Apply for Pharmacology PhD Program

Students applying to the Pharmacology PhD through the Program in Biomedical Sciences (PIBS) will provide an academic statement, personal statement, CV and transcripts. There is no minimum GPA, however entering students have an average GPA of 3.5 (2.8-4). The GRE is NOT required.

When you apply through PIBS you will need to identify a primary and secondary program of interest. The admissions committee in Pharmacology will review all applications from students who have indicated Pharmacology in their program choice. After application review, select applicants are invited to on-campus interviews.  PIBS will communicate the final status of all applications no later than March 1st.

PIBS accepts applications from early September to the December 1 deadline every year. Applicants should apply the year before they enter graduate school.

The GRE is not required and if scores are submitted, they will not be reviewed or used in any way. International applicants who have completed their entire Bachelors or Masters degree at an institution taught exclusive in English are exempt from the TOEFL exam.

Rackham Graduate School will require that students attest that their application essays are their own and not the work of others or generative artificial intelligence (GenAI). Rackham recognizes the appropriate uses of GenAI tools for providing guidance and suggestions, and has therefore created a resource for prospective students outlining our guidance on the ethical use of GenAI in graduate school application materials.

Some applicants may be eligible for a waiver. Visit the Rackham Graduate School website for more information on fee waivers and grants. The University of Michigan is a member of the Big Ten Academic Alliance FreeApp. For more information and to request a graduate application fee waiver, please visit their website. Please note that in order to receive the Big Ten Academic Alliance FreeApp (formally known as the CIC FreeApp), you must submit a request to the Big Ten Academic Alliance well in advance of submitting your U-M application.

All students accepted by PIBS as are offered a funding guarantee until the completion of the degree. This funding includes tuition, fees, health insurance and a living stipend. Students must remain in good standing for continued funding. PIBS will fund students for the first 10 months of their program. Once students have officially joined a lab they will be funded by their mentor, fellowship or a training grant. PIBS also offers incoming students a moving stipend.

For students accepted to the program, your tuition, fees, health and living stipend are covered.

Students must pass all required coursework, achieve candidacy after passing their preliminary examination, present their research yearly as a part of the student seminar series, establish and meet with their dissertation committee yearly, teach for one term, and write and defend your thesis.

The first two years will be split between courses and lab work. After achieving candidacy, students will spend most of their time working on their dissertation research in the lab. Expected time commitment depends on many factors, including research advisor's expectations, type of research, current project and progression. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to maintain a good work life balance.

At the beginning of the PIBS year, students will meet with faculty who they are interested in doing a rotation with. Students can choose to rotate in the lab of any PIBS faculty member. PIBS admitted students will complete at least 3 rotations before officially joining a lab.

On average, students complete their PhD in Pharmacology in 5.2 years. (program statistics)

Please email [email protected].