Program Overview

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Pharmaceutical Chemistry

Developing new medicines and vaccines

Program Overview

Standard KU Graduate Admission Requirements

Students must meet all requirements for Graduate Admissions.

Prerequisites

Previous Degree Requirement

• B.S. or M.S. degree in chemistry, pharmacy, the biological sciences, material sciences, chemical engineering or related disciplines.

Grade Point Average (GPA)

• The department does not have a minimum GPA for admissions, but it is essential that potential applicants have shown mastery of their undergraduate coursework, especially those relevant to furthering their education in Pharmaceutical Chemistry.
• We view each applicant carefully and consider the combination of GPA (with emphasis on chemistry courses), letters of recommendation, and the personal statement.

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Scores

• GRE scores are no longer required to be included with your application.
• If you have already taken the exam, you may include your report with your application.

English Proficiency Requirements

• Non-native English speakers must demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, and listening via English Proficiency Scores from the TOEFL, IELTS, or PTE test.
• See KU's English Proficiency Requirements for detailed information, including minimum score requirements.

Applicant Background

• Incoming students are expected to be competent in basic principles of physical/organic chemistry and mathematics.
• These requirements are typically satisfied with most degrees in the STEM disciplines.

Time to Complete

• From the point a student joins the department until the time they defend their dissertation is approximately 5 - 6 years.
• The university confers degrees at the end of each semester.

Departmental Graduate Handbook

• KU Pharmaceutical Chemistry Graduate Handbook

Coursework and Research

• See Ph.D. - Coursework and Research for details about coursework and research requirements for the Ph.D. program

Seminar Presentations

• All graduate students are required to attend the weekly departmental seminar.
• Seminars consist of presentations by guest speakers, faculty members, and students.
• Typically, graduate students are required to present at least two departmental seminars during their time in the program.

Dissertation Defense

• Each Ph.D. candidate is required to submit and defend a dissertation resulting from research of sufficient originality and quality for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• The research is conducted under the supervision and guidance from the student's advisor, with input from the dissertation committee as needed.
• The median time for students to complete their Ph.D. degree in the Department is 5.3 years.

Stipend, Tuition, and Insurance

• Those accepted to the program will receive a competitive stipend, tuition, and basic health insurance.

Fellowships

• Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship Program
  • The Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry has been named as a Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellowship Program partner at The University of Kansas.
  • The program provides a generous stipend and tuition for four years of graduate study to outstanding students.
• Other university-level awards include:
  • Honors Fellowship - Awarded on a competitive basis to incoming graduate students throughout the university.
  • Dissertation Fellowship - Awarded to outstanding students during their last year of doctoral study.
  • Graduate Minority Opportunity Fund Fellowship - Awarded to outstanding ethnic minority students for work toward the doctoral degree.
• Departmental Fellowships/Scholarships
  • At the department level, each of the following are awarded to promising incoming graduate students:
    • Takeru Higuchi Fellowship
    • Siegfried Lindenbaum Scholarship
    • Howard Rytting Fellowships
    • Stella Family Predoctoral Fellowship
    • Valentino Stella Students and Friends Predoctoral Fellowship
    • Wanda Waugh Predoctoral Fellowship

Affiliated Programs

• Takeru Higuchi Intersearch Program
  • Students are also eligible to participate in the Takeru Higuchi Intersearch Program, which allows them to conduct a portion of their research at the Victorian College of Pharmacy, which is a part of Monash University located in Melbourne, Australia.
• GPEN
  • The department is a full member of the Globalization of Pharmaceutical Education Network (GPEN), a professional organization that meets bi-annually at other member institutions.
  • Senior students are typically selected to participate in these events.