Pharmaceutics is concerned with the study of physicochemical and biological factors that determine the input, distribution and elimination of drugs in animals and man. Thus, pharmaceutics involves the design of drug- and gene-delivery systems and elucidation of factors which alter drug disposition and pharmacologic response. Pharmaceutics is divided into two sub-disciplines: physical pharmacy and pharmacokinetics. Physical pharmacy is that area which is concerned with the development of drug dosage forms. Pharmacokinetics is concerned with factors which influence drug absorption, distribution metabolism and elimination. Pharmaceutics research requires interdisciplinary approaches applying chemistry, engineering, mathematics and/ or material science to biological problems.<br><br>Graduate coursework within the department includes broad exposure to various areas within the pharmaceutical sciences (core curriculum) as well as also intensive specialization within the area of students' research interests. Thus, graduates from the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences are well-rounded in all facets of the discipline and capable specialists in the area of their research. The Pharmaceutical Sciences Ph.D. does not require a minor for graduation.