Program Information
The Ph.D. program in Pharmacology is designed to provide students with training in the Pharmacological Sciences and thus prepare them for a career in modern biomedical research. Our program begins with two years of didactic course work. The first year, as an undeclared Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) student, includes rotation through three research laboratories and completion of the BIMS core course work. By mid-February of the first year, each BIMS student will choose a mentor and declare a degree department. During the second year of study, Pharmacology students will complete the required course work and prepare for the qualifying examination. Students will be evaluated for Advancement to Candidacy based on their overall performance in the program. This evaluation will include performance in course work, research rotations, the results of the qualifying examination, and participation in department activities, such as the weekly Journal Club and Department Seminar Series. Upon completion of required coursework and the Advancement to Candidacy Exam, Pharmacology students are eligible to earn the M.S. in Biological and Physical Sciences. After Advancing to Candidacy, students will concentrate on conducting independent research under the guidance of a mentor and dissertation research committee. The student’s research is expected to advance some field of biomedical sciences. As evidence of this level of achievement, students will publish research papers, including at least one as first author, and these papers will appear in recognized, peer-reviewed journals. The culmination of the research endeavor is a written dissertation that is presented publicly, and then defended orally before a faculty committee. The final examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is devoted entirely to defense of the dissertation by the candidate. Student progress through the program is guided at all times by a committee of faculty advisors and is reviewed at least twice a year by the student’s dissertation committee. This training experience allows students to earn the Ph.D. in Pharmacology in four or five years.
Requirements for Ph.D. in Pharmacology
Required Courses
Each student will develop a Degree Plan in consultation with the Pharmacology Graduate Advisor and/or Graduate Committee. Each Degree Plan will include the required BIMS core coursework, advanced coursework in Pharmacology, as well as required and elective courses from the allied sciences (e.g., cell biology, biochemistry, genetics, physiology, microbiology, anatomy, and medicinal chemistry). Students will regularly attend and actively participate in the weekly Journal Club and Seminar Series. Students may take additional coursework to supplement their training as needed/desired in consultation with their mentor, dissertation committee, and the Director of Graduate Studies.
All BIMS students must complete a minimum of 72 hours of graduate credit. A minimum of 24 out of the 72 credit hours must be graded coursework, and no more than 48 of the 72 credit hours can be comprised of Non-Topical Research.
Requirements for graduation include the following courses:
PHY 8040 - Physiology A Credits: 2
PHY 8041 - Physiology B Credits: 2
Electives
2 Electives – two 2-credit Biomedical Sciences course modules or Affiliated Science courses 5000 level and above
Journal Club and Department Seminar Series
After declaring Pharmacology as their Degree Program, students are required to attend and participate in Journal Club and Seminar each term that they are enrolled in the PhD program. Students will formally register for these classes while enrolled in coursework.
Associated Courses:
Laboratory Rotations
The first year, as an undeclared Biomedical Sciences (BIMS) student, includes rotation through three research laboratories and completion of the BIMS core course work.
Associated Course:
taken fall and spring of first year
BIMS 9998 Non-topical research taken summer of first year
Departmental Participation
Students are always expected to maintain active participation in Graduate Program Activities. This includes, but is not limited to, continued participation in weekly Journal Club and Department Seminars, as well as the annual Department Research Retreat. Students must exhibit qualities of good lab citizenship at all times. After Advancing to Candidacy, students are required to have dissertation Committee Meetings at least twice a year, usually in January and July. The student’s progress must be documented by the Committee on the Committee Meeting Progress Report Form, which should be submitted to the Pharmacology Graduate Office immediately following the Committee Meeting. Students are also required to complete off-boarding processes prior to graduation, such as ordering a bound copy of their dissertation for the Department Library, returning lab notebooks, and ensuring their PI’s/mentors have access to any relevant computer files.
Milestone: DEPPART
Thesis
Advancement to Candidacy
At the end of the second year of study, students are required to prepare and defend a qualifying examination. The Advancement to Candidacy Exam must be completed no later than April 15 in the spring semester of the the second year. Exam applications are due December 1 (in the second year, fall semester). The Pharmacology Director of Graduate Studies meets with all rising second year students in August following the completion of first-year coursework (just before second year fall semester classes start) to explain the specific details of the qualifying exam and answer any questions concerning the exam. PHAR 9400 (Pharmacology Grant Writing) (taken in the second year, fall semester) helps prepare students for this exam. The Advancement to Candidacy Exam is comprised of two parts: a grant-style written document, or proposal, and an oral examination/defense of this document. Five Examination Committee members (three Pharmacological Sciences Training Grant Preceptors and two Pharmacology Graduate Committee Members) selected by each student in consultation with his or her mentor will evaluate both parts of the exam. The Graduate Committee will make the final decision concerning each student’s eligibility for Advancement to Candidacy in the Ph.D. program. Advancement to Candidacy is based on each student’s overall performance in the program, including research rotations, coursework, participation in department and program activities, and the results of the qualifying exam. Upon completion of the required coursework and successful completion of the Advancement to Candidacy Exam, students are eligible to receive the M.S. in Biological & Physical Sciences.
All Pharmacology students must complete a minimum of 72 hours of graduate credit. A minimum of 24 out of the 72 credit hours must be graded coursework.
Milestone: PHDCAND
Defense:
The culmination of the student’s research endeavor is a written dissertation that is presented publicly, and then defended orally before a faculty committee. In addition to the University/BIMS requirements for creating the Dissertation Committee, one member of the Pharmacology Graduate Committee must be included on each student’s Dissertation Committee.
The final examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy is devoted entirely to defense of the dissertation by the candidate. Students must secure “permission to write” their dissertations from their Dissertation Committee at one of the semi-annual committee meetings. When permission to write is granted, students will also discuss with the committee a timeline for the subsequent defense and graduation, adhering to University and School of Medicine deadlines. Students are required to submit the completed dissertation to all members of the Dissertation Committee at least two weeks before the scheduled defense date. Immediately preceding the private defense, students will present a public seminar on their dissertation research.
Milestone: PHDDEFENSE
Summation of Thesis to UVA Library
Doctoral students must upload the final, approved version of the dissertation to the University Library’s digital repository, also known as LIBRA, by the same due dates as for the Final Exam form.
Information regarding the repository, the submission process and copyright law is available through the LIBRA web site. Please note the following:
- The title page of the dissertation should be formatted according to the approved template. Signatures of the dissertation committee members should appear only on the final examination form. These signatures should not appear on the title page of the document that is uploaded to LIBRA.
- Students are responsible for ensuring that they upload the final, approved version of their thesis. Documents submitted to LIBRA cannot be deleted or corrected.
- The thesis title submitted to the department in step three above will appear in the LIBRA upload interface. If the title listed in LIBRA does not match the final title of the thesis, the student must stop the upload process and inform his or her departmental graduate administrator of the correct title. The thesis title listed in SIS, LIBRA and the student’s transcript should be identical.
LIBRA will accept the thesis as a single PDF document up to 100MB. Students also have the option to upload supplemental files.
Formatting Requirements
There are no formatting requirements or restrictions; however, students should adhere to traditional physical standards if they wish to purchase bound copies from UVA Printing and Copying Services.
Milestone: LIBRA
Survey of Earned Doctorates
All students are required to complete the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Earned Doctorates
Public Professional Licensure Disclosure
As a member of the State Authorizations Reciprocity Agreement, the University of Virginia (UVA) is authorized to provide curriculum in a distance learning environment to students located in all states in the United States except for California. (34 CFR 668.43(a)(6)& 34 CFR 668.72(n)).
Upon completion of the Ph.D. in Pharmacology at the UVA School of Medicine, graduates may be eligible for initial professional licensure in another U.S. state by applying to the licensing board or agency in that state.
Please visit the University’s state authorization web pages to make an informed decision regarding which states’ educational requirements for initial licensure are met by this program. (668.43(a)(5) (v)(A) - (C))
Enrolled students who change their current (or mailing) address to a state other than Virginia should update this information immediately in the Student Information System as it may impact their ability to complete internship, practicum, or clinical hours, use Title IV funds, or meet licensure or certification requirements in the new state. (34 CFR 668.402).
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