Academic Calendar

Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ph.D.

Degree Requirements

All programs are established on an individual basis; the following general principles apply:

  • Where admission to the Ph.D. is directly from a Master’s Degree, a minimum of 12 credit hours at the 7000 level or higher plus a thesis is required. For those students who hold a Master’s degree, a maximum of 24 credit hours of course work is allowed toward the Ph.D. program.
  • Students must complete PHRM 7260 in the first year of their program. Students may subsequently take PHRM 7270 as an elective to meet their credit hour requirements.
  • Students registered full time in the Ph.D. program are required to attend and participate in the Pharmacy Graduate Seminar Series, where they must present at least one research seminar annually.
  • Students who transfer from the M.Sc. to the Ph.D. program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, having completed PHRM 7160, may take PHRM 7270 as an elective to meet their credit hour requirements. Normally, students will not be permitted to take PHRM 7260 unless their research project is notably different from that presented in PHRM 7160. In that case, the student must obtain approval from their advisor and Chair of the PGSC to take PHRM 7260.
  • Students are expected to enroll on a 12-month basis and conduct research during the summer months.
  • Students registered in the M.Sc. program who have made excellent progress over the first 12 months in their program may be considered for transfer to the Ph.D. program. The transfer must be completed within 16 months (4 terms) of the student's commencement in the Master's program.
  • The College of Pharmacy offers a concentration in Pharmacoepidemiology. The course requirements for students entering the Ph. D. program already holding a Master degree, include 12 credit hours in the Ph.D. (6 CH of core and 6 CH of elective). Students transferring from the Master’s to the Ph.D. will require a total of 24 CH to complete their program.

Expected Time to Graduate: 4 years

Progression Chart

* Where admission to the Ph.D. is directly from a Master's degree

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1Hours
GRAD 7300 Research Integrity Tutorial 0
GRAD 7500 Academic Integrity Tutorial 0
GRAD 8020 Doctoral Re-registration 0
PHRM 7260 Pharmacy Seminar 1 PhD 3
 Hours3
Years 1-5
Select courses designated 7000 or above to be completed during the program (not restricted to PHRM courses) 9
 Hours9
Year 2
GRAD 8020 Doctoral Re-registration 0
 Hours0
Year 3
GRAD 8020 Doctoral Re-registration 0
GRAD 8010 Doctoral Candidacy Examination 0
 Hours0
Years 4-5
GRAD 8020 Doctoral Re-registration 0
GRAD 8000 Doctoral Thesis 0
 Hours0
 Total Hours12

Notes:

  • Please note students transitioning from the MSc to PhD program will vary from the progression charts listed above.
  • Students must continue their enrollment in GRAD 7020 and GRAD 8020 if their program length varies from the above charts.

Registration Information

Students should familiarize themselves with the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies ‘GRAD’ courses applicable to their program. If you have questions about which GRAD course(s) to register in, please consult your home department/unit.

All students in the graduate program must determine their program courses with their advisor/advisory committee.

Courses must be listed on the Program of Study Form. 

Not all courses are offered each year.

Regulations

Students must meet the requirements as outlined in both Supplementary Regulation and BFAR documents as approved by Senate.

Supplementary Regulations

Individual units may require specific requirements above and beyond those of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, and students should consult unit supplementary regulations for these specific regulations. 

Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR)

Bona Fide Academic Requirements (BFAR) represent the core academic requirements a graduate student must acquire in order to gain, and demonstrate acquisition of, essential knowledge and skills.

All students must successfully complete:

  • GRAD 7300 prior to applying to any ethics boards which are appropriate to the student’s research or within the student’s first year, whichever comes first; and
  • GRAD 7500 within the first term of registration;

unless these courses have been completed previously, as per Mandatory Academic Integrity Course and Mandatory Research Integrity Online Course.

Students must also meet additional BFAR requirements that may be specified for their program.

General Regulations

All students must:

  • maintain a minimum degree grade point average of 3.0 with no grade below C+,
  • meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum course requirements, and
  • meet the minimum and not exceed the maximum time requirements (in terms of time in program and lapse or expiration of credit of courses).

Course

Pharmacy

PHRM 7080  Biopharmaceutics and Relevant Pharmacokinetics  3 cr  
Lecture course on biopharmaceutics with particular emphasis on the application of pharmacokinetic principles in the design of conventional and sustained-release drug dosage forms, assessment of drug bioavailability, and selection of dosage regimens.
PHRM 7102  Pharmacoepidemiology  3 cr  
This course will enable students to develop expertise in study designs applicable to pharmacoepidemiology. Sources of data, including automated databases, analytical methodologies and special issues in pharmacoepidemiology will be discussed.
PHRM 7120  Medical and Scientific Writing  3 cr  
Lectures and exercises on the preparation of medical and scientific manuscripts, including papers for publication or oral presentation, progress reports, reviews, short papers, grant applications and similar projects.
PHRM 7130  Novel Drug Delivery Systems  3 cr  
Advanced course dealing with the role of drugs and drug products in the treatment of disease with emphasis on pharmaceutics and physical pharmacy. Current and future status of drug delivery systems, their design and evaluation will also be examined.
PHRM 7150  Pharmaceutical Economics and Policy  3 cr  
This course will introduce students to key concepts in pharmacoeconomics. Students will learn about the role of pharmacoeconomics in drug pricing and reimbursement decisions in Canada. Topics covered will include the economics of the pharmaceutical sector, cost-effectiveness analyses and budget impact analyses. The course will also provide hands-on training in building and analyzing decision analytic models for cost effectiveness analysis. Prior knowledge in economics, statistics or epidemiology is desirable but not mandatory. Students not enrolled within the College of Pharmacy will require prior approval by the instructor.
PHRM 7160  Pharmacy Seminar 1 MSc  3 cr  
Seminars and lectures on selected topics in pharmacy. Students are required to present both oral and written reports on research topics.
PHRM 7170  Pharmacy Seminar 2 MSc  3 cr  
Lectures and group discussions on recent developments in pharmaceutical fields. Students are required to give an oral presentation.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: PHRM 7160.
PHRM 7180  Pharmaceutical Implications of Biotechnology  3 cr  
Introduction to biotechnology in pharmaceutical sciences and pharmacy. Students will be introduced to concepts from molecular biology, immunology, biotechnology and pharmacogenomics. Implications of biotechnology in pharmaceutical biopharmaceutical research.
PHRM 7190  Graduate Professional Development - PhD  1.5 cr  
Lectures and interactive activities on selected topics in graduate professional development relevant to career paths in the health sciences. Students from programs other than Pharmacy must obtain permission to register from the course coordinator.
PHRM 7202  Advanced Topics in Pharmacoepidemiology - Level 1  3 cr  
Reserved to M.Sc. students in Pharmacy seeking a concentration in Pharmacoepidemiology. Students must have obtained approval for their thesis proposal in pharmacoepidemiology before enrolling in PHRM 7202. Advanced topics regarding study design and analytical methodology in pharmacoepidemiology are discussed.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: PHRM 7102 (or equivalent).
PHRM 7260  Pharmacy Seminar 1 PhD  3 cr  
Seminars and lectures on selected topics in pharmacy. Students are required to present both oral and written reports on research topics.
PHRM 7270  Pharmacy Seminar 2 PhD  3 cr  
Lectures and groups discussions on recent developments in pharmaceutical fields. Students are required to give an oral presentation.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisites: PHRM 7260 or PHRM 7160 if the student direct transfers from M.Sc.
PHRM 7302  Advanced Topics in Pharmacoepidemiology - Level 2  3 cr  
Reserved to Ph.D. students enrolled in Pharmacy and seeking a concentration in Pharmacoepidemiology. Students must have obtained approval for their thesis proposal in pharmacoepidemiology before enrolling in PHRM 7302. Advanced topics regarding study design and new analytical methodology in pharmacoepidemiology are discussed.
PR/CR: A minimum grade of C is required unless otherwise indicated.
Prerequisite: PHRM 7102 (or equivalent).