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Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences

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Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)

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You're ready to work at the forefront of pharmaceutical sciences advancement. Take your education to the next level with a PhD at UBC Pharm Sci. It's where you'll work shoulder to shoulder with other leading experts in the field of pharmaceutical sciences, contributing knowledge, developing solutions, and shaping the future of health care. Come to work every day at one of the world's most inspiring campuses, where you will find exceptional mentors and supervisors, and state-of-the-art facilities.

For specific program requirements, please refer to the departmental program website

What makes the program unique?

At UBC Pharm Sci, our research has shaped our outstanding international reputation. This is the place to collaborate with some of the world's foremost pharmaceutical experts, generating relevant, evidence-based and industry-focused research that makes a positive impact on broader society.

As a PhD student, you will embark upon a journey of academic discovery by working alongside renowned researchers who are at the top of their fields. Right from the onset of the program, you will be welcomed by a vibrant collegial community, receive individualized guidance to shape your customized study plan, and receive mentorship from senior researchers. During the program, you will enrich your knowledge and build your skills set to prepare for careers in academia or industry, while exploring research frontiers in world-class facilities. Our graduates are often highly sought after by the pharmaceutical industry for their expertise in drug discovery and development.

Our PhD program attracts some of the brightest and most curious scientific minds, so you can expect to work alongside some of the best scholars to inspire you. Our student body is diverse both in terms of educational backgrounds and global talent. More than half of our graduate students join us from countries outside of Canada, bringing various perspectives to share. We offer orientation events to help new students integrate into life here in Vancouver, at UBC and within the Faculty. And our Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Student Society (PharGS) will help support you through your educational journey and make you feel right at home.

The diverse portfolio of research disciplines in the PharmSci program offers a great platform to learn about how your research impacts other fields and also to explore a range of hard and soft skills that will help you be a competent and successful researcher.

Petar Iliev

Quick Facts

Program Enquiries

Admission information & requirements, program instructions.

To be considered for admission to the Pharm Sci PhD program, a complete application must be submitted by January 15th. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

For International students: This includes the submission of a copy of the official IELTS or TOEFL transcript.

1) Check Eligibility

Minimum academic requirements.

The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies establishes the minimum admission requirements common to all applicants, usually a minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC). The graduate program that you are applying to may have additional requirements. Please review the specific requirements for applicants with credentials from institutions in:

Canada or the United States
International countries other than the United States

Each program may set higher academic minimum requirements. Please review the program website carefully to understand the program requirements. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission as it is a competitive process.

English Language Test

Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.

Minimum requirements for the two most common English language proficiency tests to apply to this program are listed below:

TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language - internet-based

Overall score requirement : 100

IELTS: International English Language Testing System

Overall score requirement : 7.0

Other Test Scores

Some programs require additional test scores such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Graduate Management Test (GMAT). The requirements for this program are:

The GRE is not required.

2) Meet Deadlines

3) prepare application, transcripts.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Letters of Reference

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications.

Statement of Interest

Many programs require a statement of interest , sometimes called a "statement of intent", "description of research interests" or something similar.

Supervision

Students in research-based programs usually require a faculty member to function as their thesis supervisor. Please follow the instructions provided by each program whether applicants should contact faculty members.

Instructions regarding thesis supervisor contact for Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD)

Citizenship verification.

Permanent Residents of Canada must provide a clear photocopy of both sides of the Permanent Resident card.

4) Apply Online

All applicants must complete an online application form and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

Research Information

Research highlights.

If you're passionate about health sciences research that makes a difference in patients' lives, then UBC Pharmaceutical Sciences is your place. Innovative, collaborative, impactful and widely recognized, our groundbreaking research is relevant to today's problems.

Some examples of our research include work in the following areas:

Lipid- and polymer-based drug delivery systems using nanotechnology to enhance cancer therapy
Developing small molecule inhibitors for disease-relevant targets, with a specific focus on anti-cancer drug discovery
Gene-delivery treatment of genetic diseases
Predictive analytics in respiratory diseases
Causes, risk factors, and biomarkers of neurological disease progression

Research Focus

A PhD in pharmaceutical sciences is the entry point to countless research opportunities in drug discovery and development. Whether it’s genomics and individualized therapy, nanomedicine, chemical biology, pharmacology, or epidemiology, we offer options for you to explore and collaborate. Our research themes include:

Molecular & Systems Pharmacology is comprised of areas such as drug metabolism, pharmacokinetic modeling, cancer biology/pharmacology, diabetes, cardiovascular pharmacology, neuroscience/neuropharmacology, receptor pharmacology, and pharmacogenomics. This highly interdisciplinary theme embodies research directed at the interactions of drugs with therapeutic targets, and covers fundamental questions of the molecular and cellular basis of individual variations in response to drugs, mechanisms of drug action and the pathogenesis of diseases. These studies are used to inform and optimize the development and delivery of drug intervention regimes for clinical practice.

Nanomedicine & Chemical Biology applies our expertise in the chemical biology of the fabrication and handling of nanoscopic materials to drug discovery and delivery. Sensing and screening technologies are also an important focus.

Epidemiology and Health Outcomes covers our activities in epidemiological analysis, health outcomes and health economics research seeking solutions for the predictive enhancement of intervention strategies for practical and preventive healthcare. The impact of this work is used to shape policy to optimize the allocation of health care resources as well as defining the efficacy of healthcare interventions and strategy.

Research Facilities

Opened in 2012, the award-winning Pharmaceutical Sciences building is a quarter-million-square-foot, state-of-the-art learning and research facility in the heart of the UBC campus. Functional, striking and always thrumming with activity, the building is home to cutting-edge equipment, laboratories and research spaces that we make available for use by the scientific public. Our building houses modern, modular labs designed specifically for the type of research intended for the space. Among an array of state-of-the-art scientific equipment, the Faculty houses a modern mass spectrometer facility for pharmacokinetic and drug metabolism studies, and a Sequenom Mass-ARRAY system for genetic studies.

Tuition & Financial Support

Financial support.

Applicants to UBC have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities.

Program Funding Packages

Thesis-based PhD students in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences are eligible to receive a stipend, provided they are in good standing and maintain their eligibility as a UBC graduate student. The stipend package normally includes a graduate teaching assistantship, a graduate research assistantship, and/or a scholarship.

The minimum stipend starting in the 2023-2024 academic year will be:

Domestic PhD student: $30,555 to $31,215 per annum, which includes a President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award (Years 1-3: $1,215 per year; Year 4 and later: $555 per year)

International PhD student: $34,625 per annum, which includes an International Tuition Award ($3,200) and a President’s Academic Excellence Initiative PhD Award ($1,425 to each student whose tuition is not paid by an external sponsor).

Please be aware that due to the higher cost of living in Vancouver, students should plan to draw on their personal funds in addition to the stipend.

Average Funding

13 students received Teaching Assistantships. Average TA funding based on 13 students was $11,734.
23 students received Research Assistantships. Average RA funding based on 23 students was $15,578.
1 student received Academic Assistantships valued at $2,003.
27 students received internal awards. Average internal award funding based on 27 students was $11,552.
9 students received external awards. Average external award funding based on 9 students was $25,685.

Scholarships & awards (merit-based funding)

All applicants are encouraged to review the awards listing to identify potential opportunities to fund their graduate education. The database lists merit-based scholarships and awards and allows for filtering by various criteria, such as domestic vs. international or degree level.

Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA)

Many professors are able to provide Research Assistantships (GRA) from their research grants to support full-time graduate students studying under their supervision. The duties constitute part of the student's graduate degree requirements. A Graduate Research Assistantship is considered a form of fellowship for a period of graduate study and is therefore not covered by a collective agreement. Stipends vary widely, and are dependent on the field of study and the type of research grant from which the assistantship is being funded.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTA)

Graduate programs may have Teaching Assistantships available for registered full-time graduate students. Full teaching assistantships involve 12 hours work per week in preparation, lecturing, or laboratory instruction although many graduate programs offer partial TA appointments at less than 12 hours per week. Teaching assistantship rates are set by collective bargaining between the University and the Teaching Assistants' Union .

Graduate Academic Assistantships (GAA)

Academic Assistantships are employment opportunities to perform work that is relevant to the university or to an individual faculty member, but not to support the student’s graduate research and thesis. Wages are considered regular earnings and when paid monthly, include vacation pay.

Financial aid (need-based funding)

Canadian and US applicants may qualify for governmental loans to finance their studies. Please review eligibility and types of loans .

All students may be able to access private sector or bank loans.

Foreign government scholarships

Many foreign governments provide support to their citizens in pursuing education abroad. International applicants should check the various governmental resources in their home country, such as the Department of Education, for available scholarships.

Working while studying

The possibility to pursue work to supplement income may depend on the demands the program has on students. It should be carefully weighed if work leads to prolonged program durations or whether work placements can be meaningfully embedded into a program.

International students enrolled as full-time students with a valid study permit can work on campus for unlimited hours and work off-campus for no more than 20 hours a week.

A good starting point to explore student jobs is the UBC Work Learn program or a Co-Op placement .

Tax credits and RRSP withdrawals

Students with taxable income in Canada may be able to claim federal or provincial tax credits.

Canadian residents with RRSP accounts may be able to use the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP) which allows students to withdraw amounts from their registered retirement savings plan (RRSPs) to finance full-time training or education for themselves or their partner.

Please review Filing taxes in Canada on the student services website for more information.

Cost Estimator

Applicants have access to the cost estimator to develop a financial plan that takes into account various income sources and expenses.

Career Outcomes

48 students graduated between 2005 and 2013. Of these, career information was obtained for 42 alumni (based on research conducted between Feb-May 2016):

Sample Employers in Higher Education

Sample employers outside higher education, sample job titles outside higher education, phd career outcome survey, career options.

With a tailored PhD in pharmaceutical sciences, the door is open to numerous research career options in drug discovery and development. Our graduates have gone on to create R&D companies in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, and developed and commercialized therapeutic products in the treatment of various diseases. While a number of our PhD graduates opt for careers in academia or government, the majority of our alumni thrive in industry.

Alumni on Success

Swamy Yeleswaram

Job Title VP

Employer Incyte Corporation

Gary Lopaschuk

Job Title Professor

Employer University of Alberta

Enrolment, Duration & Other Stats

These statistics show data for the Doctor of Philosophy in Pharmaceutical Sciences (PhD). Data are separated for each degree program combination. You may view data for other degree options in the respective program profile.

ENROLMENT DATA

Completion rates & times, upcoming doctoral exams, friday, 14 june 2024 - 9:00am - room 200.

Research Supervisors

Advice and insights from UBC Faculty on reaching out to supervisors

These videos contain some general advice from faculty across UBC on finding and reaching out to a supervisor. They are not program specific.

This list shows faculty members with full supervisory privileges who are affiliated with this program. It is not a comprehensive list of all potential supervisors as faculty from other programs or faculty members without full supervisory privileges can request approvals to supervise graduate students in this program.

Cairns, Brian (Neurosciences, biological and chemical aspects; Neurosciences, medical and physiological and health aspects; Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); electrophysiology; headache; Neuropharmacology; Oro-Facial Pain; pain; pain mechanisms; peripheral analgesics; sex-related differences; temporomandibular disorders)
Chang, Thomas (Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects))
Collier, Abby (Drugs in children, Drugs in pregnancy, Developmental pharmacology, Drug metabolism, Pharmacokinetics, Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics, primarily of the phase II (conjugation) enzymes, focused on pregnancy and pediatrics)
Conklin, Annalijn (Public health nutrition policy; Other basic medicine and life sciences; Chronic Diseases in Elderly; Community Health / Public Health; disease management evaluation; food and nutrition policy; Gender Epidemiology; gender and health equity; Health Policies; healthcare quality improvement; healthy ageing; Indigenous health; Obesity; obesity & CVD risk factors; Professional Practices; Social Determinants of Dietary and Metabolic Disorders; social nutritional epidemiology; ethics of research and public health)
Coughtrie, Michael (Drug metabolizing enzymes)
Cragg, Jacquelyn (Epidemiology (except nutritional and veterinary epidemiology); data science; open science; Causal inference; Drug Effectiveness; Drug Safety; Epidemiology; neuro-epidemiology; Neurological diseases; Spinal cord injury; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); multiple sclerosis; Parkinson’s disease)
De Vera, Mary (examining how eHealth technologies can support new and existing models of care to improve care delivery and patient outcomes; exploring patients' perspectives and experiences with medication taking and adherence; and evaluating the use and impacts of medications among pregnant women, particularly with inflammatory conditions.)
Finbloom, Joel (Drug discovery, design and delivery; Biologically active molecules; Nanochemistry; Antimicrobial resistance; Nanomedicine; nanomedicine; Chemical Biology; drug delivery; Pharmaceutical Sciences; Infectious disease; Bacterial Biofilms; Microbiome; Probiotics; Antibiotic resistance)
Frankel, Adam (Other basic medicine and life sciences; Enzymes (including kinetics and mechanisms, and biocatalyst); Protein Biochemistry; arginine methylation; Histones; Nucleosomes; post-translational modifications; Biological and Biochemical Mechanisms; Organic Molecules and Biomolecules; Bioactive Molecules; Proteins; Chemical Biology; drug discovery; Target Engagement; yeast; Amino acids)
Giaever, Guri (Model organisms, human therapeutics, high-throughput cell biology, drug synergy, technologies for understanding relationship between chromatic structure and transcriptional regulation)
Hafeli, Urs (Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, n.e.c.)
Harrison, Mark (measurement and valuation of health, health technology and policy assessment, and preferences for healthcare interventions; evaluation/re-evaluation of the type of health care that is provided, the point in the treatment pathway, and the way in which it is delivered)
Jarvis-Selinger, Sandra (Education, human learning, development, and instruction, education innovation, konwledge translation, teaching excellence, curriculum design, technology)
Johnson, Kate (Health Outcomes)
Krentz, Nicole (Human development and organogenesis; Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, n.e.c.; Human physiology, n.e.c.; Diabetes; Developmental biology; Genetics)
Kumar, Ujendra (Somatostatin hormone, molecular pharmacology, Somatostatin, , Hormones, somatostatin, locomotor and cognitive function, neurodegenerative diseases, drugs)
Lalji, Fawziah (Epidemiology (except nutritional and veterinary epidemiology); Pharmacoepidemiology; Infectious diseases; Immunization; Antibiotics and Resistance; Vaccine preventable diseases)
Li, Shyh-Dar (Drug discovery, design and delivery; Nano-technology; biopharmaceutics; drug delivery; nanomedicine; pharmaceutics; Gene delivery and therapy)
Loewen, Peter (Cardiology and circulatory sciences (including cardiovascular disease); Clinical pharmacy and pharmacy practice; Knowledge translation and implementation science in health; atrial fibrillation; Pharmacoepidemiology; Thrombosis and Embolism; adherence to medication; Cardiovascular diseases; Arrhythmia; Heart Failure; stroke; Health Care Technologies; Professional Practices; Hematology; decision making; clinical prediction rules; healthcare communication technologies; hospital pharmacy practice; knowledge translation of evidence to patient care; patient complexiometry; patient decision aids; patient education; pharmacy practice; prediction of stroke and bleeding in atrial fibrillation patients; quality of care, quality drug therapy; Shared decision-making; stroke prevention therapy; use of mobile technology for clinical decision-making)
Lynd, Larry (health economics, orphan drugs, pharmaceutical policy, respiratory medicine, epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, rare diseases )
Maharaj, Anil (Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, n.e.c.; Pharmacometrics; Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics; Obstetric and Pediatric Pharmacology)
McCormack, James (Knowledge translation and evidence-based practice)
Nislow, Corey (genomics and develops biotechnology tools to address both fundamental and applied biological questions; Parallel genome-wide chemical genomic screens; High throughput cell-based screens; Next Generation Sequencing)
Page, Brent (Drug discovery, design and delivery; Cell Signaling and Cancer; Cancer; Cell signaling; Chemical Biology; Drug development; Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery; Medicinal Chemistry; Target Engagement)
Rodrigues, Brian (Pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences (except clinical aspects); Diabetes; Cardiomyopathy; Heart Failure; Energy Metabolism; Cardiovascular metabolism; Endothelial cell - cardiomyocyte crosstalk; Vascular Endothelial Growth factors)

Doctoral Citations

Sample thesis submissions.

Macroaggregated albumin particles as intravenous drug formulation for lung delivery
Transmucosal delivery of protein and peptide drugs by using cell penetrating peptides
Exploring health care encounters and treatments for mental disorders in individuals with inflammatory arthritis : epidemiologic and health services research studies
Pharmacokinetics of cationic host-defense peptides and innate defense regulators in native and formulated states
Examining the quantity and quality of antibiotic use : a population-based analysis of British Columbia and Ontario
Investigation of excipients to improve oral delivery of peptides
Bioorthogonal click chemistry – synthesis of aptamer-conjugated polymeric nanoparticles for cancer targeting and pretargeted imaging of ⁹⁹ᵐTc-labeled tetrazines
Developing models to study breast cancer progression and investigating the role of invadopodia in tumor cell metastasis
Development and evaluation of radiolabeled macromolecular conjugates for targeted delivery of anti-arthritic drugs
An oral physiologically-based pharmacokinetic model to predict drug absorption and disposition of vismodegib
Biochemical investigations of protein arginine N-methyltransferase 2
Nanoscale flow cytometry for extracellular vesicle analysis and isolation
Vascular endothelial growth factor B affects cardiac substrate utilization by regulating lipoprotein lipase
Development of reporter mouse models to evaluate and optimize crispr/cas9 base editing therapeutics
Development of a novel Enkephalin-like peptide with pain-relieving and antidepressant-like effects

Related Programs

Same specialization.

Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD)
Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (MSc)

Further Information

Specialization.

Pharmaceutical Sciences covers research areas of nanomedicine, drug delivery; drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics and toxicology; pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenetics; diabetes, cardiovascular and molecular pharmacology; neuropharmacology; cancer pharmacology; pharmaceutical health outcomes and pharmacotherapeutics; and pharmaceutical education.

UBC Calendar

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Departments/Programs may update graduate degree program details through the Faculty & Staff portal. To update contact details for application inquiries, please use this form .

Sepideh Soukhtehzari

UBC is a hub for scientists from different aspects of life science research, is highly rated for cutting edge scientific achievements and provides such a rich environment for trainees in their professional life. In addition, UBC offers a variety of facilities and also events that support social...

Megan Thomas

UBC is one of Canada’s leading research universities, consistently ranking in the top 40 universities in the world. In addition to it's stellar reputation, it also has one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. The ocean and mountain views are unmatched!

Michael Rowley

I wanted to study at a university with a sterling reputation in the research community that also had a diverse community of peers and well situated in nature. UBC met and exceeded all of these criteria!

The city and the sea

Take a break from studying with opportunities at your fingertips. Whether you want to settle down in a café or take your research outdoors, we have a place for you.

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Université de Montréal / Faculté de pharmacie

Graduate Programs
Doctor (PhD) of Pharmaceutical Sciences

PhD in Pharmaceutical Science

Passionate about drug research and discovery, and the study of drug usage?

PhD candidates will acquire relevant skills by conducting an original research project and become full-fledged researchers. This program prepares students to a career in an academic, industrial, or governmental setting. A significant portion of the program is dedicated to conducting research activities under the supervision of a thesis supervisor.

Program Overview

The PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences consists of 90 credits with 84 credits awarded to research activities and drafting and defending a thesis. The six remaining credits are awarded for courses.

Five concentrations are available:

Medicinal chemistry
Medications and population health
Pharmacology
Pharmaceutical technology

For more information, please see the program leaflet, as well as the program description, structure, and course listing in the prospective students’ website (In French only) .

Admission and Requirements

Applicants to the PhD program must meet the following criteria:

Meet the general conditions of eligibility listed in the Academic Regulations of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies .
Hold a Master in Pharmaceutical Sciences (with thesis) or a degree deemed equivalent.
Have maintained a grade point average of 3.3/4.3 or equivalent during the master’s program.
Possess a good understanding of French and English.

Admissions Department – Université de Montréal Phone: 514 343-7076 or 1-866-977-7076 Fax: 514 343-5788 Email: [email protected] Website: admission.umontreal.ca For more information on the graduate programs in pharmaceutical sciences: Phone : 514 343-6111, poste 6467 Email: [email protected]

PhD Program

The Ph.D. program in Pharmacology aims to equip students with a comprehensive understanding of pharmacology, while allowing you to gain specific expertise in your areas of interest. Through rigorous coursework and hands-on research, you will build on your knowledge of pharmacology, develop critical thinking skills, carryout and interpret investigations, and produce publishable findings.

Regardless of your academic background, you will engage in self-directed study , culminating in the demonstration of proficiency in pharmacological principles during the course of the graduate program. Evaluations occur at various stages throughout the Ph.D. program. We are committed to fostering a community of scholars capable of making significant contributions to pharmacology through independent research.

Required Courses and Modules

With the exception of thesis research and ongoing research seminars (e.g., PCL1003Y), all program requirements must be completed within the first three (3) years of registration in the program (four (4) years for direct-entry students).

Required Courses

PCL1002Y: Graduate Pharmacology (must be completed in the first year of registration)
PCL1003Y: Seminars in Pharmacology
Full Minor course: A full (Y) graduate course equivalent (outside your main area of research) must be taken as a minor subject. Students should submit a Ph.D. Minor Course Form to the Graduate Coordinator for approval before attempting to fulfil this requirement.
Any other graduate course(s) required by a Collaborative Specialization or as recommended by your Ph.D. Supervisory Committee

Breadth Modules / Tutorials

Ph.D. students must complete four (4) breadth modules/tutorials in specialized areas of Pharmacology unrelated to your specific research interest. At least one should be a Laboratory Module.

You should select your modules in consultation with your supervisor and supervisory committee members within the first eight months of your Ph.D. program. These should be recorded on the Planned Ph.D. Module Sessions form .

A half course (which is IN ADDITION to your required minor subject) outside of your major research area may be substituted for one of the breadth modules. Prior approval of the supervisor, supervisory committee and Graduate Coordinator is required.

You should submit a Ph.D. Module Completion form for each module completed.

First Year Seminar

All Ph.D. students entering directly from an undergraduate program or without prior screening must present a seminar after one year in the program. The seminars are typically scheduled from October-December. Your presentation should not exceed 15 minutes. A 10-minute question and answer period will follow your presentation. If your thesis research is still in its early stages, your seminar can focus on scientific thought and rationale, including any preliminary data and the challenges you are facing.

It is mandatory for your supervisor and highly recommended for your Ph.D. Committee members to attend. Additionally, three Graduate Faculty Members will be present to offer feedback. The Seminar, along with the Supervisory Committee Report, will be used by the Graduate Education Committee to assess your progress and determine your suitability to continue in the Ph.D. program.

Mid-Point Seminar

Typically scheduled during May or June of your third year, the Mid-Point Seminar gives you an opportunity to become familiar with the expectations for the defense. You will be required to give a 20 minute presentation of work in progress or of particular projects or sets of experiments that have been completed. A 10-minute question and answer session will follow your presentation. The Graduate Office will schedule the seminar around the dates your supervisor and supervisory committee members are available.

Students may opt to have their participation in the oral presentation component of the annual Visions in Pharmacology (VIP) student research day count towards their Ph.D. Midpoint Seminar. If you wish to do this, you must first ensure that your supervisor and most (if not all) of your Supervisory Committee members are available to attend.

Exit Seminar

The Ph.D. Exit seminar is usually given 2-3 months prior to the Final Oral Examination and follows this format:

10 minutes: General introduction to help attendees understand the research topic
20 minutes: Presentation on core material (similar to what you will present at your final oral examination)
5 minutes: Future plans and perspectives
15 minutes: Question and Answer period

This seminar must be completed before plans can be made for the final oral examination. When choosing a date, please ensure that your supervisor and all (or a majority) of your supervisory committee members can attend.

Monitoring Student Progress

The School of Graduate Studies sets clear guidelines for monitoring the progress of Ph.D. students . Each student involved in the Ph.D. program is required to produce a thesis with results worthy of publication, demonstrating original research.

Supervisory Committee

Within six months of registration, every Ph.D. student must have an approved Supervisory Committee in place, selected by you and your thesis supervisor. The committee typically includes the thesis supervisor and two or three additional members. An external member from outside the Department, or exceptionally from outside the University, may also be included. Any changes to the committee must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator.

The Supervisory Committee is responsible for evaluating your progress and reporting annually on the directions and prospects of your program. This written annual Ph.D. Supervisory Committee Report is a condition for re-registration in September for the next academic year and receipt is closely monitored by the Graduate Coordinator.

One-Year Progress Report

Within one year of entry into the Ph.D. program, and normally during the first meeting of the Committee, you must present a written report on your Ph.D. project to the Committee. This report should include a critical literature review and a clear outline of the proposed investigation, its objectives and research plan. The format should resemble a CIHR-style operating grant application (about 10 pages of text plus references, tables, and figures). The Committee will assess the report and may suggest modifications or even program suspension. The progress report, along with the Ph.D. Supervisory Committee Report , must be submitted to the Graduate Office.

Progress Reports in Subsequent Years

In each following year, you should prepare a concise progress report for the Supervisory Committee summarizing the developments since the previous meeting and the remaining items to be accomplished for program completion. This report should also be forwarded to the Graduate Office. The final committee meeting must involve a decision regarding the organization of your thesis, and the committee report must include an explicit written recommendation that a sufficient body of experimental work has been completed and that preparation of the thesis may proceed.

Review and Continuation

The Graduate Education Committee reviews each candidate's progress and projection for program completion annually. Two consecutive unsatisfactory reports from the Supervisory Committee may lead to recommendation to terminate the student's registration and eligibility.

The Supervisor, any member of the Supervisory Committee, or the student themselves may bring up grievances directly to the Chair and/or Coordinator for resolution.

By maintaining a structured and rigorous evaluation process, we ensure that each Ph.D. student receives the guidance necessary to achieve their academic and research goals.

Ph.D. Thesis Approval

At the final Ph.D. Supervisory committee meeting, the committee decides whether or not a sufficient body of work has been completed and preparation of the thesis may proceed.

At this meeting, or shortly afterward, the Supervisory Committee nominates a Graduate Faculty member to serve as Thesis Reader. The Thesis Reader will be indicated on the final Supervisory Committee Report which must be submitted to the Graduate Office. We would normally expect this individual to be one of the Supervisory Committee members and to be familiar with the candidate's thesis research. The Thesis Reader, along with the Supervisor/Co-Supervisor evaluates the thesis to ensure that it is in a suitable state for distribution to the Final Oral Examination Committee members. The student then submits a copy of the thesis and the Ph.D. Thesis Approval for Distribution form signed by the Supervisor(s) and Thesis Reader confirming that they have read and approved the thesis. Upon obtaining permission from the Graduate Coordinator, you can proceed to arrange the Final Oral Examination.

The thesis can only be distributed to the External Appraiser and other Final Oral Examination Committee members when permission has been obtained from the SGS Vice-Dean.

Note that the entire thesis material (i.e. text and all tables and figures - whether unpublished or already published) is subject to appraisal and recommendation for revision.

Final Oral Examination

Begin by familiarizing yourself with the Program Completion procedures.

To avoid prejudicing the result of the examination, and to ensure that the defence of the thesis is their own work, the candidate is instructed not to communicate with the External Examiner until the examination is underway. Therefore, it is the supervisor's responsibility to contact the External Examiner to ascertain their willingness to attend the final oral examination. The External Examiner's full CV must also be requested by the supervisor.

To arrange the Final Examination, the Graduate Office must receive the following 8 WEEKS before the Examination:

Thesis Abstract of not more than 350 words - properly formatted as per SGS regulations;
Ph.D. Final Oral Examination Committee form - containing ALL of the required information on Pages 1 and 2;
Full CV of External Examiner (must be obtained by the supervisor - not the student)

Committee Composition for the Senate Oral Examination

The Examination Committee should consist of four to six voting members. If less than four (4) members show up for a scheduled examination, the examination will be cancelled. The Committee must include:

At least 1 member, but no more than 3 members from the student's Supervisory Committee. Members must hold a Graduate Faculty Membership at the University of Toronto.
At least 2 examiners who have not been closely involved in the supervision of the thesis. This includes the External Appraiser and other graduate faculty members cross-appointed to Pharmacology or appointed elsewhere within the University.
Non-voting Chair appointed by SGS.

The Examination Committee may also include up two (2) non-voting members. These members must be approved by the Vice-Dean, Students.

External Examiners must be:

External to the University as well as to its affiliated teaching hospitals and their research institutes.
A recognized expert on the subject of the thesis, an Associate or Full Professor at their home institution, and experienced as a successful supervisor of doctoral candidates through to defense. An Examiner from outside the academic sector must possess the qualifications to be appointed to an academic position at this level.
At arm’s length from both the candidate and the supervisor(s). Normally, this will exclude anyone who: has served as Ph.D. Supervisor/Supervisee of the Candidate or the Supervisor; or has, in the past six years, been a departmental colleague of the Candidate or the Supervisor, or has collaborated on a research project, scholarly work or publication, with either of them. The Vice-Dean (Students), in considering nominations of External Examiners, will assess whether the nominee is at arm’s length.

The External Examiner is asked by the Department to provide a 1-2 page report with brief, constructively critical and analytical comments two weeks before the scheduled examination. The Appraisal is then forwarded to the candidate and to all Committee members. To avoid prejudicing the result of the examination, and to ensure that the defence of the thesis is their own work, the candidate may not discuss the appraisal with the members of the Examination Committee until the examination is underway.

PLEASE NOTE: The External Examiner must be available to attend your Final Oral examination either personally or via teleconferencing. If due to extenuating circumstances, the External Examiner cannot attend the Examination, then you must have another voting member of the Graduate Faculty from another Department (e.g., an External Representative) on your Committee.

The thesis can only be distributed to the External Appraiser and other Final Oral Examination Committee members when permission has been obtained from the SGS Vice-Dean. The Graduate Office will inform the supervisor and student as soon as permission is received.

Oral Defence Procedures

For information on the Final Oral Examination procedures, see Final Oral Examination Guidelines .

The School of Graduate Studies provides a $100.00 honorarium to all External Examiners/Appraisers and $500.00 towards External Examiner travel/accommodation. Any expenses over and above $500.00 must be borne by the student's supervisor. Students preparing for Ph.D. examinations are advised to consult the Graduate Office in the early stages of planning so as to obtain the necessary documentation and direction.

Postponement of Examinations

An examination may be postponed if more than one negative vote concerning the suitability of the written thesis for defense is received in advance. In this case, only one postponement of an oral examination is permitted.

Adjournment of Examinations

During the examination, more than one negative vote (or abstention) in either the thesis or oral examination category causes the oral examination to be adjourned.

In situations where an examination was adjourned, a reconvened examination is to be held within one year of the adjournment. If the candidate is not successful at the reconvened exam, he/she will be ineligible for further M.Sc./ Ph.D. candidacy at the University.

A thesis defense held after an initial postponement is considered the first attempt at the oral examination [i.e. this is NOT considered a reconvened exam following an adjournment].

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As a graduate student at UBC Pharm Sci, you'll have the opportunity to work alongside our world-class faculty, who are pushing the boundaries of the field of pharmaceutical sciences.

Together, you'll engage in revolutionary research focused on discovering and developing new drugs and therapies—from using genome sequencing to diagnose and manage the treatment of rare genetic diseases, to tackling common health problems such as cancer and diabetes with nanomedicine, to employing the latest genomic screening technologies to generate novel therapeutics for autoimmune disease treatment, and using data and disease simulation modeling to inform childhood asthma prevention policies—the impact you will make is boundless, groundbreaking and transformative.

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Faculty of Medicine

PhD in Pharmacology

Graduate 3-520-1-0

Bon à savoir! Ce programme s’adresse autant aux francophones qu’aux anglophones. Consultez la fiche descriptive en français pour en savoir plus.

Contribute to the advances in knowledge in the general field of pharmacology or related to neuropharmacology, pharmacogenomics, molecular pharmacology, cardiovascular integrative pharmacology, or clinical pharmacology.

About this program

Develop expertise in scientific research in pharmacology.

Become an independent researcher with in-depth knowledge of pharmacology and the related sciences. With this cutting-edge training, you will build the skill set to develop an original research hypothesis and describe the method used to experimentally validate it. You will also be able to conduct an original research project, present your research findings at scientific symposia, and be published in prestigious journals.

Language accommodations

Although Université de Montréal is a French-language university, many of our research departments are open to creating a bilingual environment for students in graduate-level programs. These departments are aware of the importance of bilingualism in order for graduate students to succeed in their research careers.

Students who are proficient in English are therefore welcome and accepted into graduate-level programs.

The Department of Pharmacology provides a number of accommodations to make you feel comfortable and help you fulfill the requirements of the program even if French is not your main language of study:

Choice of writing exams in French or English.
Choice of taking the comprehensive exam in either French or English.
Choice of writing your doctoral thesis or dissertation in French or English.

All laboratories are offered in a bilingual environment. Above all, staff in the program are available to help and support you throughout your studies.

Courses and specifics

For contact information on the program director or student file management technician, or to find out more about the faculty or department hosting the program, please see the page in French .

Dissertation or thesis track

Admission requirements

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Costs and financial aid

$2,022.23 *

*Total for a full-time session of 15 credits

Tuition fees: $1,440.45

Other fees: $581.78

These amounts are estimates and do not account for other expenses, such as costs for insurance, residence, transportation, manuals, etc.

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These estimates cannot at any time subsitute for an invoice or be used as proof for any reason whatsoever. These calculations are based on the 2023-2024 academic year. Information updated: May 19, 2023

Good news! You may be able to lower this amount!

Under certain conditions, Canadian students who are not residents of Quebec can follow university study programs offered in French while benefiting from the same tuition fees as residents of Quebec.

Check eligibility criteria

$9,435.98 *

Tuition fees: $8,854.20

As an international student, you have access to exemption scholarships granted by UdeM throughout your university program. Note that for ungraduated programs, you must be enrolled as a full-time student for two sessions and reside in Quebec in the case of exclusively online study programs.

Find out about the UdeM exemption scholarship

Available financial assistance

Directory of scholarships or financial aid available for students in the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology (page in French)

Funding offered to students, all programs combined

Funding offered for doctoral programs

Scholarships and mobility funding programs offered to students from the Université de Montréal who wish to study abroad

Scholarship program for exemption from additional tuition fees for international students

Future prospects Pursuing a career or further studies? The choice is yours!

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Applicants interested in this program also applied to the following programs:

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Master of Science (M.Sc.) Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Research supervisors

Tuition and funding, admission requirements, application process.

Applications are accepted year round. Students may begin in September or January each year.

The College of Pharmacy and Nutrition offers master’s (M.Sc.) and doctoral (Ph.D.) degree programs in pharmaceutical sciences, and in advanced clinical and community practice. Graduate students in our College are presented with the extraordinary opportunity of creating new knowledge, advancing the field of pharmacy and becoming agents of change in improving health quality locally, nationally and internationally.

There is a wide range of potential specializations available. Current faculty areas of expertise include drug and vaccine delivery, medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry, bio‐technology, molecular biology, nanotechnology, pharmacokinetics, clinical pharmacy, pharmacy education, pharmacoeconomics and pharmaco‐ epidemiology. The college is involved in the Interdisciplinary Toxicology Program as well.

Please note that for most graduate study in the clinical pharmacy area, students must be eligible for licensure as a Pharmacist in Saskatchewan.

Applicants must be accepted by a faculty supervisor before beginning a formal application. Applicants must contact faculty who have research topics that align with their interests. Please be aware that our faculty receive numerous emails from prospective students every week so you may not receive a response if you are not selected.

Jane Alcorn

Professor of pharmacy.