Pharmacology and Toxicology Ph.D. Program

Pharmacology and Toxicology Ph.D. Program

Degree Requirements

Prospective Ph.D. students in pharmacology and toxicology are admitted through the Biomedical Sciences Doctoral Portal (BSDP). The BSDP admits students into the first year of their Ph.D. training in six departments: Anatomy and Neurobiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Human and Molecular Genetics,Microbiology and Immunology, Pharmacology and Toxicology or Physiology and Biophysics. In addition, the portal admits students into the first year of two interdisciplinary training programs in Neuroscience and Molecular Biology and Genetics.

Students in the BSDP who seek the Ph.D. degree in pharmacology and toxicology may do all their research rotations in laboratories of the department’s faculty and take courses that satisfy the department’s requirements. Official entry into the Ph.D. program of the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology occurs after two semesters when the student choses a mentor from the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology.

Admission into the BSDP does not impede the progress of applicants who are committed to earning the Ph.D. degree in pharmacology and toxicology but offers flexibility to students who have not decided on a particular discipline or field. For details on applying, the BSDP site provides instructions for submitting your application through the VCU Office of Graduate Admissions. It is helpful to indicate interest in pharmacology and toxicology in the personal statement section of the BSDP application for those prospective students committed to the department’s Ph.D. program.

Curriculum

All students in the Pharmacology and Toxicology Graduate Program take “core” courses in biochemistry, pharmacology and statistics. This is followed with advanced courses in more specialized areas of pharmacology and toxicology that relate directly to the student’s research interests. Students participate in a weekly seminar program that teaches them how to present research data more effectively.

Applicants should have a baccalaureate degree in some aspect of biological science such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, or in pharmacy.  Previous course work in the following areas are encouraged:

• General and organic chemistry
• The biological sciences
• Physiology
• Chemical Engineering
• Biochemistry

Ph.D. students in pharmacology and toxicology take courses designed for graduate students with an emphasis on research design and experimentation. They do not take classes with medical students or other professional students. A full-time course load for graduate students is 15 credits in the fall and spring semesters and six credits in the summer.  Student must achieve a minimum 3.0 overall GPA in graduate courses and a minimum 3.0 GPA in pharmacology and toxicology courses to graduate.

Coursework

For a comprehensive list of coursework by year see the Pharmacology & Toxicology page in the current VCU Bulletin

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination has two components, written and oral. The written component consists of a research proposal that is then followed by an oral defense of the proposal and on general pharmacology knowledge. The Graduate Advisory Committee grades both the written and oral components.

The oral examination tests knowledge related to the proposal and general pharmacological principles. The student is required to schedule the oral component through the Office of Graduate Education (available on GradTrak) with at least two weeks prior notice. A dean’s representative is appointed to conduct the oral examination.

Graduate Student Handbook

Download the Pharmacology & Toxicology Graduate Student Handbook (PDF)