PharmD/PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences*:
The average time to completion is 5 years; by doing the combined PharmD/PhD ASC program, you can reduce this time to 4 years.
- Students pay full tuition during the PharmD program (P1-P4) and will begin receiving a competitive stipend, health insurance, and full tuition after they graduate from the PharmD program
- Stipends are provided in return for serving as a Teaching Assistants in the PharmD program or as a Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) and are contingent upon remaining in good academic standing and adhering to the Code of Conduct.
PharmD/PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences*:
This is a 2-year program; by doing the combined PharmD/MS ASC program, you can reduce this time to 1 year.
- As with the PharmD/PhD ASC program, students pay full tuition during the PharmD program (P1-P4), but do NOT receive a stipend as an MS student. However, students in the combined PharmD/MS can expect to pay only 1 year of tuition rather than the standard two years it normally takes to complete the MS program.
*Pharmaceutical Sciences PharmD/PhD and PharmD/MS students can choose between 1 of 6 different research focus
areas (or tracks): 1) Medicinal chemistry, 2) Biochemical Pharmacology, 3) Pharmaceutics, 4) Clinical Pharmaceutical Science,
5) Pharmacometrics and Systems Pharmacology, and 6) Pharmaceutical Outcomes Policy and Research.
PharmD/MS and non-thesis MS in PharmacoAnalytics and Pharmacy Outcomes Research:
- Flexible, self-paced and 100% online courses
- Hybrid of synchronous and asynchronous content
- 7-week and 14-week courses
- The ASC option is expected to shorten the MS in PharmacoAnalytics from 2 years to 1.
- Choose between the thesis and non-thesis option
Answers to frequently asked questions about the ASC programs
- Students in the PharmD program may apply to PhD or MS programs as early as P2 or P3 fall semester
- Students will be notified of their acceptance (or not) the following spring semester (Ex. Ex. if apply P2 Fall, you will be notified in P2 Spring)
- Admission to PhD and MS programs is not guaranteed
- Unlike dual degree programs at other schools, Pitt’s advanced standing credit programs allow students to receive their PharmD degree first and become a licensed pharmacist, while continuing in the PhD and MS programs.
- Specified courses taken in the PharmD program will count toward credit requirements in the MS and PhD programs. Some of these courses include, but are not limited to:
- Mentored Research – variable credit research elective
- Biostatistics
- Pharmacokinetics and Drug Response
- Research Practicum
- Journal clubs
- Intro to Regulatory Aspects of Drug Development
- Advanced Pharmacokinetics
- Epidemiology
- Scientific writing
- Students in an ASC program will begin working with one of our renowned Research Faculty Advisors and become immersed in the research environment during their PharmD training