graduate courses offered by the department:
| Pharmaceutical Analysis PHA 6416 (3 credits)
| Advanced Pharmacokinetics PHA 6125 (3 credits)
| Pharmaceutical Product Formulation PHA 6170 (3 credits)
| In Vivo and In Vitro Stability of Drugs PHA 6116 (3 credits)
| Pharmaceutics II PHA 5173 (4 credits) | |
Students selecting the Drug Discovery track will be required to take at least 3 of the following graduate courses:
| Basic Principles of Organic Chemistry CHM 5224 (3 credits)
| Advanced Principles of Organic Chemistry CHM 6225 (4 credits)
| Drug Discovery PHA 6445 (3 credits)
| Molecular Diversity PHA 6118 (2 credits)
| Advanced Pharmacokinetics PHA 6125 (3 credits)
| Enzyme Kinetics and Mechanism BCH 7515 (2 credits) | |
Students with adequate training in any of the above courses may apply for
exemption from such courses, but they must have credit for a minimum of thirty
(30) semester hours of approved didactic courses. The remaining course
requirements can be fulfilled by completion of electives from the Approved List
selected in consultation with the students major advisor. Following is a list of
approved courses. Any substitution in the approved courses made by a supervisory
committee must be approved by the Faculty of the Department of Pharmaceutics.
Course numbers may change, and courses may be added or deleted upon approval by
the Faculty.
LIST OF APPROVED GRADUATE COURSES:* PHA 5110 - Dosage Forms I (3 credits)
PHA 5111 - Dosage Forms II (2 credits) PHA 5127 - Principles of Dose
Optimization I (2 credits) PHA 5161 - Pharmaceutical Biotechnology (3 credits)
PHA 5475 - Synthesis of Prodrugs (3 credits) PHA 5515 - Introduction to
Pharmacology (1 credit) PHA 5516 - Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics (4
credits) PHA 5517 - Pharmacology II (4 credits) PHA 6115 - Equilibria,
Complexations, and Interactions of Drugs (3 credits) PHA 6116 - In Vivo and In
Vitro Stability of Drugs (3 credits) PHA 6118 - Molecular Diversity (2 credits)
PHA 6125 - Advanced Pharmacokinetics (3 credits) PHA 6170C - Pharmaceutical
Product Formulation (3 credits) PHA 6354 - Natural Medicinal Products (3
credits) PHA 6416 - Pharmaceutical Analysis I (3 credits) PHA 6417 -
Pharmaceutical Analysis II (3 credits) PHA 6425 - Drug Metabolism & Toxicity
(3 credits) PHA 6445 - Drug Discovery (3 credits) PHA 6508 - Mammalian
Physiology (4 credits) PHA 6509 - Mammalian Physiology (4 credits) BCH 6206 -
Advanced Metabolism (3 credits) BCH 6740 - Advanced Physical Biochemistry (3
credits) BCH 7515 - Enzyme Kinetics and Mechanisms (2 credits) BMS 5201 -
Introduction to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (3 credits) BMS 5520C -
Principles of Physiology (2 credits) BMS 6400 - Introduction to Pharmacology (5
credits) BMS 6402 - Autonomic and Cellular Pharmacology (2 credits) CAP 5506 -
Programming Language Principles [3 credits) CAP 6627 - Expert Systems (3
credits) CAP 6652 - Artificial Intelligence Concepts (3 credits) CAP 6653 -
Neuroal Networks for Computing (3 credits) CHM 4411 - Physical Chemistry (4
credits) CHM 5224 - Basic Principles far Organic Chemistry (3 credits) CHM 5235
- Organic Spectroscopy (3 credits) CHM 5275 - The Organic Chemistry of Polymers
(2 credits) CHM 5305 - Chemistry of Biological Molecules (3 credits) CHM 5514 -
Chemical Computations (2 credits) CHM 6154 - Chemical Separations CHM 6155 -
Spectrochemical Methods (3 credits] CHM 6225 - Advanced Principles of Organic
Chemistry (4 credits) OHM 6226 - Advanced Synthetic Organic Chemistry (3
credits) CHM 6211 - Chemistry of High Polymers (2 credits) CHM 6480 - Elements
of Quantum Chemistry (3 credits) CHM 6520 - Chemical Physics (3 credits) CHM
6720 - Chemical Dynamics (3 credits) CHS 5110 - Radiochemistry (2 credits) CHS
5110L - Radiochemistry Laboratory (3 credits) GMS 6500 - Introduction to
Pharmacology (5 credits) GMS 6563 - Molecular Pharmacology (3 credits) GMS 6735
- Neuropharmacology (3 credits) GMS 7593 - Principles of Drug Action (2 credits)
GMS 7595 - Topics in Pharmacology (e.g. Principles of Drug Action, 2 credits)
MBS 7423 - Principles of Drug Action (2 credits) STA 6166 - Statistical Methods
in Research I (4 credits) STA 6167 - Statistical Methods in Research II (4
credits) STA 6200 - Fundamentals of Research Design (2 credits) STA 6201 -
Analysis of Research Data (3 credits)
*
| ALL GRADUATE STUDENTS should register for (a) the 1 credit Pharmaceutics
Department research seminar (Wednesday seminar) each semester, using number PHA
6938 (Research Seminar; 1 credit; S/U option; maximum 3 credits) in the
Pharmaceutics track, or (b) for the Seminar in Drug Discovery, PHA 6440
(1 credit; S/U option; maximum 3 credits) in the Drug Discovery track.
| FOR NON- CANDIDATES: Graduate students who have not yet attained candidacy
for the Ph.D. should register for PHA 7979 (Advanced Research; 1 to 9
credits).
| FOR CANDIDATES: Candidates for the Ph.D. degree should register for PHA
7980 (Research for Doctoral Dissertation; 1 to 15 credits). | |
Qualifying Examination
Satisfactorily passing the qualifying examination is a requirement for admission
to candidacy, i.e., when the student actually becomes a candidate for the Ph.D.
degree. In order to take the qualifying examination, the student must (I) have a
minimum 3.00 GPA; (ii) have completed letter-grade course work; (iii) have
completed all core courses; and (iv) be registered at the time the examination
is taken. Exceptions (e.g., if a core course is not offered, but the student has
fulfilled all other requirements and has formulated a research program) may be
granted by the supervisory committee.
The first phase of the qualifying exam consists of a written examination. In the Pharmaceutics track, the departmental graduate faculty will be responsible to prepare and conduct the exam. This portion of the test consists of a departmental comprehensive examination in which each faculty member of the department will submit questions and the student(s) will attempt to answer them (Upon mutual agreement of the faculty involved in administering the exam, the student may leave up to two questions unanswered, if he/she did not take courses relevant to the question; this will be announced before the student[s] receive the exam). The questions will test the student's ability to integrate knowledge from the course work to problems in pharmaceutics. The exam will preferably be given after the spring semester and prior to beginning of the fall semester. The examination will be an open book test and require not more than 48 hours. Each faculty member will grade the question(s) he/she submitted with a letter grade.
An overall grade of B or higher should be considered a passing grade. The faculty will meet to consider the results and make judgments regarding the overall grade. Failure to pass will result in the postponement of the qualifying examination by at least one (1) semester.
The written qualifying examination in the Drug Discovery track will be an exam whose subject is unrelated to the student's thesis project. An appropriate subject will be selected and approved by the supervisory committee, after consultation with the student. The exam should be an independent document prepared only by the student (without commented iterations) and should be submitted to the supervisory committee for grading within two weeks after receiving the approval from the committee. The members of the supervisory committee will meet to discuss the written exam (the student should also be present and may be requested by the committee to present a brief summary and answer specific questions related to the work), and will give a pass/fail grade. The meeting may take place immediately before the oral qualifying examination.
Satisfactory performance of the written examination will allow the student to take the Oral Qualifying Examination. This oral examination is announced one (1) week in advance to the Faculty of the College of Pharmacy and the Dean of the Graduate School.
Prior to the oral part of the qualifying examination, the student must present a written research proposal for dissertation work to the supervisory committee. This proposal will also be presented orally by the student during the oral qualifying examination. The research proposal should be written in the form of an NIH proposal to include a Hypothesis, Background and Significance, Preliminary Data, Research Design and Methods and Cited Literature. The oral examination will be conducted by the supervisory committee. At least five (5) faculty members including all members of the supervisory committee must be present at the oral portion. The supervisory committee has the responsibility at this time for deciding whether the student is qualified to continue working toward the Ph.D. degree. If the student fails in his/her qualifying examination, the Graduate School must be notified. A re-examination must be requested, but it must be recommended by the supervisory committee and approved by the Graduate School. At least one (1) semester of additional preparation is considered essential for re-examination.
The results of the qualifying examination must be reported on the form and submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School, and a copy provided to the departmental graduate coordinator.
Final Examination
After submission of the original copy of the dissertation to the Graduate School
(see below) and completion of all other work for the degree, and the appropriate
dates and time intervals will follow the guidelines set forth by the University
of Florida Graduate School, as detailed in the Graduate Catalog (p. 27).
An announcement of the scheduled examination must be submitted in writing to the Dean of the Graduate School by the chairperson of the supervisory committee at least ten (10) working days prior to the scheduled date. An announcement of the examination is sent at least one (1) week prior to the date of examination to faculty members in the College of Pharmacy, inviting them to attend.
At least five (5) faculty members, including all members of the supervisory committee, must be present at the final oral portion of the final examination. The five (5) faculty members must be Graduate Faculty members. Only the official members of the supervisory committee may sign the dissertation signature pages.
Assuming the candidate is successful, the Final Examination Report shall be signed by all faculty members attending the examination. The dissertation, original and copies, are to be signed by the official members of the supervisory committee and by the Dean of the College of Pharmacy. The signed Final Examination Report and the original copy of the dissertation should be returned to the Graduate School after the dissertation has been corrected.
Every candidate for a doctoral degree is required to prepare and present a dissertation that shows independent investigation, and is acceptable in form and content to the supervisory committee and to the Graduate School. Since all doctoral dissertations will be published by microfilm, it is necessary that the work be of publishable quality and that it be in a form for publication. A draft copy of the dissertation must be given to the supervisory committee at least one month prior to the defense. This allows time for any major changes to be made. A final copy of the thesis should be circulated to the committee at least one week before the final defense.
All copies of the dissertation, except the original copy and the Health Center copy, must be provided as a hard bound copy by the student. The original copy and the second copy of the dissertation must be presented to the Dean of the Graduate School on or before the date specified in the University Calendar.
Students will not generally be admitted for studies toward an M.S. in this specialization. However, a student admitted to the doctoral program may be allowed to graduate with a Masters in Pharmacy subject to approval by the students supervisory committee. The M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences is described in the graduate catalog and requires the completion of a thesis or dissertation.
Specific Requirements for the Master of Science in Pharmacy Degree
Graduate Student Classification:
Students pursuing the Master of Science in Pharmacy degree are classified 7PH.
Degree Requirements:
Unless otherwise specified, for any master' degree, the student must carry a
minimum of 30 credits including no fewer than 24 hours of regular course work
and up to 6 credits in thesis research as a graduate student at the University
of Florida, of which no more than six semester hours of course work earned with
a grade A, B+ or B may be transferred from institutions approved by the Dean of
the Graduate School.
Major:
All course work for a master' degree must be in courses open only for graduate
credit (5000 and above).
Credits and Grades:
The 24 credits of minimum regular course work recommended by the supervisoy
committe and the supervisory chair, must be taken by letter grade. The student
must have a minumum 3.00 GPA for all course work attempted for the degree, and
as well, a minimum 3.00 GPA for course work in the major. The course program
will be determined by the thesis committee.
Thesis:
The candidate is required to prepare and present a thesis acceptable to his/her
supervisory committee and the Graduate School. He/she should consult the
Graduate School for instructions concerning the forms of the thesis, binding,
and the date when the original copy, accompanied by three (3) copies of
abstracts are to be submitted to the Graduate School.
Supervisory Committee for the Master of Science in Pharmacy:
At least three members selected from the Graduate Faculty must be on the
supervisory committee. These members are recommended by the student's
supervisory chair, approved by the College Dean for Research and Graduate
Studies, and appointed by the Graduate School. The Dean of the Graduate School
is an ex-officio member of all supervisory committees. If a minor is designated,
it should be represented by one member of the committee who is on the Graduate
Faculty. The committee should be appointed as soon as possible, and no later
than the end of the second semester or 24 credits, whichever comes first.
Only members of the Graduate Faculty may be members of the supervisory committee. Names of courtesy faculty, regular faculty, and others not on the Graduate Faculty should not appear on the student's official supervisory committee.
At least three faculty members must be present at the student's final examination, but only members of the official supervisory committee are required to sign the thesis and the report of the final examination.
Residency Requirement:
There is no residency requirement for the master's degree.
Admissison to Candidacy:
Admission to candidacy is no longer required for students pursuing master's
degrees.
Final Examination:
A written announcement of the examination is sent to the Graduate School Dean
and all faculty in the College of Pharmacy. When all of the student's course
work is completed, or practically so, and the thesis is in final form, the
student's supervisory committee is required to examine him/her in writing or
orally on his/her thesis and the subject matter of the courses taken for the
degree. The form Report on Thesis/Dissertation and Final Examination should be
completed and signed by the official members of the committee, and then by the
department chair/center director and the College Dean. This form should then be
submitted to the Graduate School.
The Final Examination Record should be submitted to the Graduate School with the thesis by the date specified in the University Calendar. The final examination may not be held any earlier than six month before the degree is to be conferred.
Time Limitation for Completion of The Master of Science in Pharmacy:
All work counted toward the M.S.P. degree must be completed during the seven
years immediately preceeding the date on which the degree is to be awarded.
Correspondence and Extension Work:
No courses may be taken for graduate credit by correspondence. No extension
courses may be used for graduate credit.
