Our Pharmaceutics Program

Pharmaceutics is the scientific discipline that studies how to develop novel drug entities, which may range from small organic molecules to large proteins or nucleic acids and even cells, into safe and effective drug products used by patients and caregivers to treat or prevent disease.

Students in our program are prepared through rigorous coursework, extensive independent research training, and a series of professional development opportunities for impactful careers in pharmaceutical sciences that directly influence healthcare on a global scale.

Translating new drugs from bench to bedside is a broadly multidisciplinary effort and students with backgrounds in materials science, physical chemistry, biochemistry, engineering, pharmacology, or physiology are encouraged to apply.

Where do our graduates go? ​​

Graduates of our program are thought leaders in the pharmaceutical field with
impactful positions throughout industry, academia, and regulatory agencies. 

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  • AbbVie
  • Amgen
  • AstraZeneca
  • Boehringer Ingelheim
  • Bristol-Myers Squibb
  • Eli Lilly and Company
  • Florida A&M
  • Food and Drug Administration
  • Genentech

  • GlaxoSmithKline
  • Janssen Pharmaceuticals
  • Loxo Oncology
  • Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals
  • Mayo Clinic
  • Merck
  • Pfizer
  • University of Kentucky
  • University of Minnesota

Student Support and Fellowship Opportunities

Students accepted to our program are financially supported through a variety of mechanisms, including teaching and research assistantships.  Moreover, many faculty and alumni have contributed to create fellowships and funds for supporting the next generation of pharmaceutical scientists, such as;
  • Flanagan, Guillory, Matheson, Wurster Pharmaceutics Graduate Fellowship
  • Keith Guillory Pharmaceutics Graduate Fellowship
  • Terrance and Donna Dahl Pharmaceutics Fellowship
  • Dale E. and June P. Wurster Pharmaceutics Research Fund
  • Pharmaceutics Research and Education Enhancement Fund
Unique to the University of Iowa, UI Pharmaceuticals is the largest and most experienced university-affiliated FDA-registered pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the United States.
The prestigious UI Pharmaceuticals Fellowship is a one-year award that is renewable for up to four years and provides full support for a student in the Pharmaceutics graduate program.  The selected candidate will gain hands-on experience with UI Pharmaceuticals contracted work, furthering their applied pharmaceutics education.