Mission & Objectives:
The mission of our program is to provide training in the pharmacological sciences which will prepare students for careers in academia, biotechnology, the pharmaceutical industry, and government. Our objectives are:
Signal Transduction -- its mechanisms, regulation and physiological consequences-- is the unifying theme for the research programs of our training faculty and is fundamental to understanding the mechanism of drug action. The training program engages faculty from across the Cornell campus. Athough based in the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM), with members from the Departments of Molecular Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, and Microbiology & Immunology, participants also include faculty from Chemistry & Chemical Biology, Neurobiology & Behavior and Applied Engineering & Physics. Our program is uniquely positioned for training in pharmacology through integration on a single campus of biomedical science in a veterinary college with outstanding physical and biological sciences.
Pharmacology Program Requirements:
Our graduate program is flexible and designed to meet the needs of each individual student. Since the Field of Pharmacology is a member of the Biological & Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BBS), program requirements of the BBS should be followed by all graduate students in the Field (with the exceptions of those in admitted through the Employee Degree Program). You should consult the BBS Program guidelines, the Graduate School Guide to Graduate Study to insure that you are compliant with all requirements. Consult the Office of Graduate Education with any questions you might have.
Concentrations: All members of the Field of Pharmacology represent the concentration of pharmacology.
Special Committee: After the first year, which consists of the completion of three (3) laboratory rotations, you should form your Special Committee. The Graduate Field of Pharmacology requires you to have four faculty on your Special Committee:
At least one of these committee members should come from outside the Field of Pharmacology.
You are encouraged to seek advice and guidance from other faculty involved in the pharmacology training program 
who are doing research that is relevant to your own research project.
Annual progress reports are required of all Pharmacology students. You should meet with your entire Special Committee at least once a year, usually towards the end of the Spring semester, to review your progress over the academic year and to set goals for the coming year. A written report on your progress over the year will be submitted by your Special Committee Chair to the Director of Graduate Studies and Executive Committee, who will evaluate your progress toward your degree. Faculty mentors are also required to report on student progress at the annual Field meeting.
Coursework: The degree requirements of the Graduate School are kept to a minimum in order to give you and your the Special Committee freedom to determine appropriate requirements and to define a course of study best suited to your particular goals. No specific requirements for credit hours or courses are imposed by the Graduate School.
During your first year, your coursework is chosen in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and the Executive Committee of the Field, who serve as your Special Committee until a permanent committee is selected at the end of your rotations. You are encouraged to supplement your program in pharmacology by taking specialized courses in areas such as molecular and cell biology, biochemistry, biophysics, genomics, neurobiology, and physiology.
Subsequently, your Special Committee members are the final arbiters of the courses that you should take. Once your Special Committee is selected, you should meet with the entire Committee to formulate a program plan, in which coursework is included. Each faculty person will determine the courses that you should take to meet major and minor requirements. Coursework should be designed to meet the needs of your research program and to assure a broad range of knowledge in the field expected of a PhD candidate.
It is expected that students majoring in Pharmacology will have had courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics. A background in biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, and physiology is highly desirable. The members of your Special Committee will make recommendations for additional courses where necessary after assessing your background in these subjects.
Grades of C+ and below do not normally constitute satisfactory progress toward your degree.
Courses for Pharmacology Majors: All Pharmacology majors are required to take the following courses:
Courses for Pharmacology Minors: All students pursuing a minor in the Field of Pharmacology will be expected to take a minimum of 4 credits of pharmacology graduate courses. This must include at least one of the following:
A-Exam: The format of your A-exam is determined by your Special Committee; it may be written or oral or a combination of both. You should consult with your Special Committee to determine the format and the content of the exam well in advance of the projected test date.
B-Exam/Dissertation: The B-exam is based on the content of the PhD thesis. You are required to present a one-hour seminar on the results of your thesis research prior to the exam; this seminar is open to the College and University communities. You should consult with your entire Special Committee to set the time frame for delivery of the thesis draft to your committee members. A relatively-polished draft of the thesis (including all tales, figures, appendices, and references) must be presented to all members of the Special Committee at least one week before the Final Exam.
The Dissertation must follow the Graduate School guidelines.
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Last Update 12/9/2011
