Pharmacology, Ph.D. (261001)

The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Pharmacology is awarded by the Graduate School through the College of Pharmacy.
The program leading to the degree normally shall be the equivalent of not less than three years of graduate study beyond the baccalaureate degree.

The applicant should have a Master’s degree from an accredited institution; however, exceptional students with a baccalaureate degree may be admitted.

Full-time faculty members on continuing appointment at The University of Louisiana at Monroe will not be admitted to doctoral programs offered through their department at the University.

General Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree:  An applicant must meet the requirements for admission to the university and the Graduate School and should submit a minimum score of 890 on a scale determined by multiplying the undergraduate grade-point average (4.0 system) by the combined verbal and quantitative scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test (GRE).  Achievement of the minimum score of 890 does not guarantee admission.  All applicants must apply for regular degree status for admission and be reviewed and recommended for admission by the College of Pharmacy Graduate Studies Committee.

After admission to the degree program by the Graduate School, the student is referred to the College Graduate Coordinator in his area of interest. The College Graduate Coordinator may assist the student in the selection of course work for the first semester or assign the student to a temporary major professor for initial advising.

During the first semester of residence, the student’s major professor of their graduate advisory committee will direct the student’s research. Original research is an integral part of the Doctor of Philosophy program. As soon as possible, but not later than the second regular semester of enrollment, the student with his advisory committee must file an approved dissertation topic with the College Graduate Coordinator. The graduate advisory committee shall consist of not less than four approved members of the graduate faculty and be mutually acceptable to the student and the committee members, including the major professor. The committee members must be representative of the general field of study in which the student expects to perform his work. The major professor and the graduate advisory committee must be approved by the College of Pharmacy Graduate Studies Committee, the Dean and the Dean of the Graduate School.

Although there are specified course requirements which must be completed for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, the degree is not awarded on the basis of time spent in the program or following the completion of any specific number of formal courses. The Doctor of Philosophy degree is not granted on the basis of miscellaneous course studies and research effort, but the program must be competency based and research oriented to produce a dissertation of literary and scholarly merit denoting the student’s capacity for original, independent research in a particular field of specialization pertaining to one of the pharmaceutical sciences.

Program of Study for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree: The program and courses of study for the Doctor of Philosophy degree will be organized to meet the student’s special needs as determined by the student and his graduate advisory committee. The graduate advisory committee is composed of faculty members who work closely with their students.

Under the direction of the major professor, a degree plan for the Doctor of Philosophy degree must be prepared by the student with the graduate advisory committee no later than the second semester after enrollment into the degree program. It will involve a minimum of 30 semester hours of structured coursework, plus a minimum of 30 additional semester hours of seminars, dissertation research and directed study.  Of the minimum 30 hours, 80 percent must be in 5000 level courses.

The degree plan must have the approval of the student’s graduate advisory committee, the College of Pharmacy Graduate Studies Committee, and be reviewed by the College Graduate Coordinator. Final approval is granted by the Dean of the Graduate School. The forms for filing the degree plan are obtained from the College Graduate Coordinator.

Any changes in the original degree plan, including the dissertation title, are to be submitted in the same procedure as the original plan.

To fulfill the course requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, the candidate shall present an average of not less than B on all graduate work pursued and all work in the major field, with no grade lower than C and not more than six semester hours of credit with a grade of C.

After approximately 80 percent of the degree plan has been completed, the student must complete the general examinations, oral and written, administered by the student’s advisory committee. The results of these written and oral examinations are reported to the Graduate School by the student’s graduate advisory committee with one of the following recommendations: 1) the student’s admission to candidacy; 2) continued study with or without additional course work included in the degree plan followed by re-examination; or 3) dismissal from the program. If the student does not pass the general examinations but is continued in graduate work, one semester or one summer term must elapse before another examination is administered. Only one re-examination is permitted.

Therefore, a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy must meet the following requirements for the degree:

(1)    Maintain a B average or better on all course work where final grades have been awarded and receive no grade less than C.
(2)    Successfully complete the general examinations.
(3)    Successfully complete and defend the doctoral dissertation.

Residence Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree: A student must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit (exclusive of dissertation, seminar, and special problem credit) in continuous full time residence including not less than two consecutive regular semesters. The 30 semester hours of credit will consist of not less than 80 percent in 5000 level courses.

Transfer of Credit for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree: A maximum of 6 semester hours of residence graduate credit beyond the master’s degree, earned prior to admission to the doctoral program, may be accepted by transfer from accredited institutions which offer the doctor’s degree, provided that each course grade is B or better. Such credit must be acceptable in meeting requirements for the doctor’s degree at the institution where the credit was earned, and must be applicable to the student’s advanced degree program. Transferred credit cannot be used to reduce the minimum residence requirements. A portion of the general examination will be devoted to the testing of the student’s knowledge of the courses involved in transfer credit.

Time Limit for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree: After admission to the program leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree, a student will be permitted six calendar years in which to complete all remaining requirements for the degree. All work applied to degree requirements, including transferred credit and prior the University of Louisiana at Monroe credit, must have been completed within the nine calendar years immediately preceding the date the degree is conferred. This time limit includes work submitted as part of the requirements for a master’s degree.

Requests for Time Extensions: To utilize graduate credit taken prior to the nine-year time limit, the student may request a time extension. These requests should be submitted before or during the semester in which the time limit expires. For further information please contact the Major Professor or the Graduate School.