Pharmacology is the study of drugs for their therapeutic effect, and toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of drugs and other physical, biological and chemical agents. A doctoral degree in pharmacology and toxicology prepares students for intensive research in the field, so graduates may end up working in universities, government agencies, medical facilities or private industrial organizations. Doctoral graduates may also work to create new therapeutic drugs or to develop policies that regulate therapeutic drugs.
A doctoral program in pharmacology and toxicology typically includes two years of coursework. In some cases, like at the University of Missouri, Kansas City, students may received some credits from completion of a master's degree to accelerate their doctoral program. Coursework may include such topics as cardiovascular pharmacology, neurotoxicology, systems neuroscience, drug development processes and drug addiction. Courses cover pharmacology and toxicology issues for each system of the body.
Completion of the dissertation accounts for the bulk of the Ph.D. completion time. A dissertation is a piece of original research that is typically published as a book or a series of academic articles once a student graduates. Students work with an advisory committee to shape the argument presented in the dissertation and to create a timeline for completion. Most programs also require that students complete student teaching, seminars, labs or other research while they are working on their dissertation.
Like other doctoral programs, a Ph.D. program in pharmacology and toxicology requires that students pass written and oral exams. For example, students at Virginia Commonwealth University must pass a written exam at the end of the second year, followed by oral exams and the defense of the dissertation at the end of the program. Most programs require some sort of exam once core coursework is completed, followed by additional written or oral exams marking the end of the program.