Our undergraduate program in Pharmacology and Drug Development prepares you for graduate work in pharmacy, medicine, dentistry and other healthcare-related fields as well as careers within biotechnology research and development. Through innovative coursework and independent research opportunities, the program instills you with skills in pharmacology, toxicology, and medical product development and use. Graduates are positioned for employment at leading research universities and in industry, government or any research-centric arena.

Learning Outcomes

Apply real-world knowledge to problems arising within pharmacology, toxicology, and medical product development and use

Compare and contrast laboratory, social and clinical research methods to facilitate optimum translational research

Construct and implement research designs across a variety of technologies

Produce and interpret research outputs with relevance to pharmaceutical, medical and healthcare projects

Develop professional and ethical skills related to research and application of pharmacology

Sample Courses

• Breaking Brains: Pharmacology of the Addicted Brain
• Buzzed: Modern Substances of Abuse and Addiction
• Ethics, Drugs and Society
• Food Safety: The Good, the Bad and the Deadly
• Globalization of the Biomedical Industry
• Management and Operation of Clinical Trials
• Medical Products: From Idea to Market
• Mysterious Deaths: From Poisons in Literature and History to Forensic Toxicology

Undergraduate Honors

Students in the Pharmacology and Drug Development major are eligible to graduate with honors by participating in a capstone project. 

Why did you decide to major in pharmacology and drug development?

“The pharmacology and drug development major is comprised of courses that are academically intriguing and professionally applicable within the current health care and pharmaceutical industry. We take general biology and physiology courses that are mandatory prerequisites to apply for pharmacy school, but having those extra courses on drug development, toxicology, pharmacology and the effects of drugs on the body gives us a leg up over other majors going into pharmacy school.”

Renita Moradian

PharmD ’23, BS Pharmacology and Drug Development ’18

Why did you decide to major in pharmacology and drug development?

“I want to help create new therapies for diseases that have affected my family and other families. I started leaning toward a career in pharmacy after watching my mother struggle with arthritis and lupus for years.”

Ronnelle Copes

BS Pharmacology and Drug Development ’20

What originally attracted you to your field?

“When I took Dr. Eunjoo Pacifici’s class on biomedical globalization during my sophomore year, I learned all about the field of regulatory science and drug development. The opportunity to work in international regulation and marketing especially piqued my interest, as learning about different cultures and regions and working with international partners is something I could envision myself doing in the future.”

Christian Reyes

BS Pharmacology and Drug Development ’21