Q: What kind of background is suitable for admission to the PhD program in Pharmaceutical Sciences at UW-Madison?
A: To sustain an innovative research environment, the Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD Program is committed to admitting students from diverse scientific and personal backgrounds. As the range of faculty expertise is very broad across the Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences—representing the biological, chemical, and engineering sciences—prospective students with undergraduate or masters degrees in the physical or biological sciences, engineering, pharmacy, and related fields are encouraged to apply.
Backgrounds that include a strong foundation in physical, organic, and bioorganic chemistry are highly valued. On the biological side, genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology are common areas of undergraduate coursework. In addition, chemical and biomedical engineering, as well as materials science, play a strong role in the research in the division. Students with degrees in pharmacy (PharmDs) and enthusiasm for pharmaceutical research are also encouraged to apply.
Beyond students’ academic course of study, there are multiple factors for admission, including grade point average, GRE scores, communication skills, leadership ability, the personal statement, and letters of recommendation. Sustained involvement in quality laboratory research as an undergraduate is highly valued by the admissions committee.
Together, this information helps guide the committee in selecting individuals with scientific competence, a passion for research, and demonstrated personal initiative that are strong predictors for potential in a graduate research environment.
Q: What prerequisites are required? Do I need a master's degree before I can apply?
A: There are no specific prerequisites for admission to the Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD program, but a bachelor’s degree is required. The answer to the question above (What type of background is suitable….?) is a comprehensive comment on what type of background and qualities are desired in a competitive applicant.
Q: How do I apply?
A: The full process is outlined on the Internet at http://www.pharmacy.wisc.edu/admissions/pharmsci/apply.cfm
Q: What are the typical performance measures (GPA, GRE) of students who matriculate into the Pharmaceutical Sciences Ph.D. Program?
A: The average GPA for students in recent entering classes has been approximately a 3.50 on a 4.0 scale. In GRE performance, entering students have averaged about 720 on Quantitative Reasoning, about 560 on Verbal Reasoning, and about a 4.5 on the Analytical Writing portion of the exam.
Q: How many applicants are accepted annually?
A: The number of accepted students varies year-to-year and depends upon the applicant pool quality and how many students the Division can place into research opportunities. Typically, 5 to 15 students are accepted each year.
Q: What is the program’s curriculum?
A: A detailed description can be found in the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Handbook (see http://www.pharmacy.wisc.edu/edu/pharmsci/handbook/content.cfm?ID=7).
In general, the program’s curriculum is built upon a core of classes that expose students to foundational principles in drug action, delivery and discovery. Beyond the core requirements, students work with their thesis advisor and committee members to determine course selections best suited to one’s research direction and desired research expertise. Course work is normally completed in 1.5-2 years (3-4 semesters).
Q: What is the cost of study? What financial support is available?
A: There is no direct tuition cost to a student pursuing a Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD . Rather, students receive a stipend (via research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or fellowships) and health insurance (the cost of tuition is assumed first by the School of Pharmacy and later by the faculty advisor for whom you work). Students are automatically considered for School of Pharmacy fellowships upon admission to the School. For details, see the Financial/Benefits section of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Handbook (see http://www.pharmacy.wisc.edu/edu/pharmsci/handbook/content.cfm?ID=5)
Q: As a graduate student, what are my housing options?
A: The Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences is located within the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy (SoP), adjacent to the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics on the west side of the 900-acre UW campus. Many graduate students reside in facilities of the University Apartments community (see http://www.housing.wisc.edu/universityapartments/index.html).
This community serves graduate students, student families, academic staff, and faculty at UW-Madison and is comprised of three distinct “neighborhoods? Eagle Heights, University Houses, and Harvey Street Apartments. Each neighborhood has its own architecture and style, but all are served by the same staff, and all provide access to services and programs. When applying to live in University Apartments (all conveniently in close proximity to the SoP), you may apply to one or more of the neighborhoods, depending on your eligibility for each area. Many other non-university owned apartments are available within walking distance of the School as well. Most graduate students live in the immediate area and commute via bicycle or bus.
Q: What if I'm not a United States resident?
A: We strongly encourage talented international students to apply. We are committed to maintaining diversity in our student body. All applicants (foreign and domestic) must meet the Admission Requirements of the UW Graduate School. An excellent resource is “A Perspective on Graduate Admissions for International Students” (see http://www.grad.wisc.edu/admin/gradcoordinators/iadmiss/perspec.html).
UW-Madison is an international community; with the many Campus Resources (see http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/education/diversity/gradresources.html) for graduate students (Multicultural Graduate Network; Graduate Student Professional Development; Graduate Student Collaborator; MentorNet), there are multiple ways to expand your UW-Madison experience socially, culturally, and intellectually beyond the bounds of academia.
Note that the Pharmaceutical Sciences Admissions Committee requires applicants whose native language is not English or whose undergraduate instruction was not in English to submit TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) scores. TOEFL is an English proficiency test.
Q: Where do students go after graduation?
A: Immediately following graduation, the majority of students enter industrial research positions at pharmaceutical, chemical, and healthcare-oriented firms. The next most common pursuit is in academia, in postdoctoral research assignments. Several international graduates have secured faculty positions at foreign universities. A few graduates in recent years have secured positions in government agencies.
Q: How does the Ph.D in Pharmaceutical Sciences differ from other School of Pharmacy degrees such as the Pharm.D. (Doctor of Pharmacy)?
A: A Ph.D. student is a graduate student; a Pharm.D. student is considered a professional student (at Wisconsin, professional students include student pharmacists (PharmDs), medical students, law students, nursing students, and students in the School of Veterinary Medicine). The PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences is intended for someone pursuing a career in pharmaceutical research; the PharmD degree allows one to pursue a career as a licensed pharmacist.
Q: What is the average time span for one to complete a Pharmaceutical Sciences PhD?
A: The average time to completion for the Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences, as measured for those who entered the program from 1996-2007 was 5.69 years. However, the faculty have recently streamlined several aspects of program requirements that it is believed will result in reducing the time-to-completion by approximately 0.5 years.
Q: What facilities are available for research?
A: Each Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty member operates one or more full laboratory suites, complete with graduate student offices, in Rennebohm Hall, which has 120,000 assignable square feet and opened in 2001. Faculty offices and their respective laboratories are separated but are on the same floor (division faculty and labs are housed in floors 4-7 of Rennebohm). Affiliated Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty are located in other university departments.
The School of Pharmacy operates an Analytical Instrumentation Center housing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy, Mass Spectrometry, and Spectrophotometry Facilities.