College of the Pacific

Graduate Courses

Selecetd Pharmaceutical Sciences and Chemistry (PSCP) courses taught by Chemistry faculty:

PSCP 205. Instrumental Analytical Chemistry (4) Lecture focuses on the theory and physical principles of instruments for the analysis of matter. Laboratory lecturer will describe the actual operation of instruments. Students will gain hands-on experience on the operation of instruments. Prerequisite: graduate standing.

PSCS 206. Models & Concepts in Chemistry (4) The course focuses on a general understanding of chemistry in terms of models and concepts that describe structure, stability, reactivity and other properties of molecules in a simple, yet very effective way. Many chemical problems from organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, transition metal chemistry, biochemistry and medicinal chemistry will be presented and the applicability of the various models and concepts as well as their limitations will be demonstrated. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.

PSCP 211. Drug Design (4) A study of modern methods used in the design of new drugs. Target selection, lead compound discovery and molecular modifications to optimize activity will be studied. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or bachelor's degree and permission of the instructor.

PSCP 215. Molecular Modeling & Drug Design (4) The course presents a thorough and in-depth overview of methods and techniques in computer assisted drug design (CADD) where especially the needs of the pharmaceutical industry are considered. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.

PSCP 222. Thermodynamics of Pharmaceutical Systems (3) This course will introduce the basic principles of thermodynamics. These principles will be used to describe physical and chemical transformations of pure substances and mixtures in pharmaceutical systems. We will study solubility, solutions of nonelectrolytes and colligative properties in the context of modern theories of solvent structure. Acid-base equilibria and noncovalent binding equilibria of selected pharmaceutical systems will be discussed in detail. Prerequisites: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.

PSCP 240. Molecular Spectroscopy (4) The basic theory behind infrared, visible, ultraviolet, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy are studied. The course includes the quantum mechanics of light absorption, atomic absorption and emission spectroscopy, vibrational spectroscopy of diatomic and polyatomic molecules. Absorption and emission electronic spectroscopic and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Prerequisite: Graduate standing or permission of the instructor.

PSCP 241. Advanced Organic/Bioorganic Chemistry (4) Synthetically useful organic reactions not normally covered in the introductory courses are emphasized. The reactions are grouped according to their mechanistic type and discussed in terms of their reaction mechanisms and synthetic utility. Prerequisites: CHEM 121 and CHEM 123 with a "C" or better.

PSCP 242. Selected Topics: Advanced Organic Chemistry (4) Topics presented at various times under this course description include: Physical organic, natural products and structure elucidation, stereochemistry, heterocycles and carbohydrate chemistry. Prerequisites: CHEM 121 and CHEM 123 with a "C" or better.

PCSP 243. Applied Computational Chemistry (4) Besides the normal lab experiments traditionally expected, modern chemists/biochemists in whether in the chemical/pharmaceutical industry or academia perform "experiments" on the computer by calculating the outcome of chemical and biochemical reactions. This in silicio chemistry has become an integral part of the education in chemistry and the present course will provide an introduction into this new field by addressing a general audience of chemists/biochemists and students from neighboring fields. Starting from the description of atomic and molecular electronic structure, discussing the elementary processes of bond breaking and forming, the course leads to the calculation of typical chemical reactions in a hands-on fashion. Major quantum chemical packages will be used for this purpose. The methods discussed will be applied in the computer labs to solve typical chemical problems, which are taken from the actual research in the theoretical chemistry group. In this way the student gets a realistic training how to use computational tools in his/her studies or later career in academia or private industry.

PSCP 244. High-Resolution NMR Spectroscopy (4) A study of one and two dimensional FT-NMR techniques used for structure elucidation of organic molecules. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the capabilities and limitations of these techniques, the information they provide and the practical aspects of their implementation.

PSCP 245. Proteins and Nucleic Acids (4) Chemical, physical and biological properties of the proteins and nucleic acids and their constituents; isolation, determination of composition, sequence and structure; correlation of structure and biological properties. Prerequisite: CHEM 151 with a "C" or better.

PSCP 247. Mass Spectrometry (4) Fundamentals of mass spectrometry, theory, instrumentation and applications to organic and biological molecules. Prerequisite: PCSP 205.

PSCP 248. Enzymology (4) This class gives an introduction into the biochemistry of the various classes of enzymes with emphasis on laboratory techniques. Prerequisite: CHEM 151 with a "C" or better.

PSCP 283. Multidisciplinary Project (1) Students in the Pharmaceutical and Chemical Science Graduate Program will design an interdisciplinary project based upon the relevant contributions of their backgrounds. Prerequisites: Enrollment in PCS Graduate Program.

PSCP 287/387. Internship (2-4) An experiential learning program at a pharmaceutical/ chemical/ biotechnological industry, research institute or a clinical site that entitles the students to learn advanced techniques and practical application of the theoretical principles learned in a number of courses. Prerequisites: Graduate students that have completed Category I course work, or obtained permission of the coordinator shall enroll in this course. For students in thesis/ dissertation tracks, concurrence of thesis/dissertation advisor(s) is required.

PSCP 291/391. Independent Study (1-4) Restricted to masters or doctoral (Ph.D.) candidates. May be repeated with permission as progress warrants. No more than eight credits may be used toward doctoral degree requirements. Prerequisites: Graduate student in good standing, permission of the instructor, and completion and approval of the required contract for Independent Graduate Study.

PSCP 295/395. Graduate Seminar (1) Seminar presentation on research-related topics given by both PCSP faculty and graduate students. Enrolled students are required to attend all seminars given throughout the academic year and to give one seminar in that year. This course is required for all graduate students for the first three years of their tenure in the PCSP. Students who have already enrolled in this course for three years are encouraged to come to seminars without official enrollment. PCSP faculty members present a short talk on their research areas at the beginning of the fall semester each year. Prerequisites: Graduate standing.

PSCP 297/397. Graduate Research (1-4) Limited to masters or doctoral (Ph.D.) candidates. May be repeated with permission as progress warrants. No more than eight credits may be used toward doctoral degree requirements. Prerequisites: Admission to the graduate program and permission of research director.

PSCP 299. Thesis Research (1-6) Only open to MS candidates. Minimum of four credits will be required. Prerequisites: Admission to MS-thesis program (PCSP) and permission of research advisor.

PSCP 399. Dissertation Research (1-6) Only open to doctoral (Ph.D.) candidates. No more than eight credits may be used toward doctoral degree requirements. Prerequisites: Admission to Ph.D. program (PSCP) and permission of research advisor.