Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, M.S.

Note: the MSPS program will not be offered during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Purpose

The demand for graduate students in the area of pharmaceutical sciences and related fields is expected to rise in the next 10 years and currently there are more than 200job openings within the state of Pennsylvania in the area of pharmaceutical and biological sciences. The objective of this graduate program is to graduate students with highest level of knowledge and skills that suits the needs of the potential employers. The program is a 2-year research-oriented, thesis-track Master of Science program designed to build a solid foundation of the core knowledge in pharmacological and pharmaceutical sciences, with classical and contemporary topics and hands-on experimental experiences. Students in the program will also be trained to develop a high level of written and oral communication skills. One of the highlights of the program is to foster research techniques and methodology through exposure to a variety of molecular biology, synthetic chemistry and analytical techniques that are most commonly used in the current pharmaceutical and biochemical industry. This will be the first graduate program offered in the Nesbitt School of Pharmacy since its conception more than two decades ago in 1996. This proposed program will offer individualized learning and research experience with high standard to local, national and international students.

Master of Science Program Outcomes

Educational Outcomes for the Master’s Degree Program in Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry

Goal 1: Develop foundational knowledge required in pharmacology and medicinal chemistry to support higher-level objectives.

1. Discuss the U.S. regulatory pathway for development and approval of new molecular entity drugs.
2. Discuss the U.S. regulatory pathway for development and approval of generic drugs with bioequivalence, and describe biosimilars.
3. Discuss the disposition of drugs in humans, including factors affecting absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination.
4. Describe the structural and chemical properties of drug molecules pertinent to pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics 
5. Describe the location and function of organelle, cellular, tissue, and organismal macromolecules that are common drug targets
6. Describe the therapeutic mechanisms of action of major drug classes at the organellar, cellular, tissue, and organismal level.
7. Describe the mechanisms of toxicity of major drug classes at the organellar, cellular, tissue, and organismal level.
8. Describe common research techniques and instruments, and identify their appropriate use when presented with are search question.
9. Identify and employ appropriate statistical tests to determine significance of biological data.

Goal 2: Develop foundational laboratory skills necessary to address scientific questions.

1. Demonstrate competency in executing experiments employing in vitro and in vivo models.
2. Demonstrate competency in determining DNA, RNA, and protein identity, quality, and quantity using accepted methodology.
3. Demonstrate competency in utilizing small-scale and multi-well format instruments to measure cell death, signaling, and homeostasis.
4. Demonstrate competency in using High-Performance or Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography to identify and quantify analytes of interest from biological and non-biological matrices.

Goal 3:Effectively communicate verbally, visually, and inwritten format.

1. Demonstrate effective writing to express scientific background, hypotheses, research methods, and discoveries.
2. Demonstrate effective speaking to express scientific background, hypotheses, research methods, and discoveries.
3. Employ appropriate use of audio and visual tools when presenting scientific information to an audience.
4. Demonstrate professional verbal and nonverbal communication with scientists and non-scientists.

Goal 4: Practice science with the highest ethical standards.

1. When required, limit use of animals in research to the lowest quantity and shortest duration deemed necessary to achieve adequate statistical power, as determined by published standards or power analysis when required.
2. Choose the most humane methods for handling animal subjects, abiding by the Guidelines for Care and Use of Laboratory Animals.
3. Identify and follow the most ethical methods for reporting scientific findings.

Goal 5:Professional development

1. Demonstrate integrity, trustworthiness, flexibility and respect to colleagues and other personnel.
2. Display accountability and preparedness consistent with a commitment to excellence.

Admission Requirements

1. An online application through Wilkes University.
2. Undergraduate degrees in biological, chemical, biomedical or closely related discipline. Undergraduate degrees in bioengineering or chemical engineering may also be considered upon admission committee review.
3. Official undergraduate transcript with a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 or above on a 4.0 scale.
4. GRE score is not required, but is encouraged for applicants with minimal required undergraduate GPA.
5. Two letters of reference from scientists or engineers.
6. International applicants with undergraduate degrees from non-English speaking countries are required to submit TOEFL scores with their applications.