graduate studies in pharmacutical sciences

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the masters of science in pharmaceutical sciences will provide students with a broad overview of the scientific disciplines supporting drug discovery and development and engage students in discussions and mentor-guided research projects (focused on bioanalysis, drug metabolism, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacology). the programs is for individuals looking to enter doctoral graduate research programs or fellowships (drug discovery and development, pharmaceutical sciences, and pharmacology), develop applied basic science research skill sets to advance their career opportunities within the biomedical or pharmaceutical industries, or complement their clinical degree to explore collaborative research opportunities within academic medical centers or other healthcare systems.  the program also offers a research based dual degree program (pharm.d./msps) offering pharmacy students their pharm.d./msps upon successful completion of the 147 hours required for the doctor of pharmacy and 17 hours of graduate credits in pharmaceutical sciences coursework. 

minimum credits

the master of science in pharmaceutical sciences requires completion of 42 semester hours. this requirement does not include hours accumulated to satisfy academic deficiencies or prerequisites.

projects

individual and group projects are a required component of most graduate classes. most group projects are facilitated with a combination of online meetings, emails, and phone calls. as part of the health care informatics core curriculum, the student will complete a capstone research project which can be designed to support items such as an employer’s strategic initiative or an entrepreneurial opportunity. each student will work with a mentor to define the capstone and advance through the process of completing the requirements of this project.

admission

admission to the program is based on a combination of many factors, including undergraduate and/or graduate academic record, professional experience, an interview and references. the admissions committee takes into consideration your essay, interview, and goals statement in the admissions process.  .  placement in this program is contingent upon primary investigator availability, enrollment is limited.

eligible students

hold a u.s. bachelor’s degree or equivalent and one pre-requisite course in statistics. international students should refer to the international student section of the graduate catalog.

application process

• application fee. a non-refundable $50 application fee must be submitted online with credit card or by check before the application is evaluated by the admissions committee. 
• coursework or demonstrated competency in medical terminology, statistics and pc literacy (evidenced through work experience as it appears on the resume or coursework as it appears on the transcript). 
• two letters of recommendation. the references selected need to be individuals who are able to comment on your academic or professional abilities as well as your interpersonal skills.
• personal statement of goals and purpose for obtaining the degree. consider including such information as:
  • how the university can assist your personal and career goals
  • why you are seeking a degree or certificate in health care informatics
• resume
• official transcripts from each institution attended. please allow up to 4 weeks for transcript delivery.
• health form. each applicant must submit a completed health form signed by a health care provider. (to print a copy of the health form, visit www.fellaworld.com/healthcenter/ forms.) this form must be submitted directly to lipscomb’s health center.
• ferpa. the family educational rights and privacy act affords students certain rights of access to educational records; even if you are independent of your parents, you must submit this form prior to enrollment.
• an english competency exam is required for international students. (see section titled international students for more information.)
• an interview is required for admission to 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 health care informatics program. interviews are conducted by invitation only. the health care informatics admissions committee will evaluate each application for competitiveness and request an interview with those determined to be qualified applicants. 

all application items should be submitted to the office of graduate admissions no later than 90 days before the beginning of the semester or term in which the student plans to enroll. 
forms should be emailed to gradadmissions@lipscomb.edu or mailed to graduate studies in pharmaceutical sciences, 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 , one university park drive, nashville, tn 37204-3951.

transfer and waiver of courses

although all graduate credit hours may be transferred from another accredited institution, a maximum of six hours will be counted toward a master’s degree in the college of pharmacy. the admissions committee will evaluate the course(s) being proposed for transfer and make a determination of suitability. no course with a grade below a “b” will be considered for transfer.

documentation

students are required to provide satisfactory documentation of personal identification for off-site learning experiences required in many programs of graduate study at 世界杯2022预选赛录像回放 . failure to provide proper credentials will result in failure to complete the desired course of study. for complete policy, see section entitled required documentation for off-site learning experiences in the opening section of this catalog.

student classifications

students are admitted to graduate courses in one of five categories:

1. graduate student: one who has satisfied all admissions requirements. (average of 2.75 on undergraduate work.) a student with an incomplete admission file will be accepted to the program at the discretion of the program director but will be placed on an academic hold which will prevent registration for the following semester. once the proper admissions documents have been received, the hold will be removed and the student will be allowed to register for the following semester.

2. conditionally admitted student: one who has been admitted conditionally, at the discretion of the program director, without satisfying all admission requirements. students admitted with the following criteria may be required to complete a minimum of nine hours of graduate work with a grade of “b” or above.

a. from an unaccredited school or with a substandard gpa.

b. a transfer student with a graduate gpa between 2.50 and 2.99. the transfer student must be in good standing at the previous institution attended.

c. a student who has not completed a bachelor’s degree program. the transfer student must be in good standing at the previous institution attended.

3. non-degree student: one who has been admitted to graduate studies and has met all admission requirements except gpa. the student may take up to nine semester hours or graduate credit. those hours may be applied toward a master’s degree if the student makes a grade of “b” or better in the courses taken for credit and if all admission requirements are met and the student is formally admitted to a graduate program as a degree-seeking student.

4. visiting student: one who is currently enrolled as a student in good standing at the post bachelor’s level at another graduate school, wishes to take courses at lipscomb and desires to have transcript evidence of course work done at lipscomb provided for the school of primary enrollment.

5. probationary student: one who has been readmitted to a graduate program following academic suspension from the program. admission to a program does not imply admission to candidacy for the master’s degree. only those students who meet the requirements for “graduate student” described above are eligible for candidacy.

academic policies

course load

a student enrolled for six hours is considered a full-time student. a student enrolled for less than six hours is considered a part-time student. no student will be permitted to enroll for more than 12 hours per semester without special approval from the director of the graduate program.

academic standing

see graduate academic standing policy.

residency

no period of formal residency or attendance on campus is required for a degree in the msps program.

statute of limitations

all requirements for a degree in the college of pharmacy must be completed within a five-year period from the time of initial matriculation.

candidacy

admission to a program does not imply admission to candidacy for the master’s degree. during the course of pursuing a degree, the student must be admitted to “candidacy.” for admission to candidacy the student must satisfy the following:

1. complete all required undergraduate deficiencies if admitted on condition.

2. complete at least twelve hours of graduate work.

3. maintain a 3.00 gpa on all msps course work taken toward the requirements for the degree with no incomplete grades.

4. file a degree plan/application for candidacy in the graduate program office which meets all requirements and is approved by the administrator of the graduate program and the dean of the college. the degree plan must be completed during the second semester of graduate work in the program. after admission to candidacy and approval of the degree plan, any changes in the degree plan must be approved by the administrator of the graduate program and the dean of the college. the application or candidacy must be completed before the beginning of the student’s last semester in the program. no student will be allowed to graduate in the same semester in which the application for candidacy is completed.

minimum gpa

the minimum cumulative grade-point average on all graduate education programs is 3.00 for all graduate courses taken for graduate credit while pursuing the degree. no grade below a “c” is acceptable. such grades will not apply toward degree completion.

graduation

students who do not file their intent to graduate form in the registrar’s office by the announced application deadline may be delayed in graduating.

to be eligible to graduate, all coursework   required for the degree must be completed prior to the degree conferral date. graduate students receiving degrees are hooded during the may and dec. commencement exercises.

appeals

any exceptions to the above stated requirements would require approval by the associate provost for research and graduate studies in collaboration with the dean of the college and the program director.

financial information

tuition and fees for 2024-25

*program trip fee (see program information for details)*

master of science in pharmaceutical sciences (msps)

required courses (42 hours)

msps 2103  - pharmaceutical and medicinal chemistry (3)
msps 2203  - biopharmaceutics (4)
msps 2303  - foundations in pharmacology (3)
msps 2403  - advanced biopharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics (3)
msps 30x1  - safety, ethics, and scientific integrity in research i and ii (1)
msps 31xv  - foundations in pharmaceutical sciences i and ii (2-4)
msps 32x1  - scientific communications i-iv (1)
msps 34xv  - research in pharmaceutical sciences i-iv (2-4)
msps 3303  - research techniques and instrumentation (3)
msps 35xv  - special topics in pharmaceutical sciences i and ii (2-4)
msps 360v  - masters research thesis and capstone project (2-4)
msps 3700  - masters research thesis and capstone presentation (0)

program of study requirements

• pharmaceutical sciences, m.s.

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