Program Learning Objectives
The Program Learning Objectives for the master’s program in Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics are available here.
Units Required
Total of 28 units are required for graduation of which a minimum of 24 units should be from formal coursework. At least 75% of the 28 units must be at 500 level or above. One course with maximum of 4 units of undergraduate upper division 400 level course may be applied toward the degree. Click here (link) to see requirements for students on the Progressive Degree Program (PDP). Students, enrolled in the PharmD/CXPT MS dual degree program, are entailed to take the same core courses with the exclusion of CXPT 664 and can benefit from applying up to 25% of units earned in the PharmD program courses. These courses will be considered as electives and approved by the MS Program Director.
Thesis/Dissertation
Students have the option to choose between the thesis track and non-thesis track options to complete their CXPT Master’s Degree. Students must choose one of these tracks by the end of the first year of study. Students in the thesis track are required to carry out a research project and must complete 4 MS thesis units. Students in the non-thesis track must complete all required units from the formal coursework. Students on the non-thesis track may choose to perform an independent project resulting in a comprehensive review paper on the topic selected in agreement with their advisor.
Course Offerings
The core coursework includes the following recommended courses:
- CXPT 609 Preclinical Experimental Therapeutic Drug Development (4 units)
- CXPT 610 Drug Metabolism and Transport (4 units)
- CXPT 664 Clinical Problem Solving (3 units; for non-clinically trained students)
and one course chosen between:
- PM 510L Principles of Biostatistics (4 units) or
- CXPT 501 Biomedical Data Science (4 units)
The remaining elective units will be completed from courses offered within the Alfred Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences or in related disciplines outside the department, approved by the CXPT Program Director.
Examples of electives:
- MPTX 510 The Other Side of Drugs (2 or 3 units)
- MPTX 522 Introduction to Clinical Trial Design and Statistics
- PSCI 503 Principles of Research methodology (4 units)
- PSCI 515 Drugs: Genetics and Pharmacogenetics (2 units)
- RXRS 402 Human Pharmacology: Challenge of Therapeutics in Society (4 units)
- RXRS 403 Neuropharmacology in Health and Disease (4 units)
Students, choosing the Master thesis option, should register for CXPT 594a (2 units) and CXPT 594b (2 units) in the 2nd year of the program. For students choosing the independent project on the non-thesis track, CXPT 590 course (2 units) can be used.
USC Course Catalogue
For Clinical and Experimental Therapeutics (CXPT) courses, see USC Course Catalogue.
Schedule of Classes
For course availability for the current year see the Schedule of Classes.