Pharmaceutical Sciences, M.S.
Admissions Requirements
The University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
The College of Pharmacy offers the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in pharmaceutical sciences and is composed of two Departments. The Department of Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences offers advanced degrees with specialization in the areas of medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, and pharmacology. The Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Outcomes Sciences offers advanced degrees with specialization in the area of pharmaceutical outcomes sciences, including pharmacoeconomics, pharmacoepidemiology, and implementation science among others.
A graduate admissions committee reviews all applicants to the M.S. and Ph.D. programs. Preference will be given to applicants with a minimum overall grade point average equivalent of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and minimum GRE score of 294 (verbal and quantitative sections combined) and a 4 on the analytical section. Applicants whose native language is not English are also required to submit a satisfactory score on an approved test of English language proficiency.
For advanced degrees in the disciplines of medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, or pharmacology, an undergraduate degree in pharmaceutical sciences or in related physical sciences, such as chemistry, biochemistry, or biology, is recommended. For advanced degrees in pharmaceutical outcomes sciences, an undergraduate or professional degree in pharmacy or a health-related discipline is recommended.
Students who have not yet earned an M.S. degree in a related area must concurrently enroll in the M.S., Pharmaceutical Sciences and Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences programs. Students with an earned M.S. degree in a related discipline will not be required to concurrently enroll in the M.S., Pharmaceutical Sciences degree program. Requests for information regarding programs, policies, and the admission process can be submitted electronically via the website of the University of South Carolina at http://www.gradschool.sc.edu/ .
Programs
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, M.S.
- Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ph.D.
Degree Requirements
The M.S. degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences offers two areas of concentration: Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences and Pharmaceutical Outcomes Sciences. Each concentration requires a minimum of 30 hours beyond the baccalaureate (or Doctor of Pharmacy) degree. Students in the M.S. program may elect either the non-thesis or thesis option. Both options require a total of 30 semester hours of approved coursework. The M.S. degree thesis option requirements include an admission-to-candidacy examination, a comprehensive examination, and a thesis and must include the appropriate number of credit hours of thesis preparation. Students from the M.S. program who matriculate into the Ph.D. program and its dissertation requirements can choose a non-thesis option.
M.S. Degree, Drug Discovery and Biomedical Sciences Concentration
Students selecting the thesis option must submit a written thesis document based upon original research, meeting all requirements of The Graduate School prior to award of the degree. A minimum of 9 hours of credit for PHAR 799 will be allowed for thesis research and writing. Students in the non-thesis option will select 9 hours of elective coursework in place of the thesis preparation credits. Elective courses will be identified and approved by the major advisor and graduate program director in consultation with the student. Further degree requirements are listed below.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| PHAR 700 | Principles of Pharmacology, Medicinal Chemistry, and Pharmaceutics | 4 |
| PHAR 701 | Current Topics in Pharmaceutical Sciences | 4 |
| PHAR 712A | Seminar in Pharmaceutical Sciences 1 | 1 |
| PHAR 712B | Seminar in Pharmaceutical Sciences 1 | 1 |
| PHAR 799 | Thesis Preparation | 9 |
| Select 11 hours of electives 2 | 11 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
- 1
In addition to the general requirements listed above, candidates for the M.S. degree are required to complete two departmental seminar courses. A maximum of 2 hours credit can be earned for PHAR 712.
- 2
Electives will be chosen based on the needs of the graduate student. Areas of emphasis include biomedicinal chemistry, synthetic medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, and pharmacology. Electives will be chosen based on the area of emphasis and must be approved by the advisory committee and the Graduate Program Director. Electives must be 700 level and above, or any course approved by The Graduate School for graduate credit, with the following course designators: BIOL, BIOS, BMEN, BMSC, CHEM, CSCE, MATH, MCBA, PATH, PHAR (courses not listed above), PHPH, PSYC, STAT.
M.S. Degree, Pharmaceutical Outcomes Sciences Concentration
All students must successfully complete at least 30 hours of graduate course work. All students in the thesis option must submit a thesis based upon original research, meeting all requirements of The Graduate School prior to award of the degree. A minimum of 6 hours of credit for PHAR 799 will be allowed for thesis research and writing. Students in the non-thesis option will select 6 hours of elective coursework in place of the thesis preparation credits. Electives for specialization may be taken from the following course designators: ACCT, BIOS, ECON, EDRM, EPID, HPEB, HSPM, MKTG, MGMT, PSYC, STAT, and PHAR courses not listed below. Elective courses will be identified and approved by the major advisor and graduate program coordinator in consultation with the student. Further degree requirements are listed below.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | ||
| PHAR 711A | Seminar in Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research | 1 |
| PHAR 711B | Seminar in Pharmaceutical Outcomes Research | 1 |
| PHAR 740 | Socio-Economics of Pharmacy Practice | 3 |
| PHAR 742 | Research Methods in Pharmaceutical and Health Outcomes Sciences | 3 |
| PHAR 748 | Principles of Pharmacoeconomics | 3 |
| ECON 720 | Managerial Economics | 3 |
| PHAR 750 | Introduction to Pharmacoepidemiology | 2 |
| PHAR 749 | Introduction to Implementation Science | 2 |
| BIOS 701 | Concepts and Methods of Biostatistics | 3 |
| BIOS 757 | Intermediate Biostatistics | 3 |
| PHAR 799 | Thesis Preparation | 6 |
| Total Credit Hours | 30 | |
Note: Depending on the student’s needs, additional courses may be required as identified and approved by the major advisor and the Graduate Program Coordinator in consultation with the student.