Students pursuing a degree in pharmaceutical sciences focus on the nature of diseases and the design and development of therapies to treat diseases. The BSPS program is for students looking for careers related to the pharmaceutical, health-care and biomedical industries or who wish to pursue graduate school, medical school, law school or other professional school opportunities. It does not prepare or qualify students for state board licensure in the practice of pharmacy as in the doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) program.

UT's BSPS degree program is one of the few programs of its kind nationwide. Students work in state-of-the-art laboratories with equipment and computer technology in Wolfe Hall, the $33-million pharmacy, chemistry and life sciences building. The required practicums provide real-world workplace experiences highly desired by employers.

All BSPS majors begin their studies in the pre-professional division. Students then choose to apply for admission to the professional division. Students can choose from four majors. Medicinal and biological chemistry focuses on the aspect of science involved with the design and synthesis of drugs. Pharmaceutics is the study of physical and chemical attributes of drugs. Pharmacology/toxicology looks at the way drugs interact with different living systems and the effects of toxic compounds in the body. Finally, pharmacy administration looks at the business and managerial aspects of the pharmacy profession.

What to expect when you graduate

Graduates of the BSPS program can choose from a variety of career paths. Examples include pre-clinical research and development, clinical and regulatory affairs, product marketing and sales, science writing and editing, product testing and manufacturing. Pharmacy administration majors who earn a minor in business administration or professional sales pursue careers in pharmaceutical sales, management positions in the pharmaceutical industry and careers in health-care administration.