Temple University
Programs in the Pharmaceutical Sciences
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140
An Overview
Temple University is a state-affiliated institution founded in 1884 and is now one of the largest institutions in the country. The Health Sciences Center houses the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmacy; the College of Allied Health Professions; and the Temple University Hospital. It is located on Broad Street five blocks from the North Philadelphia Station of Amtrak and 11 miles north of the Broad and Montgomery Avenue campus of Temple University.
The majority of the graduates from the Doctor of Philosophy and the Master of Science degree programs have secured positions with the surrounding pharmaceutical industry. Other Ph.D. graduates have found employment in universities and industry settings throughout the country. The graduates are currently engaged in research and development, pharmaceutical production, and analytical laboratory work as well as quality assurance/regulatory affairs.
The Community
The historic city of Philadelphia has much to offer in art, music, and cultural pursuits. Most of the seminars, colloquia, and similar events sponsored by other educational and research institutions in the city are open to all graduate students.
More than 400 graduate students are enrolled at the Health Sciences Center as part of a student population of almost 2,500, which includes professional students. The School of Pharmacy has 145 graduate students enrolled in its various programs.
Programs of Study
Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science programs in pharmaceutics and medicinal/pharmaceutical chemistry and Master of Science programs in quality assurance/regulatory affairs are offered by the Graduate Faculty in the School of Pharmacy. The pharmacology program is now offered through the School of Medicine, and interested students should direct their inquiries to the school's graduate department.
The School of Pharmacy programs are interdepartmental and provide for specialization in the areas described. They are designed to give the superior student an opportunity for the extension of demonstrated talent for the acquisition and application of basic knowledge. The requirements are those of the Graduate School of Temple University: demonstration of scholarship by performance in appropriate course work, satisfactory performance in comprehensive examinations, selection and prosecution of a significant research problem, and preparation and defense of a scholarly thesis.
Facilities and Resources
The laboratories are located in the Pharmacy and Allied Health Building at the Health Sciences Center. Special equipment for research with radioisotopes and analytical instrumentation are available for student research problems.
Expenses and Aid
Costs: Temple University is a state-related university. The tuition in 2008-09 is $989 per semester hour for residents of Pennsylvania and $1,279 per semester hour for nonresidents. Minimal fees are charged for various services, such as microfilming.
Financial Aid: Fellowships that provide various stipends per month and the waiver of tuition and fees are provided for some students accepted into the M.S. programs. Doctoral fellowships are also available from the University. In 2007-08, graduate assistantships were available at $14,000 each plus remission of tuition.
Housing/Living Expenses: Graduate students usually live in apartments or rooms in various sections of the city. Costs vary considerably, but 1 or 2 students often occupy an apartment renting for an average of $375 per month.
How to Apply / Application
Applicants should have a bachelor's degree in pharmacy or a related field, depending on the area of study selected. International students whose native language is not English must submit proof of proficiency in English (minimum TOEFL score of 600 required) to be considered for admission.
Applications—including all transcripts of college work, two letters of recommendation, and GRE General Test scores—should be submitted before June 1. Students are encouraged to apply early. Personal interviews may be recommended. Notification of admission is given as soon as possible.
Students may apply at any time but are admitted to begin work in September or January. A complete graduate bulletin is sent on request.
Who to Contact
Director of Graduate Studies
School of Pharmacy
Temple University
3307 North Broad Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140
Telephone: 215-707-4948
The Faculty And Their Research
Michael R. Borenstein, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Chairman of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Synthesis and evaluation of novel pharmacologic agents especially with regard to the structural prerequisites for anticonvulsant and CNS activity; development of analytical methodologies (GC/MS and HPLC) for therapeutic drug monitoring, pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, and dosage forms.
Daniel J. Canney, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry. Synthesis, characterization, and biological evaluation (structure-activity studies) of novel muscarinic and nicotinic ligands, mechanism-based inhibitors of aromatic amino acid decarboxylase (AADC), and amino/amido-lactone derivatives and potential anticonvulsant agents; development of synthetic strategies for the synthesis of organotin precursors of radioiodinated compounds for use in radioligand binding, autoradiography, and/or SPECT imaging studies.
Kadriye Ciftci, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Design, development, and evaluations of peptide-protein, vaccine, and gene delivery systems and their applications on cell cultures; in vitro and in vivo evaluations of microparticulate systems; controlled drug delivery methodologies for gene therapy; cancer chemotherapy.
Peter H. Doukas, Ph.D., Dean. Compounds affecting the disposition of acetylcholine; nicotinic agonists and antagonists; proconvulsants and anticonvulsants; inhibitors of platelet aggregation.
Reza A. Fassihi, Ph.D., Professor of Biopharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy. Drug product design, formulation and development of conventional and modified drug dosage forms, intrinsic permeability of the intestinal wall and drug transport, biopharmaceutical aspects of medicine, in vitro and in vivo evaluation of pharmaceuticals.
Cherng Ju Kim, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics and Director of Graduate Studies. Novel polymeric drug delivery systems, kinetics of drug release, and physical pharmacy.
Chana R. Kowarski, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacy. Nasal insulin products: preparation and in vivo evaluation with the continuous glucose monitor; sustained-release products: development and evaluation in vitro and in vivo (coating and microencapsulation); drug stability problems; pharmacokinetic comparison of continuous- with intermittent-withdrawal methodology.
Ivo Nnane, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Analysis, metabolism, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of new chemical entities for the treatment of cancers and factors that affect their disposition and activity in vitro and in vivo.
Robert B. Raffa, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacology. In vivo evaluation of opioid and nonopioid peptide and nonpeptide analgesics, mechanisms, tolerance, and dependence; isolated tissue preparations; theoretical pharmacology; synergistic drug interactions; thermodynamics of the drug-receptor interaction.
Tully J. Speaker, Ph.D., Professor of Pharmacy and Toxicology. Analytical toxicology, drug metabolism, chromatography theory, percutaneous absorption, microencapsulation.
Salvatore J. Turco, Pharm.D., Professor of Pharmacy. Particulate matter in parenteral solutions, drug distribution systems and drug packaging.