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Graduate Program

Student in labWe seek talented and motivated students who want training in Pharmacology or Toxicology as the first step in a long career as scientific leaders in academia, industry or government.

The Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics takes great pride in its strong tradition for training students. We look forward to providing you with an environment that will start your career in the scientific community.

The Training Program

Incoming graduate students are admitted to the School of Graduate Studies via admission to the KUMC Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (IGPBS), which consists of a year-long IGPBS Core Curriculum made up of several modules, focusing on all aspects of cell biology including protein structure and function, cellular metabolism, molecular biology, cell and developmental biology, the molecular and physiological basis of disease, and biographics. During the IGPBS year, students meet the Department and attend an Introduction to Faculty Research Series to become acquainted with the types of research being conducted in their laboratories. Subsequently, each student selects three laboratories for research rotations, which are concluded before the student joins a specific department and select his or her dissertation sponsor.

Student in lab 2Departmental graduate students complete the majority of their formal departmental course work during the year following completion of the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (IGPBS). Required departmental courses include Introduction to Pharmacology and Toxicology, Essentials of Pharmacology, Disposition of Xenobiotics, and Toxicology. A minimum of two additional electives are required; additional electives may be suggested by mentor, committee or student. Courses commonly used to fulfill elective requirements include Histology, Toxicologic Pathology, Techniques in Industrial Toxicology, Advanced Neuroscience, Molecular Mechanisms of Neurological Disorders, Carcinogenesis and Cancer Biology, or subunits of the Basic Science Medical Curriculum.  For further details please see the Graduate Catalog.

In addition to formal course work, the students also attend weekly journal clubs and research seminars in the department as well as biannual Research Ethics symposia. Students present their own research at departmental seminars annually. Candidacy for the Ph.D. degree is conferred after submission of a Dissertation Research Proposal and successful completion of an Oral Comprehensive Examination. The Ph.D. degree typically takes 4-6 years. For more detailed information on admission to graduate study visit the IGPBS web site. The department also provides opportunities for undergraduates to participate in a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program.

School of Medicine

The University of Kansas Medical Center
Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics
Mailstop 1018
3901 Rainbow Boulevard
Kansas City, KS 66160
913-588-7500