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Prospective Students

Why PBS?

Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences: Basic Science with Real World Applications

The graduate program in the Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences (PBS) offers a rigorous interdisciplinary training environment including research opportunities in the areas of Pharmacology, Medicinal Chemistry, Pharmaceutics, Toxicology, and Biochemistry, with a focus on translational drug discovery.  Our graduates are uniquely equipped for careers at the interface of biology and chemistry, and are prepared to apply this information and technology to deliver the next generation of novel therapies.

Recent graduates of our program currently hold research positions in academia, the pharmaceutical industry, and government labs, as well as teaching and non-traditional regulatory positions.  The department is housed in the UGA College of Pharmacy, which recently expanded into a new state-of-the-art research and teaching facility.  PBS faculty are actively involved in interdisciplinary biomedical science initiatives that span the University of Georgia research community, including the Center for Drug Discovery, the UGA Cancer Center, and the Neurosciences program. 

The University of Georgia is the flagship institution in Georgia’s University System. Founded in 1785, UGA is America’s first state-chartered university. UGA has established a national reputation for rigorous academics. The university has generated 21 Rhodes scholars, and is home to the Peabody Award and the Delta Prize for Global Understanding. In 2010, UGA, through collaboration with Georgia Health Sciences University, accepted the first class of medical students at the Athens campus. This partnership promises to initiate even more opportunities for biomedical research, with great potential for patient-oriented clinical medicine.

Degrees Offered

The Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences offers the Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), although the department does not typically recruit students directly into the Master’s program.  Most students recruited into the graduate program are admitted as PhD students.  Some students who do not complete the PhD requirements may be awarded a MS degree, when appropriate. Under special circumstances, students may be accepted directly into the MS program. The department does not offer teaching assistantships or tuition waivers to MS students.

Admission Criteria

         Graduate students are admitted to the PBS department graduate program based on the graduate committee’s assessment of their ability to succeed in the graduate program and on their compatibility with the research opportunities in the department. Key factors considered are: prior research experience and productivity; evidence of work ethic and commitment to biomedical research; evidence of appropriate educational background; grade point average; graduate record examination (GRE) scores; English language exam scores (for international applicants); references (particularly from laboratory supervisors); research interests of available faculty mentors; other requirements of the Graduate School and special considerations of the Departmental Graduate Program Committee. Students are not admitted directly into an individual lab, but rather into the departmental graduate program.  Admitted students will select a major professor after the first year in the program based on laboratory rotations.

            The UGA graduate school sets minimal GRE and GPA thresholds of 1050 and 3.0 for admission to Ph.D. programs. Students entering our program typically have an undergraduate GPA ≥ 3.5 and GRE scores ≥ 1250. We do not require GRE subject tests. The majority of accepted students have significant laboratory research experience, and letters of recommendation from research supervisors are carefully considered.

International students must also submit official scores from either the TOEFL or IELTS exam. The minimal accepted TOEFL overall score is 80, with at least a 20 on speaking and writing sections. The minimal accepted IELTS overall score is 6.5, with no single component score less than 6.0.

Students wishing to transfer to the PBS PhD program from another graduate program are assessed by the same criteria as other incoming students. UGA does not allow the transfer of credits for PhD students. 

Application Requirements and Deadlines

The UGA Graduate School processes all applications for admission to graduate school in all departments. Please visit the UGA Graduate School website for information on domestic and international admission requirements and for additional deadlines. For additional information on international applications, please visit the UGA Graduate School site for international applicants.

In order to receive full consideration for admission to the graduate program and financial assistance, you must submit a complete application by the January 1 deadline. Early admission decisions will be made beginning in January, but some acceptance decisions will not be made until April or May. Your application will not be reviewed by the department until it is complete. The status of your application can be tracked here. Please DO NOT contact the department regarding your application status. All applicants will receive a final notification letter from the UGA Graduate School.

Application includes the following information:

  • Two official copies of all transcripts
    Send to:
    UGA Graduate School
    Graduate Admissions
    University of Georgia
    320 E. Clayton St., Suite 400
    Athens, GA 30602
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official GRE scores (UGA’s Institution Code: 5813). The GRE must be taken for admission. GRE scores are subject to a five-year limitation. International applicants for whom English is not their native tongue must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores. These tests are subject to a two-year limitation.