Drug Discovery Certificate
New therapies don't start in a pharmacy. They begin with a question in a lab, followed by years of research, testing and collaboration.
The Ohio State University College of Pharmacy’s Drug Discovery Certificate takes you inside the drug discovery and development process, building specialized knowledge and practical problem-solving skills you can apply in the workplace.
Whether you're a science major looking to deepen your expertise or a non-science major interested in a career in the pharmaceutical industry, you'll gain the insight and skills needed to help advance the next generation of therapeutics.
Not a science major? Not a problem. Bringing a new drug to market requires more than scientists. It takes professionals who support every stage of development, from discovery and optimization to regulatory strategy, business operations, and commercialization. This certificate provides a comprehensive understanding of the complexities of drug discovery while strengthening the communication and collaboration skills needed to work effectively across disciplines.
Choose your impact
Deepen your molecular expertise, master advanced problem-solving methodologies, and learn how laboratory insights translate into real-world clinical and commercial success.
You don’t need a lab coat to shape the future of medicine. Every biotech and pharmaceutical company needs professionals who can navigate strategy, market analysis, and legal frameworks. This certificate demystifies the science, empowering you to speak the language of researchers and confidently drive therapeutics from the bench to the market.
What you'll learn
Foundational expertise, built for application.
Coursework bridges theory and practice across the core stages of discovery, turning classroom theory into practical, team-ready skills.
Students will have the opportunity to explore:
Target identification
Understand how researchers pinpoint the biological driver of a disease and decide it's worth pursuing.
Lead optimization
Learn how a promising compound is refined for potency, safety and stability before it can move forward.
Preclinical testing
See how candidates are evaluated for safety and efficacy before they're ever tested in people.
Regulatory & IP fundamentals
Get a working understanding of patents, FDA pathways and the approval process that shapes every decision.
Economic evaluation
Explore interventions, including cost-effectiveness and cost-benefit analysis, to measure the value of disease prevention and healthcare treatments and services
Market access & communication
Learn how a drug's value gets communicated to physicians, payers, and patients once it's ready for market
Where it leads
Careers across the whole industry, not just the lab.
Pharma and biotech companies hire scientists, but also lawyers, marketers, analysts, and project managers who understand the science well enough to work alongside them. This certificate prepares you for either seat at the table.
The certificate
The Drug Discovery Certificate requires 15 credit hours including targeted coursework, electives and a collaborative problem-solving capstone project.
In addition to the capstone project, all students must take PHR 2530 (Introduction to Pharmaceutical Science Research and either PHR 4000 (Molecules to Medicines I) for those who have taken biochemistry OR PHR 2500 (Drug Discovery, Development, and Delivery) AND PHR 2010 (Pharmacology: How Drugs Work) which require no prerequisites.
The remaining 5-6 credit hours will be fulfilled from a list of pharmacy courses.
- PHR 2530: Introduction to Pharmaceutical Science Research (2 credit hours)
- Designed to differentiate investigation-focused pharmaceutical research compared to skills-focused laboratory course work and introduce students to exciting topics of active research in the field in a highly approachable way
Choose ONE of the following:
For science majors or others who have taken a biochemistry course
- PHR 4000: Molecules to Medicine I (5 credit hours)
- Principles governing the design, synthesis, delivery, action and use of drugs in disease treatment. Model disease pathophysiology and treatment will be investigated, discussing how biological differences can be targeted for therapeutic gain
- Prerequisite: PHR 3200 (Biochemistry for the Pharmaceutical Sciences) or BIOCHEM 4511 (Introduction to Biological Chemistry) or BIOCHEM 5613 (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I)
- Principles governing the design, synthesis, delivery, action and use of drugs in disease treatment. Model disease pathophysiology and treatment will be investigated, discussing how biological differences can be targeted for therapeutic gain
For students who do not have a science background or have not taken biochemistry
- PHR 2500 AND PHR 2010 (neither have prerequisites)
- PHR 2500: Drug Discovery, Development, and Delivery (3 credit hours)
- Provides a comprehensive overview of the drug discovery, development, and delivery process within the US healthcare system, exploring the roles of vested stakeholders (e.g., patients, pharmaceutical industry, providers, insurers, society, etc.) during a drug's "bench to bedside" development including its post-development place in therapy
- PHR 2010: Pharmacology: How Drugs Work (3 credit hours)
- Presents an overview of basic principles underlying drug action
- PHR 2500: Drug Discovery, Development, and Delivery (3 credit hours)
- PHR4700: Pharmaceutical Science Capstone Experience (2 credit hours)
- In this course students are challenged to apply design thinking methodologies through collaboration in multidisciplinary teams to address real-world challenges from industry or academic partners. This experience prepares graduates to be adaptive problem-solvers who can navigate complexity, collaborate across interdisciplinary boundaries, and help drive human-centered innovation
- Students with at least 2 semesters of 4998 research credit related to pharmaceutical science research and demonstrating forward progress in a research project may waive this course.
- PHR 3400 - Therapeutic Frontiers (2 credit hours)
- PHR 3430S - Quest for the Cure (4 credit hours)
- PHR 3440 – Drugs that Changed the World (3 credit hours)
- PHR 4180H - Drug Discovery in the Central Nervous System (2 credit hours)
- PHR 4210H - Problem Solving in Biomed Chem (2 credit hours)
- Prereq: PHR 3200 (Biochemistry for the Pharmaceutical Sciences)
- PHR 4330 - Basic Pharmacokinetics (2 credit hours)
- Prereq: Math 1150 (Precalculus)
- PHR 4402 - Economic Evaluation of Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Interventions (3 credit hours)
- PHR 4420 - Biologics: Transforming Medicine (2 credit hours)
- Coreq: PHR 3200 (Biochemistry for the Pharmaceutical Sciences)
- PHR 4430 - GPCR Pharmacology (2 credit hours)
- Coreq: PHR 3200 (Biochemistry for the Pharmaceutical Sciences)
- PHR 4440 – Pharmacology of Neurologic & Psychiatric Disorders (3 credit hours)
- Prereq: PHR 3200 (Biochemistry for the Pharmaceutical Sciences) or BIOCHEM 4511 (Introduction to Biological Chemistry) or BIOCHEM 5613 (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I)
- PHR 4490 – Survey of AI/ML in Pharmaceutical Sciences (3 credit hours)
- PHR 4610 - Experimental Techniques in Drug Discovery (4 credit hours)
- Prereq: 3200 (Biochemistry for the Pharmaceutical Sciences ) or equivalent
- PHR 4800 - Advances in Microbial Biotechnology (3 credit hours)
- Prereq: MICRBIO 4100; or BIOCHEM 4511 (Introduction to Biological Chemistry) or 5613 (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology I); or Pharmacy 3200 (Biochemistry for the Pharmaceutical Sciences)
How to apply
For more information on the certificate, or to apply, please contact our advisors at cop-bspsinfo@osu.edu.
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