The curriculum was developed through extensive dialog with representatives of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries and was designed to meet the unique needs of students seeking careers in this dynamic area.

The curriculum for the degree is interdisciplinary in nature; students acquire a solid foundation in the physical and pharmaceutical sciences, as well as experience in technical writing, oral communication, statistics, economics, and biomedical ethics.

All of the capstone drug design courses for the PPD major are taught by individuals employed at pharmaceutical companies, so that students can gain up-to-date knowledge about the industry. This innovative curriculum is coupled with up to two summers of paid internships following the sophomore and junior years.

These assignments are provided within the pharmaceutical industry and give students experience and a level of understanding that is a practical, invaluable complement to the classroom. Graduates of this program are poised to enter industry with a breadth of understanding that otherwise takes several years of industrial experience to acquire. Furthermore, this diverse curriculum prepares students for both graduate and professional schools including medicine, dentistry, optometry, and pharmacy.