In the first semester, students will join the other incoming graduate students from all other medical school based graduate programs to take the Core Curriculum in Biomedical Sciences for the first semester.

This is designed to broaden the student's understanding of Biomedical Sciences with introductory courses in Molecular Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Methods in Biomedical Sciences, and Systems Biology (Physiology).

This course work is complemented with training in ethics and statistics. In the second half of the first year and during the entirety of the second year students receive specialized training in Pharmacology. At the end of the formal coursework, students will demonstrate their comprehension through completion of a comprehensive examination.

The comprehensive examination will consist of a uniform written examination covering a broad range of pharmacological topics. Exam questions will be composed by members of the Department of Pharmacology Graduate Faculty and coordinated by the Comprehensive Exam Committee.

M.S. students are required to complete two research rotations within the first year of the program, after which they will elect their thesis advisor.

Student research is performed in close collaboration with their advisor. The Graduate Program Director facilitates all aspects of the student’s progress through the program, including course and rotation selection. Once students have selected a thesis advisor, their mentor helps them prepare for the comprehensive examinations, plan a written research proposal, and establish a thesis committee