MCMP Graduate Program

2008 Big 10+ Graduate School Exposition

Founded in 1874 as a state-supported, land-grant university, Purdue is widely recognized as a worldwide leader in scientific research. Indeed, Purdue is one of the top five universities in the country in numbers of Ph.D. degrees awarded in the pharmacal sciences, chemistry, engineering and agriculture. Classes at Purdue are taught by outstanding faculty, many of whom are nationally and internationally recognized as leaders in their fields.

The Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology is one of the three departments comprising the School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

There are currently over 80 graduate students enrolled in the Department, the vast majority of whom are engaged in studies leading to the Ph.D. degree. The presence of approximately 30 postdoctoral associates and other research staff professionals further enriches the intellectual atmosphere.

Graduate students in the Department have the opportunity to interact with researchers in a wide variety of fields, including many who are associated with other departments at Purdue. Various research groups actively collaborate with groups from departments such as biochemistry, biological sciences, chemical engineering, chemistry, foods and nutrition, horticulture, and physics. In addition, approximately half of our faculty belong to the Purdue Cancer Center, the Neuroscience Program, the Graduate Program in Virology and/or the Purdue University Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Program (BMB), leading to extensive, formalized interactions campus-wide. Graduate students attend research seminars across campus, -affording the opportunity to observe firsthand many of the world's foremost researchers.

The Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology has educated over 700 pharmaceutical scientists who have gone on to perform research at the chemistry-biology interface. The employment rate for our students upon graduation is 100%. Many of these individuals are currently employed in university academic research departments, as well as in drug discovery, regulatory affairs, and administrative roles in the pharmaceutical industry. Some of our alumni are also employed in positions at the Centers for Disease Control, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the National Library of Medicine, and at the National Cancer Institute.

A recent survey of our graduates (1998-2000) documented the fact that they are well compensated, with starting salaries of up to $90,000 per year.

The map below shows the locations of our graduates who are presently employed in the United States. A significant number of our graduates have also found work overseas.