Fakulti Farmasi | Faculty of Pharmacy, UKM
Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science
Research mode programmes offered by the Faculty of Pharmacy emphasise on inter- and multidisciplinary research areas in pharmacy including, but not limited to, drug discovery, pharmaceutical product development, pharmacy education and quality management of medicine. These research-oriented programmes are, by nature, laboratory-based, a combination of laboratory- and survey-based, or survey-based in various areas of pharmacy such as:
Drug and Herbal Development: focuses on the identification of chemical leads from natural products for specific therapeutic efficacy leading to the development of new drug candidates against complex and challenging drug targets prior to clinical trials and evaluation of herbs and their products for quality, safety and efficacy as therapeutic agents.
Drug Delivery Technology: focuses on contemporary drug delivery issues in order to build rational strategies to drug design resulting in advanced drug delivery. These include acquiring knowledge of the physicochemical properties of traditional and biotechnology-based drug moieties as well as understanding the mechanisms of cellular uptake and transport across biological membranes.
Quality Management of Medicine (QMM): focuses on patterns of drug usage, efficacy of treatment regimens, adverse drug reaction reporting, health awareness, patient education, pharmacoeconomics, national medicines policy and its implementation.
Our educational facilities are located at the UKM Jalan Raja Muda Campus in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Throughout the four-year journey with us, you will learn in our world-class laboratories, mock manufacturing plant, active learning & clinical pharmacy simulation suites, on-campus community pharmacy and modern teaching hospital (Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz).
The city campus also locates other health-related faculties i.e. Faculty of Health Sciences and Faculty of Dentistry. The campus provides a good platform for you to get to know students from other health-related programmes which may end up as life-long friendships.
Other than the usual on-campus facilities such as the library and cafés, the city campus offers a great diversity with easy access to many interesting spots such as places to eat and drink, shopping malls, recreational parks, theatre halls, and art galleries.
Although on-campus student accommodation is currently not an option for postgraduate students, you may uncover private off-campus accommodation prior to your arrival with a guide from the Faculty of Pharmacy Postgraduate Student Society.
| Faculty | Faculty of Pharmacy |
| Campus | Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science |
| Length of study |
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| Contact | kpffar@ukm.edu.my | +603-9289 8055 / 7783 |
Why this program
- Discover your full potential as an independent researcher by working closely with our experienced faculty members who will supervise you throughout your study.
- Participate in various projects ranging from laboratory-based or field research (hospitals or community) to inculcate genuine interest in your specialised research area.
- Our graduates are equipped with research knowledge and skills to support their career development/improvement in every area of academic or fundamental/applied pharmaceutical sciences which requires professional research and development scientists.
- Opportunity to join the postgraduate society to take advantage of increased networking, career development, and learning opportunities.
What you will learn
- Biostatistics and Research Methodology
- Research related skills
Program requirements
Doctor of Philosophy
- Submit a thesis not exceeding 100,000 words
- Pass viva voce examination
- At least TWO (2) journal articles accepted in WoS indexed journal
- Obtain a minimum of grade B for the Research Methodology course
- International students are required to pass Bahasa Melayu course
Master of Science
- Submit a thesis not exceeding 60,000 words
- Pass viva voce examination
- At least ONE (1) journal article accepted in WoS indexed journal
- Obtain a minimum of grade B for the Research Methodology course
- International students are required to pass Bahasa Melayu course
Doctor of Philosophy
- A master’s degree accepted by the Senate
- Other relevant qualifications equivalent to a master’s degree that are accepted by the Senate
Master of Science
- A relevant bachelor’s degree with minimum CGPA of 2.75 or equivalent, as accepted by the Senate; or
- A relevant bachelor’s degree with minimum CGPA of 2.50 and not meeting CGPA of 2.75 or equivalent, can be accepted subject to rigorous internal assessment; or
- A relevant bachelor’s degree not meeting CGPA of 2.50 or equivalent, can be accepted subject to a minimum of 5 years working experience in relevant field.
English Requirement for International Candidates
- International candidates must meet the English language requirement set by the Faculty and University:
- IELTS: a minimum score of Band 6.0, OR
- TOEFL: a minimum score of 60, OR
- CEFR: a minimum level of mid B2, OR
- MUET: a minimum of Level 4 (Band 4), OR
- The Faculty may grant exemption to the conditions set forth above for international candidates from a country that uses English as their official language or who have academic qualifications obtained from any institution of higher learning that uses English as its medium of education.
Come and enrol with us now!
For further inquiry, kindly contact :
Coordinator for Postgraduate (Research) Programme
+603-9289 7508
pppsffar@ukm.edu.my
Assistant Registrar
+603-9289 7783
kpffar@ukm.edu.my
Frequently Ask Questions (FAQs)
How do I apply?
Please use our online system (Join UKM) to submit an application. Fill out the online application form and enclose the following documents – your academic transcripts, certificates, and research proposal. Your application will then be checked by our postgraduate committee; and you will be notified of the result within 14 working days. You can enrol anytime throughout the year, but preferably at the start of a semester. This is because regardless of the time of enrolment, you will still have to pay the tuition fee for a full semester.
How do I find a supervisor?
This depends on your research interests. Officially we have only two research-based programmes ‘Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)’ and ‘Master of Science (MSc)’; but under their umbrellas you can go into a variety of research areas. We have a diverse team of experts tackling different aspects of drug-related research spanning drug discovery, pharmacology, and drug delivery: https://www.ukm.my/farmasi/research/.
Have a look at our academic staff directory and a list of postgraduate opportunities available at our faculty. Please contact potential supervisors before you submit a formal application. A good start would be to email them an expression of interest.
Can I still apply if I don’t meet the English language requirements?
We can make you a conditional offer if you meet our other entry requirements. If you obtained your bachelor’s (or master’s) degree from an academic institution using English as the medium of instruction, you are eligible for exemption from our English language requirements. Enclose with your application a supporting letter from your alma mater.
What are the tuition fees?
You can find tables listing the per-semester tuition fees for the PhD and MSc programmes in the links below:
Are there scholarships available for me?
UKM offers internal scholarships to eligible local students:
- Skim Zamalah Penyelidikan
- UKM Vice-Chancellor Scholarship; and
- UKM Zakat Scholarship.
You can also try and get an outside scholarship e.g., MyBrain. If your supervisor has adequate funding, they may be able to pay you monthly stipends while you work on your research project.
What is the structure of the programme?
You will be working full-time (or part-time) to complete a research project under the mentorship of a supervisor (or a team of supervisors). Additionally, you will be required to complete a faculty-run course on research methodology. International students will be also asked to take a course on the Malay language.
Does the faculty run a PRP training (academia) programme?
Yes, we offer a hybrid MSc-PRP programme that allows students to obtain an MSc degree and complete their PRP training in ~2 years. The structure of the programme is almost identical to that of a non-hybrid MSc programme. Enrolling in the programme means that in addition to undertaking a research project, you will also need to:
- Complete a three-month attachment at our teaching hospital, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM). This will be embedded within the two-year MSc programme. The exact start and end dates will depend on the faculty’s academic calendar and teaching schedules.
- Pass an oral assessment at the end of your one-year PRP training. This should take place in the first 1-1.5 years of your MSc.
When you get in touch with potential supervisors, let them know your intention to enrol in the PRP-MSc programme, so that they can:
- Appoint a preceptor for your PRP-ship (or they can be one themselves).
- Factor this in when planning the research project that you will be working on.
Use Join UKM to apply for the MSc-PRP programme. The system does not have a separate option for ‘MSc-PRP’. So, in your application form, select ‘Master of Science (MSc)’.
What are the accommodation options around the Kuala Lumpur campus?
You can get help from our postgraduate society finding accommodation near the campus. There are plenty of privately owned apartments around the campus.