Emphasis - Pharmacy Administration
Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Description
The Ph.D. in pharmaceutical sciences can be completed with an emphasis in environmental toxicology, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, pharmacology, pharmacognosy, or pharmacy administration.
Minimum Total Credit Hours: 57
Course Requirements
Requirements for each emphasis area are given in the respective program description sections.
Emphasis - Pharmacy Administration
Description
The Department of Pharmacy Administration prepares graduates to be social and behavioral scientists who apply and develop theories to understand aspects of the health-care arena and its participants. Examples of specific areas of inquiry include the marketing and economics of pharmaceuticals, patient and provider behaviors in the health-care system, management strategies within health systems, the health outcomes associated with using pharmaceuticals, and the roles of pharmacists in delivering and managing health care. This scientific discipline is particularly interested in how these areas are influenced by pharmacists and other health-care providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, governmental entities, and pharmaceuticals.
A graduate degree in pharmacy administration affords excellent career opportunities in a variety of settings. The graduate program has maintained an exceptional track record in placing graduates. Graduates of the program have obtained positions in academia, the pharmaceutical industry, managed care organizations, professional associations, consulting and marketing research firms, government agencies, hospitals, and health-care journal publication agencies. In academia, the program has produced several chairs of pharmacy administration departments and deans of pharmacy schools nationwide. In the pharmaceutical industry, many alumni have quickly risen to senior management positions in marketing, health/pharmaceutical economics, and pharmacy affairs. Other graduates of the program have secured key positions in the federal and state governments and professional associations in pharmacy.
Admission Requirements: Application deadline: February 1. Applicants must have a master’s degree in a pharmaceutical sciences, or higher. (A degree in a discipline related to marketing, management, or economics also may be considered for admission upon demonstration of a commitment to pursuing a career in the field of pharmacy or the pharmaceutical industry.) College transcripts with a minimum of a B average (3.2 on a 4.0 scale) are required. Applicants must take and submit the scores from either the GRE or the GMAT. International applicants also must take the TOEFL examination and score at least 600 (paper-based test). Three letters of recommendation, an interview, a statement of purpose, and/or written responses to career questions also are used to evaluate candidates. If an applicant has completed a thesis, he or she is asked to provide a copy of the thesis for review. If a student has earned a nonthesis master’s degree or a Pharm.D. degree, then, once admitted, the student will be required to demonstrate the ability to undertake and successfully complete an individual research project to the satisfaction of the departmental faculty (through a problems course). Students admitted from a Pharm.D. program may be required to take preparatory courses prior to taking core courses.
Program Objectives: The graduate program in pharmacy administration has the following objectives for its graduate program: - To prepare highly qualified graduate students for careers in academia, industry, and other settings with training in management, marketing, and economics of pharmaceuticals and pharmacy practice - To maintain highly productive teaching and research programs that facilitate the acquisition of abilities necessary to create new knowledge - To maintain a leadership role in state and national organizations relevant to the discipline - To provide consultative services to pharmacists, the pharmaceutical industry, and other interested entities in the areas of faculty and graduate student expertise
Goals/Mission Statement
To prepare highly qualified graduate students for careers in academia, industry, and other appropriate settings with an emphasis on management, marketing, and economics of pharmaceuticals and pharmacy practice.
To maintain highly productive teaching and research programs that allow the faculty and graduate students the freedom and opportunity to pursue their own research interests.
To maintain a leadership role in state and national organizations relevant to the discipline.
To provide consultative services to pharmacists, the pharmaceutical industry, and other interested entities in the areas of faculty and graduate student expertise.
Course Requirements
The Ph.D. with an emphasis in pharmacy administration offers two areas of specialization: management or marketing. The course requirements are dictated by the specialization and are described below in separate sections.
Other Academic Requirements
In addition to the course requirements, each student must pass a comprehensive examination, prepare and successfully defend a dissertation prospectus, and complete and defend his/her dissertation project, which is based on original, independent research.