EDUCATING LEADERS IN PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES SINCE 1886
Online MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Our Online MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences program is for students who have previously earned a BS degree and are looking to accelerate high-impact career opportunities in research, industry, education and health care settings.
This program is research-focused, integrating the foundational principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics pioneered here at UB. Students will engage in the diverse aspects of drug action, from drug discovery to various elements of drug evaluation, led by internationally recognized faculty.
Program Requirements
- Required Courses: Must be completed with a grade of B- or higher, or a P (Pass) / S (Satisfactory). Courses that do not meet these standards will not count toward the degree and must be repeated.
- Elective Courses: Must be completed with a grade of D or higher.
- Overall GPA: A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 is required across 30 credits.
- Registration: Students are required to take 6 credits per semester to complete the program on time and maintain eligibility for financial aid. If fewer than 6 credits are needed, students using financial aid should explore alternative loan options, such as the Graduate PLUS Loan.
- Capstone: Satisfactory completion of a research project. See Research below.
Curriculum
Below is the course timeline and curriculum. Courses are asynchronous remote, in which learning materials are provided online, and students can view these materials and complete tasks at their own pace. However, there are also required due dates.
| Required Seminar | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| PHC 613 Pharmaceutics Seminar (Fall) | 1 |
| PHC 588 Faculty Research Seminar* (Summer) | 1 |
| PHC 614 Pharmaceutics Seminar (Spring) | 1 |
*PHC 588 waived if PHC 488 within 3 years.
| Required Didactic | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| PHC 600 Ethics of Scientific Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Fall; Summer starting 2026) | 2 |
| PHC 506 Biometry in Pharmaceutical Sciences (Spring) | 3 |
| Required Research | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| PHC 615 Research (Summer) | 2 |
| PHC 616 Research (Spring) | 2 |
| Fall Electives | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| PHC 500 Basic Drug Development | 3 |
| PHC 508 Drug Delivery: Principles and Applications | 3 |
| PHC 512 Pharmacometric Software (also available in Spring and Summer) | 1 |
| PHC 517 Pharmacogenomics (also available in Summer) | 2 |
| PHC 538 Introduction to Biologics (starting Fall 2026) | 2 |
| PHC 607 Intermediate Pharmacokinetics | 3 |
| PHC 609 Advanced Pharmacodynamics (starting Fall 2026) | 2 |
| PHC 630 Drug Metabolism and Transport | 3 |
| Spring Electives | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| PHC 504 Computational Basis of Pharmacometrics | 2 |
| PHC 512 Pharmacometric Software (also available in Fall) | 1 |
| PHC 518 Nutrigenomics in Cancer (Prerequisite: Pharmacogenomics) | 2 |
| PHC 531 Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics I | 4 |
| PHC 608 Advanced Pharmacokinetics | 3 |
| PHC 610 Population Pk-Pd Modeling | 2 |
| PHC 616 Research Required; additional credits may count as elective credits for research if choosing a grant or research project for the final capstone. | Variable |
| Summer Electives | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| PHC 512 Pharmacometric Software (also available in Spring and Fall) | 1 |
| PHC 517 Pharmacogenomics (also available in Fall) | 2 |
Our dynamic research program for online master’s students gives you the opportunity to take charge of your learning and to choose the most appropriate path forward for your own educational and career goals.
Through our PHC 615 course, you will learn and gain mastery of the process of grant writing from developing a compelling research proposal to completing a simulation and preliminary evaluation of data.
In our PHC 616 course, you will engage in a thesis-driven capstone completing your MS in selecting one method below of your choosing:
- undertaking a comprehensive exam
- writing a grant for a program of your choice
- completing a research project directed by your current employer or UB Pharmaceutical Sciences faculty
Both PHC 615 and 616 empower you to have choice in completing of your master’s degree and graduate with the confidence that you are prepared for the next steps in your educational or career journey.
Ready to take the next step?