Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology and Physiology, Ph.D.

I. Contact Information

Dean Burkin, Pd.D., 
Graduate Program Director
(775) 784-6288
dburkin@med.unr.edu

Mailing Address: 
University of Nevada, Reno
Department of Pharmacology, Mail Stop 0352
1664 N. Virginia Street
Reno, NV 89557

II. Brief Introduction

Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology is an interdisciplinary program. Study programs lead to the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Additionally, medical students may earn a M.D. /Ph.D. degree through the program.

The highly interactive program offers a wide range of study options dealing with contemporary research areas of physiology, pharmacology, molecular biology, and cell biology.

III. Program Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes

The program is designed to prepare the student for a competitive career in academic, government, or private industry research in contemporary pharmacology, physiology, or cell biology. A flexible, multidisciplinary basic sciences curriculum, combined with advanced coursework, provides the foundation of knowledge needed for subsequent research activities. Individual laboratory attention by the faculty allows the student to develop skills in experimental design, execution, and analysis; statistics; literature searching; grant writing; manuscript preparation; oral presentations; and laboratory management.

IV. Admission Requirements

Applicants are expected to have a B.A. or B.S. in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Chemistry or a similar discipline, with at least a 3.0 undergraduate grade point average (4-point system). The Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general exam is required, with minimum percentile ranks of 60th for Verbal Reasoning, 60th for Quantitative Reasoning, and 70th for Analytical Writing.  A competitive Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam (Internet only) score is also required for students for whom English is their second language, with the following minimum scores: Reading 23, Listening 19, Speaking 23, Writing 24.

V. Program Requirements

b. Additional Program Requirements

All students working toward the doctoral degree must pass a comprehensive examination in which the student independently proposes a research project in the form of a written research grant proposal. The comprehensive exam is one (1) credit and will count toward the 72 credits required for the Ph.D. The comprehensive exam will also count toward the required 30 credits of 700-level course work. Following acceptance of the proposal by an examining committee, the proposal must be defended orally before the committee. All doctoral degree candidates must present a public seminar of their thesis research and pass an oral defense of the dissertation.

The written dissertation must describe the research project carried out by the student and must be approved by the student’s Advisory/Examination Committee. Following this approval, all doctoral degree candidates must present a public research seminar on their dissertation research and pass an oral defense of the dissertation. 

Candidates for the M.D. /Ph.D. degree must meet the requirements as outlined in the M.D. /Ph.D. program. Refer to the “Combined M.D./Ph.D.” description in the Division of Health Sciences section of this catalog for more information.

Graduate fellowships for the Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology & Physiology program are available on a competitive basis. Contact the program office for more information.

VI. Total Units (72 units)