Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical
Sciences (Ph.D.)
The College of Pharmacy and Allied
Health Professions offers the Ph.D. degree in pharmaceutical
sciences. The program in pharmaceutical sciences leading to the
Doctor of Philosophy degree was formulated to prepare individuals
to meet evolving needs in pharmaceutical education, research and
industry. Students can specialize in pharmacology/ toxicology,
medicinal chemistry or industrial pharmacy. The Doctor of
Philosophy program in pharmaceutical sciences allows graduates to
assume leadership roles in education, research, government and
industry. Graduates of the program become important resources in
the preparation of faculty to teach in both graduate and
undergraduate pharmacy and allied health programs and contribute to
the development of biomedical research. Students are trained to
respond to rapidly changing needs in pharmaceutical dosage design,
drug production and drug analytical methods. Students learn
fundamental skills in basic and applied research in toxicology,
pharmacology, medicinal chemistry and industrial.
Entrance requirements
The program in pharmaceutical
sciences leads to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. It requires
suitable Graduate Record Examination (General Exam) Verbal and
Quantitative scores and an undergraduate grade point average of B
or better, plus two letters of recommendation. Students with a
master’s degree must have a graduate grade point average of no less
than 3.0.
Degree Requirements
The program of study for the Ph.D degree consists of a minimum of
60 semester hours beyond the bachelor’s degree or a minimum of 30
semester hours beyond the master’s degree, exclusive of
prerequisites. In certain cases, students may be required to
complete more than the minimum number of credits in their area of
specialization, or a minor field of study in order to make up any
deficiencies that may exist. The actual number and types of courses
to be taken are recommended by a committee consisting of a research
advisor and four other faculty members. The committee is also
responsible for assisting the candidate in his or her research, but
the primary responsibility for successfully concluding the
investigation rests with the candidate. All Ph.D. students must
successfully complete the qualifying and comprehensive examinations
during the course of their program of study. The candidate for the
Doctor of Philosophy degree must also satisfy a foreign language
requirement. There are several options for satisfying this
requirement. Doctoral candidates must complete this requirement by
the end of the second year of full-time study or its
equivalent.
Dissertation Research
All candidates for the Ph.D. degree must complete an original
laboratory, administrative or clinical investigation. The results
of this project must be reported as a comprehensive written
dissertation and at an oral defense. For further details, consult
the Doctoral Handbook, available in the Graduate Division office of
the College of Pharmacy.
Department Contact
Dr. Louis Trombetta, Chair
St. Albert Hall 134
(718) 990-1408
trombetl@stjohns.edu
Graduate Admission Information
Office of Graduate Admission
(718) 990-1601
gradhelp@stjohns.edu
Quick Links