General Information
The Department of Pharmacology is located in the Medical Center Campus of
Georgetown University in Washington, DC. Our department offers both
Ph.D.
and
M.S.
degree programs to students desiring comprehensive and rigorous training in
the field of pharmacology.
Ph.D. Program
Training of Ph.D. students in Pharmacology is based on a combination of
didactic course work, formal interactive learning situations (Journal Club,
Student Seminar), informal student-faculty interactions in laboratory and
discussion formats and, most importantly, the student-mentor interactions
through which the thesis research is directed. The course work and
laboratory rotations are typically completed in the first year of the Program. By
the end of this period, a thesis mentor and an area of thesis research are
identified.
Because pharmacology integrates a large number of disciplines, the
training of Ph.D. students incorporates the important disciplines of
biochemistry, physiology, and pharmacology. The completion of a total of at least 33 credits beyond the bachelor's degree in graduate level courses
is required. These credits include:
- Graduate Biochemistry (4 credits)
- Introduction to Physiology (1 credit)
- Introduction to Pharmacology (1 credit)
- Experimental Design (2 credits)
- Graduate Physiology (5 credits)
- Graduate Pharmacology (9 credits)
- Scientific Skills & Ethics (2 credits)
- Advanced Pharmacology (3 credits)
Additionally, it is expected that all students will attend and participate in
the ongoing
Journal Club as well as the weekly
Seminar series. The
Journal Club give students the opportunity to select and present papers from
the literature.
Additional course work is chosen from the
list of Program Elective Courses, General Elective Courses and, where
appropriate, other graduate-level courses. Although other specific courses are not
required, it is expected that all students will have an understanding of
disciplines such as neuroscience, cell biology, molecular biology, and
statistics. Students are encouraged to supplement their previous knowledge with
additional courses in some of these areas as appropriate. In most cases
students will take 15 credits per semester for two semesters prior to
beginning thesis research full time.
It should be stressed that the most important aspect of the Ph.D. program is
the dissertation research. Students begin to experience laboratory research
through the series of Laboratory Rotations, sometimes concurrent with taking classes. With
the completion of course work and the Comprehensive Exam (prior to commencing
the 3rd semester) students begin their Thesis Research. Upon completion of the
research project, a thesis is written and defended, and a Ph.D. degree is
awarded.
Click here for information about
applying to the Ph.D. program in Pharmacology.
The Department of Pharmacology participates in the
CONACYT (El Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Technologia) project for doctoral
studies. For more information, please see
http://conacyt.georgetown.edu.
Current Students: For information
regarding the program, see
Info for Current Students -
the TIMELINE is especially helpful
M.S. Program
Georgetown University’s Department of
Pharmacology offers a comprehensive and rigorous graduate program leading to the
M.S. degree in Pharmacology. Both laboratory and non-laboratory options are available,
depending on the needs and qualifications of the applicant and the capacity of
the departmental laboratories to accept students. Note that the curriculum
for the M.S. program changes for students entering 2008 to what is described
herein. At the end of either laboratory or library research we hold a
departmental poster session to have all faculty and students interact with their
research projects.
Click here to see our 2008 M.S. poster
session.
Opportunities for masters level
pharmacologists exist in the pharmaceutical industry, government agencies and
laboratories as well as at biotechnology companies. Masters students may
also decide to apply for Ph.D. or M.D. programs, where the coursework
undertaken in this master's program will prove beneficial.
Click here for information about
admissions into the M.S. program in Pharmacology.
M.S. Degree:
Curriculum (30
credits required)
Fall:
Graduate Biochemistry (4 credits)
Introduction to Physiology (1 credit)
Introduction to Pharmacology (1 credit)
Experimental Design (2 credits)
Seminar/Journal Club (1 credit)
And either:
Non-laboratory option:
Electives (6 credits)
Or:
Laboratory Option:
Research (6 credits) - note: that acceptance into the M.S.
program does not guarantee acceptance into the Laboratory Option. This
requires a separate application and acceptance into a specific laboratory.
Spring:
Graduate Physiology (5 credits)
Graduate Pharmacology (9 credits)
Seminar/Journal Club (1 credit)
Go to MS curriculum
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