Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, Doctor of Philosophy University of Missouri

The joining of these two disciplines provides a powerful way to address modern questions of biology. The department offers MS and PhD degree programs in Pharmacology and Physiology. These programs are designed to prepare students for rewarding teaching and/or research careers in academia, government or the pharmaceutical and biotechnical industries.

For the doctoral program, the typical duration is four to five years. The first year consists of required coursework and teaching and laboratory experiences. It provides students the opportunity to enter laboratories and begin research as early as the second semester.

Students are expected to complete at least two semesters of a teaching assistantship.

By the end of the first semester, students are expected to have selected a laboratory and mentor. The second year consists of a continuation of coursework (both required and elective), a final semester of teaching assistantship, ongoing laboratory work and the formation of the dissertation committee. The comprehensive examination is normally taken at the end of the second year. Within six months of successfully passing this examination, the student prepares and defends a dissertation proposal. The remainder of the program is spent completing the research project and preparing a dissertation.