Pharmacometrics Certificate

Pharmacometrics is defined as that branch of science concerned with mathematical models of biology, pharmacology, disease, and physiology used to describe and quantify interactions between xenobiotics and patients, including beneficial effects and side effects resultant from such interfaces. Foundations of pharmacometrics are in the science of pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD), to understand exposure-response relationships of drugs.  Pharmacometrics models are widely utilized to make rational clinical pharmacology decisions during drug development. Clinical pharmacometrics is an evolving filed of applied precision medicine, where pharmacometrics models are applied for individualized dosing decisions. 

Certificate in Pharmacometrics is a 1-year program with 5 courses (total 15 credit hours) at The Health Science Center College of Pharmacy (HSCCP). The focus of the course work is to provide the students with foundational principles of PK-PD models, statistical considerations of pharmacometrics and software skills (e.g., R, NONMEM, Phoenix). First semester is designed to build the foundational principles of PK-PD models and modeling concepts using case studies.  Second semester will be used to understand the big picture of applications of pharmacometrics in drug development through case discussions.  The software skills needed for pharmacometrics analysis are taught in two pharmacometrics techniques courses. The courses are designed with various case studies that use active learning methods. The program is delivered fully online using state of the art technology.

Academic Requirements

• Hold a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, PharmD, DO, MD, PhD, or enrolled in a degree program at HSC.
• Calculus (3 semester credit hours)
• Statistics (3 semester credit hours)
• Human Anatomy and Physiology or equivalent (3 semester credit hours)
• Any pharmacokinetics course, at least 2 semester credit hours or demonstrated working experience, i.e. Authorship of peer reviewed publications

Application Procedures

Complete the online application and submit the following:

• One-page personal statement of interest in the program (maximum 400 words)
• One letter or recommendation from an employer or professor
• Submit official(s) transcripts from all institutions electronically to pharmd@unthsc.edu