New Master’s Program Offers Emphasis in Industrial Pharmacy

Eman Ashour and Walt Chambliss. Photo by Nathan Towery

By Nathan Towery

Starting in fall 2018, the University of Mississippi’s School of Pharmacy will be offering a brand-new professional master’s program in pharmaceutical sciences with an emphasis in industrial pharmacy.

The program will complement the existing Master of Science program in pharmaceutics and drug delivery by adding several courses that focus on pharmaceutical formulation development, manufacturing and regulatory sciences. The new nonthesis program will focus on the professional aspects of the industry.

“Students will be able to specialize in different areas after taking the core course by taking electives and completing applied projects to give them the practical knowledge of how projects are managed in industry,” said Eman Ashour, research assistant professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery.

Students will learn how pharmaceutical products are developed and manufactured. The new program will prepare students for the industry and help them become more successful in their careers.

“We are going to prepare these students to go into the industry and succeed by filling an unmet need in the industry for master’s-level scientists,” Ashour said.

“I am very excited about the new degree,” said Christy Wyandt, interim dean of the Graduate School. “I think that the university needs more master’s-level programs that prepare students for employment, as this one does.”

A strong group of external advisers is helping to develop the curriculum, said Walter G. Chambliss, interim associate vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs and professor of pharmaceutics and drug delivery.

“They have been highly successful in the pharmaceutical industry and recognize the critical need for this new program,” Chambliss said. “Some will be doing guest lectures, and others will help students find internship opportunities.”

The new program will be offered to students in the B.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences program; however, it will be offered to those with other degrees as well.

“We will also be recruiting students with a B.S. in chemical engineering, biotechnology, chemistry and biology who would like to pursue a career in the pharmaceutical industry,” Chambliss said. “These students will benefit from this two-year program to learn how the industry operates rather than being hired at the B.S. level and having to be trained on the job.”

The program at UM has a significant advantage over other professional master’s programs in pharmaceutical sciences, Chambliss said.

“The majority of other professional master’s programs in pharmaceutical sciences are online programs, and we believe it is much more important to have students to interact with faculty and other graduate students, obtain hands-on experience with projects and work in multidisciplinary teams.”

To learn more about the M.S. in pharmaceutical sciences with an emphasis in industrial pharmacy program, visit https://pharmacy.olemiss.edu/pharmaceutics/professional-masters-programs/.