UCSI’s Doctor of Philosophy (Pharmaceutical Sciences) is a multidisciplinary postgraduate degree. It is designed for the development of safe and effective medications using various fields of scientific knowledge. This includes chemistry, medicinal chemistry, physiology, pharmacology, microbiology, pharmacokinetics, pharmaceutics and formulation science. These fields are highly in demand in the pharmaceutical industry, which is worth US$300 billion a year according to the World Health Organisation. In Malaysia, the government has identified the domestic pharmaceutical industry as one of the key areas to be developed under its new economic development plan, as reported in the Mega Science Report by the Academy of Science Malaysia.

The PhD (Pharmaceutical Sciences) is flexible enough to be pursued by those with a pharmaceutical or science qualification. Graduates of this qualification will be equipped with advanced knowledge in research planning, experimental design and scientific analysis.

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences is driven by academic staff members who are respected researchers in their own right. Thus, candidates of this PhD have the opportunity to work with UCSI researchers on actual projects funded by grants received internally as well as externally. Positions as paid research assistants are also available, and with the wide range of research areas pursued by various staff, interested candidates have the freedom to discuss their affinities with the relevant staff member.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

Semester 1

• Research Methodology
• Biostatistics and Experimental Design
• PhD Research

Semester 2

• PhD Research

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

?Relevant Master’s degree or equivalent OR

Bachelor’s degree with minimum CGPA of 3.67 or its equivalent from relevant academic programmes recognised by Malaysian government or accepted by the UCSI University Senate and with research component in the final year, to be assessed by the Faculty. All applications must pass related qualifying evaluation with Senate approval.

A Master’s degree or equivalent professional qualification in a relevant discipline, as recognised by the Senate.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

For International Students

• Cambridge Linguaskill

154

• IELTS

Band 5.0

• Cambridge English Qualifications and Tests

154

• TOEFL IBT

42

• Pearson Test of English

47

• MUET

Band 3

English Language Course Exemption:

• International applicants who do not meet the respective academic programme’s English Language Requirement will need to improve their proficiency by enrolling into the English for Tertiary Education programme (R/KJP/00920-00929) which helps them prepare for attaining a required band score. Placement into the various levels of the English for Tertiary Education programme depends on the English Language qualification students have at the point of admission and/or the outcome of the English Placement Test.
• Applicants who are pursuing Bachelor’s & Master’s degrees in other universities that use English as the medium of instruction may be exempted from taking English classes at UCSI University if the alma mater’s Registrar issues an official letter indicating so to the University. Applicants may be required to attend an interview, conducted by UCSI’s faculty experts, or sit for a written test before they are accepted for admission. Prior to the interview, the applicant is also required to submit a research idea outline.

CAREER PROSPECTS

The programme’s comprehensive design and delivery paves the way for careers in advance scientific research of various institutions including (i) research institutes, (ii) drug regulatory agencies, (iii) academia.