Pharmacology Program

Pharmacology is the study of the substances that interact with living systems through biological and chemical processes. The ultimate goal of the pharmacologist is to improve the health and well-being of people by applying a large body of medical and basic science knowledge to the physiology, biochemistry and pathology of living systems. Those who enter the discipline of pharmacology join a group of people dedicated to finding ways to contribute to the quality of life for everyone. Indeed it can be argued that most of the advances in modern medicine have resulted from the development of new medicines and the understanding of their mechanisms of action.

A major goal of the UAMS Graduate Program in Pharmacology in the College of Medicine is quality training leading to the Ph.D. degree in pharmacology. Our aim is to provide students with the necessary course work and research training that will allow our graduates to make a positive contribution both in research and teaching in years to come. In addition to courses in the basic principles of drug action, general pharmacology and toxicology, all students study the basic sciences of physiology, biochemistry, and biometry. Additional specialty courses are offered in behavioral pharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology, immunopharmacology, pharmacokinetics, pathology, microbiology, and anatomy. Since research is an important part of graduate training, guided and independent research is initiated as time permits during the first year of training. Most of the formal didactic course work will be completed in the first two years of study leading to the Ph.D. degree. Upon completion of the second year of training, students must pass written and oral qualifying examinations in order to enter formal candidacy for the doctoral degree. Subsequently, the student will undertake a research project under the supervision of a qualified faculty member. The research project must be defended in both oral and written (dissertation) forms before the granting of the Ph.D. degree.

Well-trained pharmacologists are needed in a wide range of jobs, and the long-term career opportunities for these individuals is good. Pharmacologists find employment in academic institutions, private industry and government laboratories. Therefore, they are at the often at the center of the development of new therapeutic agents, the testing of their safety and the regulation of their use.

Federally funded research programs are currently in progress in the areas of the pharmacology of aging, behavioral pharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology, electrophysiology, drug abuse, immunopharmacology, pharmacokinetics and receptor imaging.

We also offer a Ph.D. degree in Pharmacology under a Pharmaceutical Sciences Track.

Admission Requirements for Graduate Studies in Pharmacology