Saint Joseph’s University’s accredited master’s in pharmaceutics program explores how best to administer a drug to the human body and turn chemicals into effective medications. With a pharmaceutics graduate degree, you’ll advance to the forefront of medical progress.
Pharmaceutics PhD
Saint Joseph’s University’s Pharmaceutics PhD explores how to best administer a drug to the human body and turn chemicals into effective medications. By researching the ways in which drugs interact with the human body, you will advance to the forefront of medical progress and enable modern medical breakthroughs. With a STEM-designated doctoral degree in pharmaceutics from Saint Joseph's, your knowledge and connections with faculty and classmates on hands-on research projects will help you continue a rewarding career in the healthcare industry as a researcher and innovator.
What Sets Our Program Apart
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Long-standing relationships with healthcare companies and pharmaceutical organizations present you with many fieldwork and job opportunities in pharmacy. These companies include:
- GlaxoSmithKline
- Merck
- Johnson & Johnson
- Penn Medicine
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Obtaining a doctorate in pharmaceutics from Saint Joseph’s University offers the opportunity to work in our recently renovated Industrial Pharmacy Laboratory, a full-scale, GLP-compliant pharmaceutical research facility fully equipped to support analysis, preformulation and formulation research of drugs.
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Saint Joseph's pharmacology and toxicology students have the opportunity to collaborate and work with pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical sciences faculty who are experts in areas including drug delivery, pharmacokinetics, precision medicine and more. Our small, dynamic classes allow for discussion, reflection and collaboration.
What Can I Do with a PhD in Pharmaceutics?
The dynamic pharmaceutics field primes you for continued career success in:
- Pharmaceutical research
- Academia
- Regulatory affairs
- Government research
- Drug delivery
- Pharmacokinetics
- Pharmacodynamics
- Drug product development
- Formulation
- Process optimization and stability
Pharmaceutics also provides excellent preparation for a medical career in a variety of other health professions. For students interested in becoming a Pharmacist, we invite you to explore our PharmD program.
Program Details
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The PhD in pharmaceutics requires:
- At least 20 credit hours of acceptable non-research graduate level courses
- At least 20 research credit hours
- An approved written dissertation and the successful oral defense of that dissertation
View required courses for this program in the academic catalog. Please contact us if you have any questions about the program curriculum.
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Affordable tuition options start at $1,248 per credit.*
*Pricing does not include room and board, health insurance or any professional, clinical or transportation fees. Visit our Tuition & Fees page for a detailed breakdown.
Financial aid in the form of scholarships, student loans, graduate assistantships and discount eligibility may also be available to you to help offset the cost of your degree. Explore your options on our Financial Aid page.
Why Study Pharmaceutics in Philadelphia?
Here in Philadelphia, you’re in the heart of the biotechnology and health science industry, surrounded by 250 medical facilities and within two hours of 75% of all U.S. pharmaceutical firms. The city's diverse population and variety of health science employers offer the unique opportunity to gain experience in pharmaceutical research.
Admissions Information
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You must meet the following prerequisites to be considered for admission to the PhD in pharmaceutics program:
- Have a bachelor’s degree in science or health from an accredited university or college
- Complete the following prerequisite courses*
- Mathematical Analysis I–III or equivalent to Pre-Calculus, Calculus I–II (10 credits)
- Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics I/ II/Pharmaceutics lab (8 credits)
- Introduction to Biostatistics or equivalent (3 credits)
- Physical Chemistry I or equivalent (4 credits)
- Differential Equations or equivalent (3 credits)
- Analytical Chemistry/Lab (4 credits) OR Cell Biology Methods/Lab or equivalent (5 credits)
- Research Methods in Pharmaceutics or equivalent (2 credits)
- GRE scores are optional. You can submit them if you think they’ll strengthen your application
*Credit hours are listed to aid determination of equivalent prerequisite courses and to plan course loads for the full time status. Please contact the program director if you have any questions.
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- Apply online.
- Submit official college transcripts from all colleges attended. If you attended Saint Joseph’s, we will obtain this transcript for you.
- Submit a 1000-word personal statement explaining your short and long term study and career goals. PhD applicants must also identify at least two of the program’s faculty whose research interests align most closely with yours. Personal statements may be submitted as part of application via the application portal.
- Submit resume or CV.
- Submit three letters of recommendation.
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The application deadline for admission to Saint Joseph’s PhD in pharmaceutics program are:
- Priority Review for ALL applicants: March 1
- International Student Deadline: March 1
- Domestic Student Deadline: July 15
A submitted application and all required documents must be received by the application deadline to be considered for admission.
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International applicants must show proof of English language proficiency such as TOEFL or IELTS scores. Check the Graduate Admission page for additional requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Graduates of the Pharmaceutics PhD program can expect to earn an annual salary of $132,002 with a career as a pharmaceutical researcher.
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Top employers of graduates from the School of Health Professions include GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, MossRehab, Johnson & Johnson and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
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A Doctor of Pharmacy degree is required to become a pharmacist; however, students who pursue our pharmaceutics PhD program will be prepared for careers in government, research, teaching, drug development/delivery, molecular pharmaceutics and much more. Students interested in becoming a pharmacist are encouraged to apply to our Doctor of Pharmacy program.
Related Programs
Dive deep into the interactions between drugs and chemicals and biological systems with a PhD in pharmacology and toxicology. Taught by renowned faculty in the historic Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, our research-focused program trains you to be a pharmacologist or toxicologist in academia, private industry or public service.
As North America’s first college of pharmacy, the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy at Saint Joseph’s University offers a top-ranking PharmD program to prepare students for successful careers in the pharmacy profession.