Step 1: Review Admissions Requirements
All applicants to the Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation MS program must:
- Have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. institution or an international degree comparable to a regionally accredited U.S. bachelor’s degree.
- Have a background in physical or biological sciences, engineering, pharmacy, medicine, nursing, psychology, bioethics, law, history, or a related field.
- Have a minimum undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Learn more about the Graduate School’s minimum GPA requirements.
- Provide an English proficiency score (if applicable). Learn more about the Graduate School’s English proficiency requirements.
- Students need to have demonstrated successful completion of at least 3 college-level science courses for a total of 9 or more credit hours. Students taking prerequisite courses should finish these courses and show a final grade on a transcript before applying to the program. The admissions committee requires the following three courses to appear on the applicant’s college transcript(s) for admission:
- General Biology course, focused on microscale processes
Topics include cellular and molecular biology concepts (cell biology, cell metabolism, genetics, and similar). - Foundational Chemistry course
Topics include chemical reactions, Lewis structures, acid-base chemistry, equilibrium, kinetics, and similar. - Advanced Science course* (specifically looking for either Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry, OR General/Organic/Biological Chemistry)
Topics include organic nomenclature, organic structures, functional group chemistry (structures, reactivity, acidity/basicity), reaction mechanisms, and similar.
* Typically courses meeting this requirement require completion of college-level chemistry prior to enrollment.
Please note that the admissions committee does not admit students without these courses on their transcript. If you have questions about your eligibility and admissions options, please connect with our enrollment coach.
If you currently do not have these 3 required courses completed, there may be a pathway forward for you. Many of our students and alumni successfully completed required prerequisites prior to their program acceptance by utilizing the enrollment coach’s guidance in finding eligible coursework.
- General Biology course, focused on microscale processes
Step 2: Prepare Materials and Apply
- Complete an online graduate school application that will include the following:
- Unofficial transcripts from any previously completed undergraduate and graduate degrees.
- Contact information for two individuals to submit letters of recommendation.
- A statement of purpose.
Note: Like other information content and sources, generative AI can be used to support original ideas but not used to write your essays and not presented as your own original work. - Resume/CV.
- If applicable: the Graduate School accepts test results from TOEFL iBT, IELTS, and IELTS Indicator, and Duolingo English Test to fulfill the English proficiency requirement.
- After all application materials have been received, you will be notified by email of next steps, which may include scheduling a virtual interview.
Q: What are the benefits of starting with the capstone program first?
A: The Capstone programs contains 12 credits of the MS curriculum. By enrolling into the Capstone program, you may get a strong idea about the rest of the curriculum and if MS could potentially be a good fit for you. Additionally, your success in Capstone courses (above 3.0 GPA) will be considered by the Admissions Committee if you apply to the MS program in a future semester.
Learn more about the Capstone application process. The Capstone application is free.
Q: How do I apply (including letters of recommendation)?
A: On the UW-Madison Graduate School website, navigate to -> Admissions -> Apply online; or go through the link https://apply.grad.wisc.edu/Account/Login?ReturnUrl=%2f
Q: What is the cost of the program?
A: Our courses cost $1,500 per credit for both residents and nonresidents. If MS, this amounts to $45,000 for the degree. If capstone, this amounts to $18,000 for the certificate.
Further pricing and scholarship information can be found in the Pricing section.
Q: Does this program have rolling admissions? What is the timeline?
A: We do rolling review of applications. Students must submit their application (including all materials and both Letters of Rec).
Reviews of applications can take anywhere from 3-9 weeks. Applicants have the opportunity to check the status of the app at grad.wisc.edu or they can reach out directly to the Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator, Almira Karajic, or enrollment coach if needed. The academic program may reach out before a decision is made to schedule a virtual admission interview as an opportunity to learn more about the program and for the program to learn more about you. This communication will come either from Stephanie Scholze or Almira Karajic.
Q: How much work will I be doing on a weekly basis?
A: Most coursework is completed online asynchronously at a student’s own pacing, with set deadlines every week. Estimated based on 1 enrolled credit hour = 3-4 coursework hours per week (readings, lectures, assignments, quizzes, and projects). This may vary based on each student’s educational background, learning strategies, work experience, and/or first language.
Q: What interactions do I have with faculty, staff and classmates?
A: Faculty interact with students on a regular basis to ensure their progress with the course and to engage in student’s understanding of the material. These interactions may be through emails, meetings, or other course communications. Classmates will work with each other on group projects. and they will interact with each other on discussion boards in their courses. Additionally, the program will provide opportunities for students to network with each other in virtual or in-person settings outside the courses. Moreover, each student is assigned an advisor to provide them with holistic support throughout the program.
Q: Can I audit courses?
A: There are options to audit courses at your own cost & without credit. Read about the graduate school policy on auditing courses at https://policy.wisc.edu/library/UW-1224.
You may apply to be a Guest auditor using the University Special student online application.
More info at: https://acsss.wisc.edu/guest-auditors/
Q: What academic background and prerequisite courses are needed for this program?
The program requires a 3.0 GPA from an accreditated higher education institution (Bachelors of PharmD degree earned) and a solid background in science. The MS degree requires 3 hard science prereqs: gen bio, gen chem, and a General Organic Biochemsitry. The Capstone only requires students to have taken the gen bio and gen chem. AP or IB courses do not count for these prereqs, they must be from an accredited college course. You are welcome to reach out to our enrollment coach with follow-up questions.
Q: Are any of the programs offered during the weekend or evening? What is the timeline?
Most courses are offered in an online format with weekly modules that provide students with flexibility of asynchronous work time within the week. Each course typically has 3-6 synchronous class meetings per semester. Those meetings tend to be on late afternoon or early evening for working professionals. Since our programs are flexible with timing, it can be completed anywhere from 1 year-3 years. It is okay to change the pacing at any time during the program.
Q: Can I look at the course offerings?
You may read about the courses at:
https://pharmacy.wisc.edu/academics/psychoactive-pharmaceutical-investigation/about/#curriculum
Q: What types of jobs/careers does this program prepare me for?
This type of program may prepare people for roles such as, Researcher, Technician, Scientist, or similar roles, particularly for employers focused on psychedelic, entheogen, and cannabinoid research. The Masters program would prepare you for careers in the pharmaceutical, academic, government, nonprofit and healthcare industries. We also have students who have varied experiences. Some may use this program to complement their current career (i.e. healthcare, research, etc) or to pivot to the Pharm Sci/PPI industry.
Recent job titles for careers in pharmaceutical sciences among our students include:
- R&D Analyst,
- Coalition Coordinator
- Psychedelic Compound Commercialization Analyst
- Director of Research
- Senior Production Chemist
- Lab Technician/ Extraction Specialist
- Consultant Data Curator
Our students, alumni, and faculty have worked with these organizations:
Usona Institute, Labcorp, Psilera, Apollo Pact, BrainFutures, Integrata, Mind Medicine Inc., Beckley Psytech, Molecule, Calyx Law, JLS Fund, Porta Sophia, Amgen, Genentech, Louisiana State University Health – School of Medicine, Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Boston Scientific and many more!
Q: What are some internships this program offers?
The PPI team has partnered with industries to provide internship opportunities to students at Calyx Law, Beckley Psytech and Molecule. Students are welcome to apply for other internship opportunities and connect with the program to verify if they meet the requirements for credit.
Current UW-Madison Students, One-Year (Accelerated) Pathway
Accelerated Pathway to Professional Master’s in Pharmaceutical Sciences
The direct path for UW–Madison STEM majors to quickly earn a professional master’s degree before entering the pharmaceutical industry.
The Accelerated Pathway in Pharmaceutical Sciences is for UW-Madison STEM majors who want to continue their Badger journey directly into the Pharmaceutical Sciences MS (named option Applied Drug Development or Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation) making them more competitive when they enter the pharmaceutical industry. Accelerated Pathway students can earn their professional master’s degree in 12 months at an accelerated pace.
While earning your professional master’s degree, you can take coursework to specialize in particular areas such as drug development, project management, regulatory affairs and more. Our Pharmaceutical Sciences MS degrees are career-focused and provide you with the knowledge and abilities you need to compete for highly desirable jobs in your field. Blending science with professional skills, this degree within the top-ranked School of Pharmacy prepares you for a wide variety of careers in the pharmaceutical field.
UW-Madison STEM majors apply to the Accelerated Pathway to start either Fall or Spring semesters after they graduate. Admissions eligibility, deadlines and application information is listed on the ADD Apply Now page.
Students may proactively earn and apply up to 7 undergraduate coursework credits, according to the requirements set forth at Guide and in compliance with the Prior Coursework list below, toward the 30 credits for the One-Year MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences (ADD), which allows them to earn a master’s degree in 12 months rather than 2 years.
Students may request that the MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences program (prograd@pharmacy.wisc.edu) review other courses completed at UW-Madison for eligibility to count towards degree requirements. The courses listed below are pre-approved by the MS in Pharmaceutical Sciences program to count towards degree coursework requirements.
ADD and PPI Program Courses with Pre-Approved Prior Coursework Options:
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PHM SCI 755: Laboratory and Instrumentation Methods
3 credits, ADD curriculum, may be satisfied by:
- BIOCHEM 551: Biochemical Methods (4 credits) or
- BMOLCHEM 504: Human Biochemistry Laboratory (3 credits) or
- CHEM 524: Chemical Instrumentation (3 credits) or
- CHEM 547: Advanced Organic Chemistry (3 credits) or
- CHEM 625: Separations in Chemical Analysis (3-credit version of course only) or
- The combination of the following two courses:
- GENETICS 545: Genetics Lab (2 credits) and
- PHM SCI 558: Lab Techniques in Pharmacology and Toxicology (2 credits)
PHARMACY 612: Legal Structures for Controlled Substances
1 credit, PPI curriculum, may be satisfied by:
- S&A PHM 611: Pharmacy Law and Regulation (2 credits)
PHARMACY 770 & 771: CNS Drug Designs, Actions, and Applications I & II
4 total credits, ADD and PPI curricula, may be satisfied by:
- The combination of the following three courses:
- PHMCOL-M/PHM SCI 521: Pharmacology I (3 credits) and
- PHM SCI 531: Medicinal Chemistry I (3 credits) and
- PHM PRAC 555: Pharmacotherapy I (2 credits)
PHM SCI 761: Intro to Pharmacology
4 credits, ADD curriculum, may be satisfied by:
- PHMCOL-M/PHM SCI 581: Molecular and Cellular Principles in Pharmacology (4 credits)
BMI/STAT 541: Introduction to Biostatistics
3 credits, ADD and PPI curricula, may be satisfied by:
- STAT 324: Introductory Applied Statistics for Engineers (3 credits) or
- STAT 371: Introductory Applied Statistics for the Life Sciences (3 credits)
- BMI/POP HLTH 551: Introduction to Biostatistics for Population Health (3 credits)
- STAT/F&W ECOL/HORT 571: Statistical Methods for Bioscience I (4 credits)
- STAT/F&W ECOL/HORT 572: Statistical Methods for Bioscience II (4 credits)
ADD Program Courses Available to Undergraduates (Prior to Starting Graduate Program)
- BOTANY 474: Ethnobotany – 3 credits, PPI curriculum. Student must meet requisites as provided in UW Guide.
- PHM SCI 625: Toxicology I – 3 credits, ADD curriculum. Student must meet requisites as provided in UW Guide.
- PHM SCI 699: Advanced Independent Study – up to 3 credits, PPI curriculum. Requires instructor consent and program approval.