The North Dakota State University College of Pharmacy, Nursing, and Allied Services offers an MS and a PhD in pharmaceutical sciences that concentrate on the dual goals of teaching excellence and cutting-edge research. The MS program requires both course work and thesis research. The PhD program has an extensive set of requirements that includes studies, examinations, and a dissertation project. Candidates must pass written and oral examinations for admission to the PhD program. Doctoral candidates also spend 19 or more credit hours in the study of a minor but relevant area. Upon completion of the program, students are likely to find employment in a variety of fields, including research or working in industrial, governmental, or academic settings that involve pharmaceutical subjects and issues.
The Doctor of Pharmacy program (PharmD) requires a six-year commitment. After completion of 65 credit hours of pre-professional course work (about 2 years), students may apply to the program. The selection process is competitive and involves interviews as well as sitting for the Pharmacy College Admission Test (PCAT). The 4-year professional program includes 3 years of didactic campus-based education. Year 4 involves experiential training at a variety of practice or simulation sites. This training occurs on a rotational basis.
NDSU also offers MS and PhD degrees in pharmaceutical sciences that focus on teaching and research excellence. These programs require course work, examinations, and a dissertation in the same manner as the PharmD program. This career track leads to positions in research or in academia, industry, or government. The school’s innovative PharmD/PhD affords students with superior skills to earn a PharmD and PhD simultaneously but requires up to 3 years of additional study. The school believes that the dual degree program “will greatly enhance the student’s research background, critical thinking skills, and marketability for leadership positions within the profession of Pharmacy in academic, government, and industrial environments.”
http://www.ndsu.edu/pharmsci/programs/
http://www.uspharmd.com/school/pharmacy/north_dakota_state_university/