Doctor of Philosophy with a Major in Pharmacology

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Program Overview

In Pharmacology & Toxicology, biology is queried to identify targets, drugs, and off-target toxicities to improve human health and combat disease. The faculty biology research interests are wide-ranging from cardiovascular to nervous systems. In these systems, the faculty study how healthy biology devolves into disease through conditions of aging, neurotoxin/alcohol exposure, hemorrhagic injury, cardiovascular/pulmonary disease, and cognitive function/decline. The molecular targets studied include G protein/cAMP signaling, circadian clocks, lnRNA, and transcription factors that are applied in cell, mouse, and primate systems. Courses of study are designed to meet the needs of individual students as applied to the pharmacologic discipline. Graduates have had successful employment in academics (research/teaching), pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and the private sector.

augusta.edu/gradschool/biomed/phd-pharm.php

augusta.edu/mcg/phmtox/graduateprogram.php

Program Contact

Dan Rudic, PhD
706-721-2346
rrudic@augusta.edu

Progression and Graduation Requirements

Students are admitted via a common admissions process to the Biomedical Sciences PhD program, not to a specific biomedical major. After completing the first-year common core course work and laboratory rotations, students choose a dissertation research mentor and enter one of nine Doctor of Philosophy majors.
The Doctor of Philosophy curriculum is not lock-step; students do not graduate as a class at the end of a specific semester. The average time to degree is approximately five years of full-time, year-round study; acceptable duration of the program is a minimum of three and maximum of seven years. The number and type of advanced (2nd year and beyond) or elective courses vary, and may include courses within the pharmacology program as well as courses in other disciplines.
In addition to specific course requirements, students must complete additional PhD degree requirements, including annual advisory committee meetings, individual development plans (IDP’s) satisfactory performance on the comprehensive examination, development and approval of a research proposal, writing and approval of the doctoral dissertation, and satisfactory performance on the final oral examination (dissertation defense). See PhD Student Guide for additional requirements and details.

Program Information

Program Length: Maximum of 7 Years
CIP Code: 26.1001
Program Code: DPHIL_PHAR

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Biomedical Science Common Courses: 33 Hours

Required Courses: 29 Hours

Selectives: 4 Hours

Select four credit hours from the following:

BIOM 8030 - Experimental Therapeutics (2 Credit Hours)
BIOM 8080 - Neuroscience I (4 Credit Hours) (Required for Neuroscience major)
BIOM 8090 - Fundamentals of Genomic Medicine (2 Credit Hours) (Required for Genomic Medicine major)
BIOM 8215 - Fundamentals of Oncology I (2 Credit Hours)
BIOM 8230 - Biology of Proteins in Disease (2 Credit Hours)
BIOM 8240 - Introduction to Immunology and Infectious Disease (2 Credit Hours)

Major Courses:

PHRM 8042 - Pharmacology and Therapeutics I (3 Credit Hours)
PHRM 8043 - Pharmacology and Therapeutics II (3 Credit Hours)
PHRM 8301 - Neuropharmacology (4 Credit Hours) (required for students engaging in neuroscience projects)
or BIOM 8120 - Cardiovascular Physiology and Pharmacology (3 Credit Hours) (required for students engaging in cardiovascular projects)
PHRM 9210 - Investigation of a Problem (1 to 12 Credit Hours) (Standard enrollment is 12 credit hours per semester. Upon entering the Pharmacology major, this course must be taken every semester until admission to candidacy requirements are complete.)
PHRM 9300 - Research (1 to 12 Credit Hours) (Standard enrollment is 12 credit hours per semester. Must be taken every semester after admission to candidacy until dissertation requirements are met.)
Note: An appropriate upper-level course may substituted for BIOM 8120 or PHRM 8301 (e.g., for students not engaging in cardiovascular or neuroscience projects) with prior pre-approval from student’s mentor, advisory committee, program director, The Graduate School (and through Office of the Registrar) per the official approval and course substitution process and form submission.

Electives: 8 Hours

BIOM 8120 - Cardiovascular Physiology and Pharmacology (3 Credit Hours) *
or PHRM 8301 - Neuropharmacology (4 Credit Hours) *
BIOM 8130 - Scientific Grant Writing (1 Credit Hour)
PHRM 5003 - Pharmacology Tutorial (4 Credit Hours)
* BIOM 8120 and PHRM 8301 may be taken and counted as electives IF the course has been not taken as a required course above. These courses cannot be “double counted” to fulfill both required and elective requirements (e.g., if BIOM 8120 is taken to fulfill the required course, then PHRM 8031 can be taken as an elective).

Note: Upper-level courses in another discipline or biomedical science major not included on the pre-approved elective listing may be taken as an elective with formal, advanced approval from mentor, program director, The Graduate School (and Office of the Registrar) per the official approval and course substitution process and form submission.

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