Why pursue a PhD in Pharmacology or Physiology? 

The PhD Programs in Pharmacology & Physiology at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine integrates the 1st year of the graduate core curriculum to help students identify their preferred graduate degree path.  Entering graduate students have the opportunity to explore and identify their research interest by taking broad-based common core curriculum with courses in physiology, pharmacology, cell biology, and computational biology. After the first semester, or the first year of study, students will decide if they wish to pursue a Ph.D. degree in either Physiology or Pharmacology. Each degree path aims to provide training for the next generation of scientists, innovators and leaders and recognizes the emerging workforce demands, while also emphasizing the application of computational tools in physiology and pharmacology research.

Admissions Requirements

Application Link: UC Graduate School
Application Deadline: December 1, 2022
Program Start Date: July 2023

How to Apply

Integrated Admissions Process

The PhD program in Molecular, Cellular and Biochemical Pharmacology has an integrated admissions process with the PhD program in Systems Biology and Physiology.  An application submitted to either program, will enter into a common portal where a unified admissions committee will review all applications for admission. Application requirements are identical for both programs. 

Requirements

Prospective students must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited undergraduate institution and a strong background in the sciences; students are expected to have an overall GPA of at least 3.0, with particular emphasis placed on having excellent performance in the advanced science courses. Qualified students with specific deficiencies in their undergraduate preparation will be guided to remedy these either before, or during the early part of, their graduate education.

Applicants are NOT required to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Special Requirements for International Students

Students whose native language is other than English must demonstrate proficiency in English as required by the Graduate School. Options for meeting this requirement are described here.

Additional information for international applicants

Application Procedures

Interested students should first complete the online application, choosing Fall 2022 through Summer 2023 graduate program application and then Summer 2023 entry term, fill out the personal information, and pay the $65.00 application fee ($70.00 for international students). We do not require you to submit a video interview. Before being considered, applicants must submit:

• An unofficial transcript of all undergraduate and any graduate training.
• A personal statement describing their interest in graduate study in Molecular, Cellular and Biochemical Pharmacology OR Systems Biology and Physiology.
• Three letters of reference assessing the applicant’s academic ability, research potential, and character.
• If you need help with the application fee, please contact Jeannie Cummins (jeannie.cummins@uc.edu).
• If your degree was granted in China, please check here for additional information.

Interview Process

When possible, applicants are invited to spend the day with students and faculty. The interview provides an opportunity for the applicant to meet the faculty and graduate students, see the program’s research facilities and learn more about the training offered by the program. Interviews conducted at this time will contribute significantly to the committee’s admission decision.

Timing

Applications and all supporting documents are accepted at any time; however to be considered for an early acceptance, submit your complete application no later than December 1. Start date for the program is July 1. All applications will be reviewed by the Admissions and Recruitment Committee. Offers of admission are made throughout the duration of the application cycle.

Pharmacology PhD

Our doctoral (PhD) degree program is designed to provide training for the next generation of scientists, innovators, and leaders in pharmacology. Students will engage in a contemporary curriculum including thesis research training in faculty mentored research programs.Thesis research will involve novel therapeutic target discovery and adding new knowledge to existing chemical and biological molecular entities.

Our program is top ranked in Ohio and is among the best in the Midwest.Alumni of our training program have advanced to successful careers in academia and in pharmaceutical and governmental organizations.

Why You Should Study at UC:

• Expert teachers and mentors to guide your learning of fundamental and cutting-edge knowledge.
• Top-ranked biomedical research to engage your enthusiasm for science.
• New science knowledge generation to which you can contribute.
• High faculty scholarly productivity in which you can participate.
• Excellent facilities to support your scholarly research activities.

UC’s areas of excellence are supported by independent ratings:

• UC is the No. 1 US institution in terms of managing research, learning spaces, online library, technology and Internet access, and in the top 15 international universities in terms of expert lecturers, good teachers, grading criteria, sports facilities, visa advice, finance office, welcome and student advising according to the 2011 International Student Barometer, the largest survey of international college students in the world
• UC is among the top 10 institutions in the USA  in biomedical sciences faculty (includes pharmacology) scholarly productivity index (Academic Analytics rated 7,400 doctoral degree programs)
• UC one of America’s top 25 public research institutions (National Science Foundation), and among the top 100 US universities overall
• UC is among the top 150 of the world’s 2,833 institutions (2010) in our ability to generate scientific knowledge places us) ranked by the SCImago Research Group

Welcome to Systems Biology and Physiology

Systems Biology and Physiology at UC is an interdisciplinary graduate program comprising faculty and staff from 17 departments within the Colleges of Medicine, Engineering, and Arts and Sciences.

Our graduate students are a diverse group of international scholars focusing their research efforts on a wide array of biomedical topics from trying to understand normal and pathological function to development of new experimental tools and technologies.

Program participants are encouraged to embrace multi-faceted experimental approaches, making full use of the world class laboratory, computational, and clinical infrastructure available at UC.

The intellectual and physical resources of the program are specifically focused on five interrelated areas of excellence:

• Biocomplexity
• Dynamic Function
• Intravital Imaging
• Model Systems
• Translational Physiology

Program faculty and scientists frequently engage in research spanning several of these groups.

Coursework, seminars, laboratory rotations and other activities are tailored to the particular needs of each student and are designed to support the Program’s mission to develop talented scientists capable of advancing biomedical discovery in the “post-genomic” era.

Supporting Students

The program places the student’s well-being and success as the number one priority. As a student in the program you will be heard and valued. 

The design of the program is directed towards providing choices and opportunities for students. An example is the flexibility of choosing the discipline to pursue either after one semester or after two semesters in the program.  Through providing choices and opportunities tailored to the student’s career goals, we strive to maximize the individual’s success. Students will have the opportunity to pursue academic expertise focusing on classic Physiology or Pharmacology and/or combining the discipline with a strong computational emphasis. 

The program provides support and opportunities for a number of career choices, with successful placement of graduates in competitive post-doctoral positions and subsequent Faculty positions, placement in management positions with Industry, and placement in leadership roles in regional and national professional societies. 

We have a strong history of students successfully competing for prestigious pre-doctoral fellowships from National Institutes of Health and American Heart Association.