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Pharmaceutics

PhD Didactic Training

Course work for the doctoral program is divided into four components:

  1. Prerequisites which define the level of entry into the program
  2. Required core program which is analogous to the major
  3. Elective courses, which are not required but are encouraged
  4. Seminars and literature review.

Prerequisites:

  • Differential calculus (MATH 124; 5 cr )

Core Program:

Revised core curriculum beginning Autumn Quarter 2019.

This didactic core consists of the following disciplines and specific courses:

  • PCEUT 502: Drug Disposition Science (2 cr)
  • PCEUT 505: Concepts in Pharmaceutical Sciences (2 cr)
  • PCEUT 506: Concepts in Pharmacokinetics (2 cr)
  • PCEUT 507: Advanced Pharmacokinetics (3 cr)
  • PCEUT 532: Clinical Pharmacokinetics (4 cr)
  • BIOST 511, Medical Biometry I (4 cr)
  • *PHCOL 510, 511, 512, 513: General Pharmacology (*courses required only for training grant students; choose 3 out of 4, 2 cr each/6 cr total)

The above core courses are considered essential for all students in the program. It is unlikely that any of these courses would be waived, except for students entering with previous graduate-level course work in the required areas.

In addition, all students must attend a series of training sessions, preferably during the first academic year. These include but are not limited to: Chemical Safety, Biological Safety, and Bioethics training. Radiation Safety and Animal Care may also be required at some point, if relevant to the student’s thesis research.

Directed Electives:

The purpose of elective coursework is to provide an enhancement of the core training. By its nature, it is highly individualized and should be geared to suit individual interests. There is no formal requirement for elective coursework in the Pharmaceutics doctoral program. However, the student is encouraged to take elective courses that might be a benefit to their thesis project and career goals. For current quarterly course offerings, see the UW Time Schedule. Some courses that might be of interest to students in our program include:

Biotransformation/Biochemistry

  • PCEUT 513: Basic Concepts in Pharmacogenetics and Toxicogenomics (3 cr)
  • MEDCH 527: Drug Metabolism (4 cr)
  • MEDCH 530: Integrated Pharmacology (3 cr)
  • BIOC 530: Introduction to Structural Biology (3 cr)
  • ENVH 533: Molecular Toxicology (3 cr)
  • GENOME 465: Advanced Human Genetics (4 cr)
  • IMMUN 532: Intersection of Innate and Adaptive Immunity in Disease (4 cr)
  • P BIO 509: Neuroendocrinology (3 cr)

Biologics/Drug Delivery

  • PCEUT 586: Biotechnology and Biopharmaceutics (3 cr)
  • BIOEN 550, Transport and Rate Processes (3 cr)
  • BIOEN 576, Protein Engineering (4 cr)
  • BIOEN 592, Surface Analysis (3 cr)
  • CONJ 501, 502, 503, Molecular Basis of Cell Function (3 cr each)
  • GENOME 552: Technologies for Genome Analysis (1.5 cr)
  • MEDCH 541: Biological Mass Spectrometry (3 cr)
  • PHCOL 530: Neuronal Signaling Pathways (2 cr)

Pharmacology/Cell Biology

  • PHCOL 529: Ion Channel Pharmacology (2 cr)
  • PHCOL 530: Neuronal Signaling Pathways (2 cr)
  • PHCOL 531: Genetic Analysis of Signaling Systems (3 cr)
  • PHCOL 534: Molecular Basis of Addictive Drug Action (2 cr)
  • PHCOL 535: Transcriptional Control in Human Disease (3 cr)

Physiological Modeling/Biostatistics

  • BIOST 514: Biostatistics I (4 cr)
  • BIOST 515: Biostatistics II (4 cr)
  • BIOST 524: Design of Medical Studies (3 cr)
  • BIOST 533: Research Ethics in the Data Sciences (2 cr)
  • BIOST 534: Statistical Computing (3 cr)

Seminars and Literature Review

  • PCEUT 520: Seminar (1 cr/quarter; 3 qtr/year until graduation)
    Beginning in the second year, students are to make 1 presentation each year, with a maximum of 4 presentations by the time of graduation. A general topic seminar is presented in the second year; and research presentation in subsequent years.
  • PCEUT 583: Journal club (1 cr/quarter; 3 qtr/year until graduation)
    Students are to make 2 presentations each year until graduation. Journal club presentations are to begin at the second academic year, except for the quarter that the student is scheduled to present a PCEUT 520 seminar series.

Research

  • PCEUT 600, 800 (variable credits)

Students entering the doctoral program are required to complete 3 research laboratory rotations (PCEUT 600, 2 cr), one per quarter, starting Autumn quarter of their first year. The matching of available labs with each incoming student will be facilitated by the 1st year graduate advisor. Student preferences will be given due consideration.

Students may choose their thesis advisor at the end of Winter Quarter of their first year (and thus being with that advisor in Spring), but all students must choose their thesis advisor by the end of Spring Quarter in their first academic year (See Graduate Program Handbook, Appendix A for additional details).

Students must begin research in the lab of their advisor by summer quarter at the end of their first academic year (PCEUT 600, variable credits). Due to the course work and research demands of the doctoral program, most students may find that after-class and off-hours are the best and most productive time for their laboratory research

After successful completion of the General Exam (see Appendix A for details), students will sign up for PCEUT 800:

.