About the PharmD to PhD Career Path

This page describes more about the PharmD to PhD career path. Details about each program:

PharmD curriculum requirements

Students interested in the PharmD to PhD career path are strongly encouraged to participate in the Extended Discovery Project in order to take required courses for the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics (PSPG) PhD program as part of the PharmD curriculum. Completion of the Extended Discovery Project will provide credit for one research rotation and allow students to take core and elective courses for the PSPG program.

Students, during their PharmD training, are encouraged to take core and elective courses for the PSPG program and to seek opportunities for teaching as a way to gain experience and potentially earn credit towards the Teaching Assistant requirement for the PSPG program.

Application and admissions

To be considered for admission to the PharmD to PhD career path, interested students must:

  1. Meet preliminary PharmD to PhD career path and other requirements as a PharmD student:
    • Be currently enrolled in the PharmD program.
    • Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the PharmD program.
    • Provide a statement of purpose.
    • Provide a minimum of three letters of recommendation. (While you may use letters submitted in your application to the PharmD program, letters addressing your potential for research success are more informative and are encouraged.)
  2. Apply to and be accepted to the PharmD to PhD career path:
    • 1st- and 2nd-year UCSF PharmD students may apply to the PharmD to PhD career path by completing the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics PhD program standard application form. Forms must be received by December 1 each year.
    • Students accepted into the PharmD to PhD career path will receive a letter of intent that guarantees admission to the PhD program upon earning their PharmD degree, provided that a minimum 3.0 GPA has been maintained in the PharmD program.
  3. Graduate from the PharmD program.
  4. Transition from the PharmD to the PhD program.

Upon graduation with the PharmD degree, PharmD to PhD career path students will be officially enrolled as PhD students. It is expected that students will take their qualifying exam and will be advanced to PhD candidacy within 12 to 24 months of completing the PharmD degree.

  1. Complete the PhD program:
    • Students, working with their advisor and dissertation committee, will complete their research and prepare their dissertation. Once the dissertation has been approved, students are awarded the PhD.

Administration