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Departments and Programs Master of Science Degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences General Information The Master's Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences attracts students from a variety of backgrounds including biology, chemistry, biochemistry, pharmacy, and other related areas. The Program provides an excellent educational and research experience in the Pharmaceutical Sciences. The individual student's program will emphasize one of a variety of areas including medicinal/natural product chemistry, pharmacology/toxicology, pharmaceutical analysis and biotechnology. The Pharmaceutical Sciences Master's Program has adopted specific requirements for the degree of Master of Science. These requirements, and other more general regulations, are outlined in the following document. Program-specific requirements and regulations are in addition to the general rules and regulations specified by the UAMS Graduate School (for details see current issues of the Graduate School Catalog and the Graduate School Student Handbook). To fulfill the requirements for the M.S. degree, a student must satisfactorily complete the required course work, complete a written thesis based on his/her research, and pass the Final Examination (thesis defense). Pharmaceutical Sciences includes a broad range of scientific disciplines involved in the discovery of new drugs and the analysis of those drugs for use as therapeutic agents. The American Association of Pharmaceutical Sciences (AAPS) has identified nine disciplines within the Pharmaceutical Sciences including: Analysis and Pharmaceutical
Quality (APQ) Curriculum The Pharmaceutical Sciences Master's Program is multidisciplinary in nature providing a broad-based educational background in the pharmaceutical sciences and a focused research experience in a particular aspect within the pharmaceutical sciences. Program Duration Usually two years of graduate study are required for the M.S. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences. A student must complete a minimum of 30 graduate credit hours, of which at least 24 credit hours must be formal (didactic) course work, with 12 hours in the major area of interest. Six (6) credit hours must be PHSC 600v, Thesis. Application Applications fro the MS degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences must be submitted to the UAMS Graduate School directly. Application information and a copy of the application form can be downloaded from the UAMS Graduate School page. Students interested in a pharmacy degree (i.e. to become a pharmacist professional) do not apply to the Graduate School but to the College of Pharmacy directly. For more information, go to the College of Pharmacy page. Major Professor Selection Applicants to the Pharmaceutical Sciences program are asked to indicate their preliminary area of interest on the application. Applicants also are asked to submit a brief statement of graduate plans and areas of interest as part of their application for an assistantship. All students are scheduled in one-on-one sessions with the faculty to discuss interests and opportunities. Each student and potential major professor will then indicate their preferences. The students will be matched with a major professor commensurate with their interest and experience. Advisory Committee The major professor will develop an Advisory Committee that will serve to define the details of the student's curriculum according to their particular area of emphasis. This Advisory Committee must be composed of at least three faculty members, two of whom must be members of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Faculty. Graduate Assistantships Graduate Assistantships are generally not available for students at the Master's level. Admission to Candidacy As soon as the student has satisfactorily completed twelve hours of graduate study, he/she is eligible for admission to candidacy. The student is responsible for requesting that the Director of Graduate Studies generate the appropriate form to be signed by the student's major professor, the Program Director and the Graduate Dean. Thesis (PHSC 600v) After a student has been admitted to candidacy, he/she must register for a total of six (6) hours of Master's Thesis (PHSC 600v) credit by the time he/she completes the program. Upon successful completion of the Thesis Defense, it is the responsibility of the student to prepare and submit final form copies of the thesis to the Thesis Committee and to the appropriate personnel in the library for approval. According to Graduate School regulations, the final form copies must be submitted to the library at least three weeks before the degree is conferred. |
