Master’s Degree in Medical Physiology and Pharmacology

This 30-credit program hands you foundational skills in applied pharmacology and medical therapeutics you need to move into medical, dental or PA school, or make your next career move into biotech.

Availability:: Fall, Spring, and Summer
Credits:: 30
Tuition:: $16,500.00
Location:: Online

Explore Your Online Path to Your Dream Medical Science Career

Ready to strengthen your resume without hitting pause on life? UF’s online master’s degree in Medical Physiology and Pharmacology gives you flexible, high-quality training from a top 50 national university. Entirely online and no GRE required.

Program Breakdown

Our 30-credit master’s degree is offered through UF’s College of Medicine and developed in collaboration between two standout departments:

Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
Department of Physiology and Aging

What makes our program different from the rest?

Fully online, designed for busy students
Hands-on, real-world applications through case studies and research projects
Transferable credits from graduate certificates
Practical healthcare innovation skills that field experts say are ideal for starting out in biotech and digital health

Quote from online medical physiology and pharmacology graduate: “User-friendly online classes, incredibly responsive faculty… we covered a wide range — and in depth. I learned just as much online as in person.”

Can I Transfer Credits?

Already earned credits from UF’s graduate certificates? You can transfer up to 15 credits toward this master’s degree if you earned a “B” or higher. Certificates that qualify include:

Medical Physiology
Medical Physiology (Cardiovascular/Renal)
Medical Pharmacology and Therapeutics

How Long Will It Take?

Complete your degree in as little as two semesters. Courses are offered in spring, fall and summer, and students are accepted year-round.

Why Choose UF for Your Education?

Our program gives you the knowledge and skills to succeed in medicine, biotech and other medical sciences careers. You’ll build a strong foundation in:

Human body systems
Drug effects at the cellular and molecular levels
Normal and abnormal physiological conditions

Watch Dr. Sayeski, professor and program director, break down what makes this graduate credential stand out as an online program.

Curious about the different career paths people pursue with a master’s in medical physiology and pharmacology? Learn more in our career insights.

What You’ll Learn as a Graduate Student

Our master’s degree is a flexible, online way to build real-world knowledge for a career in medicine. You’ll also prep for the MCAT, National Board exams and other similar tests.

Key outcomes:

Master drug nomenclature, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics
Explore drug discovery and pharmacogenetics
Analyze human systems in health and disease
Understand physiology and pharmacology of hypertension, pulmonary function, cancer and more

Is This Program Right For You?

This degree is perfect for:

Students prepping for the MCAT or PA or nursing school
Professionals in medicine, pharmacy, biotech or healthcare technology
Nurses, physicians, researchers or clinical scientists
Anyone seeking advanced knowledge in physiology and pharmacology

Prepare for the MCAT While Earning Your Degree

Balancing MCAT prep with everything else in your life can feel overwhelming (maybe even impossible) at times. Luckily, our coursework gives you a head start.

Quote from program graduate Summara Abaid: “I literally saw some of the same things I learned in the program on the MCAT. It made the exam easier.”

Your courses cover physiology and pharmacology concepts that directly align with the MCAT, so you can:

Build a strong science foundation
Apply knowledge in real-world case studies
Keep your schedule manageable while preparing for exam day

Dr. Sayeski explains how our courses target key MCAT sections, so you can earn your degree and prep for the exam at the same time — two birds, one stone.

Your transcript will read: Master of Science, Major Medical Sciences, Concentration Medical Physiology and Pharmacology.

Degree Plan

To graduate from the program, students must complete 30 credit hours: 15 credit hours in medical pharmacology and 15 credits in medical physiology. There are 24 credits of required coursework and 6 credits of coursework that must be selected from the list of electives. In order to graduate, students will be required to pass a comprehensive exam during their final semester and obtain a 3.0 or higher GPA.

Required and elective courses are listed below.

Required Courses

Course Number and Title Credits

GMS 6551 – Fundamentals of Medical Pharmacology & Therapeutics 1 GMS 6520 – Medical Pharmacology & Therapeutics I: The Nervous System 2 GMS 6530 – Medical Pharmacology & Therapeutics II: Cardiovascular, Renal and Respiratory Systems 2 GMS 6531 – Medical Pharmacology & Therapeutics III: Endocrine, Musculoskeletal, GI and Integumentary Systems 2 GMS 6540 – Medical Pharmacology & Therapeutics IV: Cancer, Antimicrobial and Antiparasitic Agents 2 GMS 6504 – Advanced Medical Pharmacology 2 GMS 6552 – Cell Signaling & Therapeutics 2 GMS 6510 – Pharmacology of Cannabis, Tobacco and Vaping 2 GMS 6440 – Fundamentals of Medical Physiology 1 GMS 6401 – Medical Renal Physiology 2 GMS 6402 – Medical Respiration Physiology 3 GMS 6474 – Medical Cardiovascular and Muscle Physiology 3

Elective Courses (Choose 6 Credits)

Course Number and Title Credits

GMS 6419 – Medical Endocrinology and Reproduction 3 GMS 6479 – Medical Gastrointestinal Physiology 2 GMS 6410 – Physiology of Circulation of Blood 2 GMS 6413 – Advances in Hypertension Research 2 GMS 6414 – Advanced Renal Physiology and Pathophysiology 2 GMS 6470 – Advanced Respiration Physiology 1 3

Course Path Examples

The curricula presented below are examples only. The examples provided assume the program will take you three semesters to complete. They may be adjusted to accommodate more or fewer semesters.

You may take courses in any order you wish. Approximately 10 credits per semester will require you to spend 30 hours per week on coursework. If you adjust your credits, your time commitment with change proportionally.

Suggestions

GMS 6440 should be the first physiology course you take.
GMS 6551 should be the first pharmacology course you take.
GMS 6504 and GMS 6552 should be the last pharmacology courses you take.
The graduation exam you take in your final semester includes material from GMS6551, 6520, 6530, 6531, 6540, 6440, 6401, 6402 and 6474. You should plan to take these prior to your final semester if your timeline allows.
Please note students must be enrolled in a minimum number of credits during their graduation semester. That requirement is 3 credits for the fall/spring semesters and 2 credits for the summer semester.