Offered in: Schaumburg

The Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences (MSPS) program serves as a dual degree in conjunction with the Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD). The focus of the MSPS curriculum is to improve students’ understanding of the chemical properties of drugs and their effects within biological systems in both healthy and diseased populations, with the goal of preparing individuals for technical positions in healthcare related to pharmaceutical research and development, regulation and sales. Core coursework will have an emphasis on basic science as well as techniques and knowledge highly relevant to pharmaceutical sciences in the industrial, academic and governmental settings. The MSPS has a requirement for a laboratory-based research thesis in which the student will work directly with their faculty mentor to develop and experimentally investigate a topic relevant to pharmacotherapeutics. The curricular offerings and research experience will give the individual the knowledge and skills to more competitively pursue a career related to drug development, assessment, regulation, and marketing in the private and public sectors. 

Students must apply to the MSPS program no later than Spring Term 4 of the Pharmacy curriculum for enrollment in Summer Term 5 MSPS courses for the PharmD/MSPS. For students in the Pharmacy Program who have not earned a bachelor’s degree, admission to the terminal year of the MSPS program will be contingent on successful completion of PharmD curriculum. This contingent admission enables students to take MSPS courses during Term 5 prior to completion of the PharmD as listed in the course map. Applicants must be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 2.8 in their PharmD coursework and have obtained at least a grade of C in the core courses to be applied to the MSPS listed in the Degree Map (PHAR 510 BIOCHEMISTRY I, PHAR 511 BIOCHEMISTRY II PHAR 519 PHARMACEUTICS I: CALCULATIONS, PHAR 520 PHARMACEUTICS I: DRUG DELIVERY, PHAR 521 PHARMACEUTICS II PHAR 522 PHARMACEUTICS III, andPHAR 530 PRINCIPLES OF DRUG ACTION). Completion of these courses with a passing grade will fulfill the pharmacy didactic coursework used towards the MSPS.

Your degree map is a general guide of courses to complete each term on the academic pathway to your degree. It is based on the most current scheduling information from your academic program. Your program’s degree map is reviewed annually and updated as schedules change.   

Note:  Total Credit Hours 220.5-223.5 combines Pharmacy quarter hours and MSPS semester hours. 

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All students at Roosevelt University College of Pharmacy are required to complete 9 credit hours of electives, 3 of which must be designated as clinical electives.  Electives are offered for students during terms 5 – 8, clinical electives begin in term 6.

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Select from recommended course electives: BIOL 404 HISTOLOGY & ULTRASTRUCTURE, BIOL 450 CANCER BIOLOGY, BIOL 451 GENERAL GENETICS, BIOL 453 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, BIOL 456 DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY, BIOL 458 CELL BIOLOGY, BIOL 461 , BIOL 463 INTRODUCTION TO GENOME ANALYSIS, CHEM 436 ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, BCHM 456 EXP. MTHDS BIOCHEM & BIOTECH, BCHM 456 EXP. MTHDS BIOCHEM & BIOTECH, or BCHM 457 ADVANCED BIOCHEMISTRY

Total Credit Hours:

40 semester credit hours: 16 from PharmD, 24 from MSPS.
Includes 9 dedicated hours of research credit for thesis development and defense.

The total semester credit hours received from PharmD curriculum is adjusted from quarter hours listed for the PharmD.

(i.e., 24 quarter hours [QH] = 16 semester hours [SH])