The School of Pharmacy offers the advanced professional degree of doctor of pharmacy.  In addition, t he School of Pharmacy participates in the School of Graduate Studies Interdisciplinary Ph.D. program with emphasis areas in pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacology and toxicology.  Students pursuing Interdisciplinary Ph.D. study should consult the School of Graduate Studies section of this catalog for degree requirements and other academic regulations applicable to the degree program.

The UMKC School of Pharmacy offers a Pharm.D. program on the University of Missouri-Columbia (MU) campus in conjunction with the School of Health Professions. The traditional program location (UMKC campus) and the program offered on the MU campus encompass four years of professional study after completion of the required pre-pharmacy coursework. Although Pharm.D. students enrolled at MU are physically located in Columbia, these students are considered UMKC students. Students accepted into the UMKC Pharm.D. program at MU will complete the same basic science and some elective courses in traditional classroom settings on the Columbia campus, whereas students accepted to the traditional program will complete coursework on the UMKC campus. The majority of the pharmacy specific courses offered on the UMKC campus are transmitted via distance education technology from UMKC specialized classrooms to specialized classrooms at MU. Students and instructors at both campus locations are able to interact during lecture/discussions.  Students accepted to the UMKC Pharm.D. program at MU cannot, however, be dually enrolled in separate degree programs on the MU campus.

 

 Career Applications

The Ph.D. degree is the highest academic degree offered in any American university. It is a research degree. Merely attaining high grades in didactic coursework and passing examinations is insufficient demonstration of merit for this degree. Obtaining the Ph.D. degree requires demonstration of the highest order of scholarship; diligent and inventive pursuit of a research program; and defense of a dissertation based upon original research.

The Ph.D. is usually a requirement for obtaining tenure track appointment to university faculties or to senior-level appointments in research and development in pharmaceutical and related industries, research institutes and in government.