PharmD/Ph.D in Pharmacy Joint Degree Program

The College of Pharmacy at the University of Florida offers a joint Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree program for qualified Doctor of Pharmacy students who are interested in accelerated graduate studies. The purpose of this program is to prepare clinically oriented pharmaceutical scientists. Through the selection of appropriate graduate level courses and attainment of research skills and experience through research clerkships, students in the Doctor of Pharmacy program can receive advanced standing in one of the graduate pharmaceutical science disciplines in the College of Pharmacy. The joint degree program could enable students to attain both degrees within a period of approximately nine years of study from the beginning of college. This includes at least two years of prepharmacy studies, four years of professional education, and approximately three to four years of graduate studies. The benefits of a joint PharmD/PhD degree program are several fold: First, the student can select 5000- 6000 level graduate courses that will satisfy requirements for both programs, thus shortening the length of the program. Second, the student can develop, during his/her initial years in the College of Pharmacy, an appreciation of and an aptitude in research. Third, the student can identify a research area and a faculty advisor prior to beginning the PhD component of the program. Fourth, by tracking into the PharmD/PhD program, the student can better appreciate the importance of didactic material presented in professional courses to their area of proposed graduate study and research. A further advantage of the PharmD/PhD degree over a combination of a baccalaureate in the sciences, e.g., chemistry or biology, and a PhD in the pharmaceutical sciences is that the individual would have attained a much broader range of pharmaceutical knowledge and clinical experience. The net result of this should be an individual better prepared for research in the pharmaceutical sciences with a greater potential to move rapidly upward in the pharmaceutical industry, academia or governmental agency. CAREER OPPORTUNITIES There is a strong demand for clinically trained individuals who also have formal research training to facilitate bench-to-bedside or translational research. Graduates with the Doctor of Pharmacy and Doctor of Philosophy degrees are very competitive for research positions in: Academia Governmental agencies (e.g., National Institutes of Health, Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Pharmaceutical industry Research Foundations The clinical emphasis of the Doctor of Pharmacy program and the in-depth scientific education obtained from a Doctor of Philosophy degree in a pharmaceutical science prepares the individual for research and teaching that could integrate clinical and pharmaceutical research. Graduates have the potential to fulfill a vital role in the pharmacy profession as clinical scientists. A joint degree program can give the graduate the knowledge and experience for productive research, teaching, and service in a variety of positions within pharmacy. Positions in industry include research scientists in Research and Development and in Production and Quality Control. Senior level positions such as a Head of a research division or Vice President for Research or Vice President of Industry Affairs are available within a pharmaceutical company. Professorial positions in colleges of pharmacy offer the PharmD/PhD graduate opportunities for independent research, teaching, and clinical service.