The course work for the PhD in Medicinal Biochemistry involves a novel approach that features a three-module sequence of coursework. These modules encompass the biochemistry of drug action, the design and synthesis of drugs, and the characterization and analysis of drugs and the biochemical processes they affect. This PhD program prepares graduate students for interdisciplinary careers in industry and academia in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields.  

Students take all courses from Modules 1 and 2, plus three courses from Module 3, for a total of eight courses. The first module (Biochemical Foundation) includes three advanced biochemistry courses (beyond grad level introductory) including Enzyme Mechanisms, Receptor Biochemistry, and Nucleic Acid Biochemistry. This lays the biochemistry foundation necessary for the broader view taken in the later curriculum. The second module (Biochemical Basis of Drug Design and Drug Action) includes two courses, Advanced Medicinal Chemistry and Biochemical Pharmacology, and will lay the path toward a student’s specialization in the field of medicinal biochemistry. The third module (Applications of Medicinal Biochemistry, 3 courses) allows students to focus their studies along several possible tracks of specialization These courses are designed to fit within the context of the medicinal biochemistry curriculum.  For example, the organic synthesis course in the medicinal biochemistry curriculum will focus on subjects that are relevant for drug discovery, such as asymmetric synthesis and the synthesis of heterocycles and pharmaceutical lead compounds. Course selections within each module are given below:

Module 1: Biochemical Foundation (3 courses; 3 credits each)
Enzyme Mechanisms
Receptor Biochemistry
Nucleic Acid Biochemistry

Module 2: Biochemical Basis of Drug Design and Drug Action (2 courses, 3 credits each)
Advanced Medicinal Chemistry
Biochemical Pharmacology

Module 3: Applications of Medicinal Biochemistry - Three tracks (3 courses, 3 credits each)
Physical Organic Chemistry
Synthetic Organic Chemistry
Computational Chemistry
Drug Metabolism and Pharmacogenetics
Bioanalytical Chemistry
Spectroscopy of Biomolecules
Advanced Physical Chemistry
Other relevant courses offered through the Graduate School at UNCG

• Synthetic Organic
• Computational
• Bioanalytical/Natural Products

Admissions requirements for the PhD in Medicinal Biochemistry
Students entering the program are required to have completed a BS degree in chemistry or biochemistry or related areas with appropriate chemical/pharmaceutical/biological sciences background. This background will include courses in organic chemistry (one year plus lab), biochemistry (one year plus lab), analytical chemistry, and physical chemistry. Students will be required to address deficiencies in any of these subjects prior to beginning the PhD curriculum. Students who have previously completed an MS degree may request an evaluation of MS degree coursework to judge whether it counts toward the coursework requirements for the PhD in Medicinal Biochemistry. Students will also be able to transfer into the PhD program from either of the Department’s MS programs (Chemistry or Biochemistry), as long as all admissions requirements have been fulfilled.

Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and must take the GRE, including the analytical written section, in addition to meeting the requirements for admission of the Graduate School of UNCG

Documents to be Submitted for Admission

1. Graduate Application
2. Official transcripts of all academic work attempted after high school, including evidence of the completion of a Bachelors degree
3. Official report of GRE scores
4. Personal statement indicating the applicant’s interest in the program (1-2 pages).
5. Three letters of recommendation from former Instructors, advisors, or employers
6. A current Curriculum vitae
7. For international students, official TOEFL scores.

Degree Requirements

1. Total hours required.

Minimum credits (semester hours) required for the PhD program will be 64, distributed between coursework and research credits.

2. Proportion of courses open only to graduate students to be required in program (graduate programs only).

All core coursework counting toward this degree will be at the 600- level and above (graduate students only). A minimum of 75% of all non-dissertation coursework for the degree must be at the 600 level or above.

3. Grades required.

Graduate students must have a GPA of 3.0 or above to graduate from the program. Students receiving a grade of C or worse in two courses will be dismissed from the program. Only grades of B or better will count toward the PhD degree.

4. Amount of transfer credits accepted (if applicable).

Students entering the program with graduate credits received while enrolled in another doctoral program may transfer up to 1/3 of the total required non-dissertation credits. Students must provide syllabi from the courses for which they would like to receive transfer credit.

5. Other requirements. Directed graduate research. Students will choose a research advisor and should begin their dissertation research within the first 3 months of the starting the program.

Qualifiers: Students will be required to pass two oral examinations for full admission into the program. These examinations must occur within 24 months of entering the program. The first examination will be given after the student has chosen a dissertation advisor and will be in the form of a public presentation of a research proposal, based on the research the student will be performing. A second exam will follow in which that proposal, written in the NIH style, will be defended in a private meeting with the students dissertation committee. The student must satisfactorily complete the oral presentation before defending the written proposal. Students will be given one opportunity to re-take the qualifiers if they are unsuccessful on the first attempt. After successful completion of the qualifiers, students may begin enrolling for dissertation research, CHE 799. Prior to the completion of the qualifiers, students may enroll in “Research Problems in Medicinal Biochemistry” CHE 780.

Internship: A particularly novel aspect of the PhD in Medicinal Biochemistry is the potential for internship experience. During one summer or semester, the student may work in a full time internship position in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company within North Carolina . This experience will provide the student with first-hand knowledge about how industry works. Students will work on a project to be determined by the company sponsoring the internship, with the approval of the student’s dissertation committee. Students whose future workplace is in industry will have a distinct advantage after this experience, because they will have gained knowledge about industry that cannot be acquired in an academic department. Students whose future workplace is in academia or government laboratories will also have gained a valuable understanding of how industry works.

Seminar: Students are required to attend all departmental seminars on Friday afternoons.

Dissertation Committee: Students must choose a dissertation committee prior to the completion of 18 semester hours in the program. The committee must consist of 4 members of the graduate faculty, two of which must be full members. The chair of the committee must be a graduate faculty member of the home department.

Dissertation: Students must complete a written research dissertation and give a public oral presentation of their completed work while registered for Che 752 seminar. In addition, the student must defend this dissertation orally to his/her dissertation committee. The seminar and dissertation defense should occur in the same term that the student applies for graduation.

Annual Reports: Each year students meet with their committee and review a brief written report (prepared by the student), which details research progress made during the preceding year.

6. Time limits for completion: A student must spend at least 4 years, and must have completed all requirements in the program for graduation. Students must successfully defend the dissertation within 7 academic years to successfully complete all of the requirements for the PhD degree.