Information for Students Already Enrolled in the Pharm.D. Program
The purpose of the Pharm.D. / Ph.D. Program is to prepare students for positions in academia, government and the pharmaceutical industry that will require experience and knowledge in the conduct of original investigation related to the pharmaceutical sciences. Students who complete this program will be uniquely suited to perform basic and clinical research and to translate the results of the research to clinical practice. The course of study will prepare graduates for careers as faculty members in Schools and Colleges of Pharmacy or other health professions where they will engage in academic instruction and research or to serve as leaders in drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical industry. The program is a joint program between the SSPPS and selected graduate programs on the UCSD campus. A distinction between the Pharm.D./Ph.D. and other joint doctoral programs is that training for the Pharm.D./Ph.D. degree is envisioned to be closely aligned with the drug development process as well as therapeutic practices and outcomes.
Students are selected from first and second year students who are currently enrolled in the SSPPS.
Students admitted to the program complete all required coursework in the first three years of the Pharm.D. curriculum. During elective opportunities in the second and third years of the curriculum, students are expected to enroll in graduate coursework in their area of concentration. During the summers between the first and second and second and third years, students explore research opportunities through laboratory rotations at UCSD and at adjacent research institutes with programs affiliated with UCSD, such as the Scripps Research Institute and the Salk Institute. Stipends and fellowships are available to support the summer research experiences. Early in the third year of the curriculum, students select a graduate program and laboratory/mentor for thesis studies.
Following successful completion of the third year of the Pharm.D. curriculum, students devote full-time to research for their Ph.D. thesis project. Once they have completed all of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree, students return to complete the fourth year Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences for the Pharm.D. degree. Following successful completion of all of the requirements, the candidate will be awarded both the Pharm.D. and the Ph.D. degree. It is anticipated that the program will take, on average, eight (8) years to complete the requirements for the joint degrees.
Applicants must be highly motivated and committed to improving health care through the conduct of research, as demonstrated by their ability to perform and aptitude for conducting research.
Admission Procedures: Applicants who are currently enrolled in the Pharm.D. Program must complete the Pharm.D./Ph.D application.
Following receipt of the application materials, the Pharm.D./Ph.D. Admissions Committee will review applications and invite a select group of applicants for an interview. Following the interviews, a limited number of applicants may be offered admission to the Pharm.D./Ph.D. Program.