HELP 2018-2019 University Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG] Pharmaceutical Sciences – Major Print-Friendly Page

Return to: Philadelphia College of Pharmacy

The pharmaceutical sciences program provides a strong basic sciences foundation in biology, chemistry, mathematics, and pharmaceutics; integrates the essential contributions of the humanities, social sciences, and communications; and utilizes laboratory-based courses to develop and refine research skills. The graduate will have the background to understand how physicochemical and pharmaceutical principles are applied in formulation development, manufacturing, and animal and human testing of different types of drug delivery systems.

Learning outcomes:

• Students should have the ability to integrate concepts taught in basic courses into their professional courses.
• Students should be proficient in basic laboratory skills required by departments of pharmaceutics in the pharmaceutical industry.
• Students should be able to electronically retrieve relevant literature from scientific databases.
• Students should be able to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing.

The demand for graduates with a degree in the pharmaceutical sciences is presently very high and growing; excellent entry-level positions are available in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industry, government, specialty dosage form development laboratories, and biotechnology companies. Areas include research, product development, manufacturing, quality control, and regulatory affairs.

Students who excel academically will find the pharmaceutical sciences major to be a unique pre-professional degree for programs in pharmacy, medicine, and law. Alternatively, for these students, pursuit of MS and PhD programs in the pharmaceutical sciences is another rewarding postgraduate option. See the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences section for information about the PhD and MS degree programs in pharmaceutics.

Highly qualified prospective students may also seek admission to the combined BS in pharmaceutical sciences/MS in pharmaceutics degree program. Successful students will receive the BS degree at the completion of the fourth year and the MS degree at the end of the fifth year.

Philadelphia College of Pharmacy is one of the few colleges in the United States that offers a BS in pharmaceutical sciences degree.