JD/PhD in Pharmacology: Curriculum

Law School Curriculum

Law School JD degree requirements for students entering Fall 2009 include satisfactory completion of 88 semester credits, and six semesters of full-time enrollment (defined as 12 semester credits or more). First-year students are required to take a core curriculum totaling 30 credits and comprised of the following courses: Beyond that, all courses are elective, except that a student must take a course in Professional Responsibility (3 credits) and Constitutional Law II (3 credits) before graduating. In addition, each student must satisfy a second-year writing requirement (typically by participating in a moot court or serving as a staff member on one of the Law School's law reviews), as well as a third-year writing requirement (typically satisfied by taking a course meeting this requirement, completing an independent research paper meeting this requirement, which may be an MS thesis, Plan B paper, PhD dissertation, or capstone project, or serving as an editor on one of the Law School's law reviews).

To see requirements for students entering in years other than 2009, visit www.law.umn.edu/current/degreerequirements.html.

In addition, all students in the Joint Degree Program in Law, Health & the Life Sciences take a professional seminar. This 1-credit Proseminar is taught cooperatively by faculty involved in the Joint Degree Program, offered on a pass-fail basis, and required each Fall semester that a student is enrolled in the Joint Degree Program.

JD/PhD in Pharmacology

Pharmacology is the study of the manner in which the function of living organisms is affected by chemical agents. The curriculum leading to the PhD degree is designed to provide a solid understanding of basic pharmacology along with a highly individualized program of study that provides the foundation for performing original research.

Courses in the major totaling 21 credits, as well as physiology or neuroscience, biochemistry, and statistics are required. Students must also select a minor or supporting program in a related field, such as biochemistry, neuroscience, physiology, psychology, or Law, and must complete 12 credits in that area. During the first year, the student will rotate through three laboratories, pick an advisor, and begin a research project. A preliminary written examination, which consists of a dissertation proposal written in the manner of a research grant proposal, is taken before the preliminary oral examination. The oral examination is given to test the student's ability to apply principles of both pharmacology and the minor or supporting program to specific research questions. Students must complete 24 thesis credits and a dissertation. The final oral examination consists of a dissertation defense.

Combining Curricula

Students in the Joint Degree Program combine their Law and science/health curricula by cross-counting up to 12 Law credits in their science or health program and up to 12 non-law credits in their Law School program. For more details, click on "Cross-Counting Courses" above.

JD/MS or JD/PhD students are eligible for a minor in bioethics, bioinformatics, or human genetics.