Pharmacovigilance Certificate
Pharmacovigilance is the science of collecting, detecting, assessing, and monitoring data of marketed drugs to minimize or prevent adverse effects. Pharmacovigilance, an evolution of safety pharmacology, employs sophisticated, state-of-the-art approaches in the collection and analyses of data for marketed pharmaceutical products. It offers the promise of significant, beneficial improvements in human health by providing safer, effective and individually tailored therapeutics.
Loyola’s Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience offers a 12-credit certificate program in Pharmacovigilance which can be completed in 1-year (full-time) or 2-years (part-time). This program is especially well suited for individuals who are planning careers in the pharmaceutical industry, public health sciences, or biomedical research. The certificate program is also suited for physicians, nurses, and scientists in epidemiology or therapeutic-related fields.
All courses consist of Asynchronous lectures and synchronous course meetings (early evening) and are flexible to allow students to take the courses from home and around daytime obligations. Application deadlines: July 15th and January 3rd each year.
Upon completion of the program, our graduates will be knowledgeable in the latest cutting-edge methods and techniques used by pharmacovigilance groups to detect and assess adverse events of drugs and pharmaceutical products. They will also be knowledgeable of the means by which these data can be employed to improve human health.
Outcomes
Many of our trainees have obtained their jobs in the Pharmacovigilance sector. Many more have been promoted into the Pharmacovigilance operations of their companies. We have published a paper about the program with more detail; Doan, et. Al., Development and Implementation of an Online Global Pharmacovigilance Certificate Program During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Clinical and Applied Thrombosis/Hemostasis, Volume 28: 1-8, 2022.
Learn more about the program’s evolution.
The following are examples of Pharmacovigilance certificate graduates and their current jobs and/or further educational programs:
| PREVIOUS DEGREE | STATUS | CURRENT POSITION | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| MD | Graduated | Nell One Therapeutics | |
| MD | Graduated | Associate Medical Director in rare diseases, Alnylam pharmaceutical | |
| MS | withdrew for job | Scientist, AbbVie | Student was offered the job she sought after taking Phar 420 |
| MS | Graduated | Clinical Research Coordinator, NW University | |
| BS student | Graduated | PhD candidate, Pharm, Loyola | Became interested to seek more education |
| PMD | Graduated | Clinical Research Associate, Clinical Development, ICON pic | |
| MS/MBA | Graduated | Consultant, Astellas Pharma | via SEI |
| MD | Graduated | Medical Director Global Pharmacovigilance and Risk Management, CRISPR Therapeutics | Student was Dept. chair at a community hospital and sought a change. |
| BS | Graduated | U Madison WI, PhD candidate, Pharm, Drug Dev. | Became interested to seek more education |
| MD | 6 of 12 credits completed | Medical Director of pharmacovigilance and clinical safety, Daiichi Sankyo | Intends to complete |
| MD | Graduated | Remianed in clinical medicine | Intent to bring PV to clinic |
Academic Requirements
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent*, with an emphasis on the sciences
Please ask, Dr. W. Keith Jones, PhD, (Director) at email address WKJappts@luc.edu
- GPA of 2.7 or higher
- TOEFL required for foreign students
- Official transcripts from the highest degree obtained
F.A.Q.S.
F.A.Q.S.
What kinds of jobs are available in Pharmacovigilance?
The certificate will prepare students to be competitive for jobs in academic, medial, industrial and regulatory settings. Pharmacovigilance is critical for the Pharmaceutical industry, an active topic among academics and is part of the regulatory environment including the United States Food and Drug Administration, United States Department of Agriculture, Centers for Disease Control, and the World Health Organization. Jobs in pharmacovigilance are expected to grow at higher-than-average rates, (National BLS Projections).
What other training might I need for a career in Pharmacovigilance?
The certificate and your undergraduate degree are sufficient for entry level jobs (e.g., Drug Safety Associate). Graduates who also have a Ph.D., M.S., M.D., RN or other advanced degrees in health sciences have more diverse job options at higher levels of management. For example, a graduate with a Pharmacovigilance certificate and Master in Public Health will be very competitive for a pharmacovigilance career at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization. While graduates with PV certificate and an MD degree might work as Medical Directors in Pharmacovigilance, graduates with a Ph.D. degree might be the best choice for a high-level career in academic Pharmacovigilance.
What is the average salary of graduates with PV certificate?
The salary will depend on whether the graduate student has any higher professional degree in health sciences or not. For graduates with a bachelor’s degree and PV certificate, at the level of Drug Safety Associate, one can expect an annual salary in the range of $55K-$95K (according to Glassdoor). Graduates that have an M.D. degree and PV certificate at the level of Medical Director/Senior Medical Director in Pharmacovigilance can earn annually between $200K-$300K (according to Paysa).
What are the application dates?
Admission is continuous with start dates in the second week of August or January for Fall and Spring semesters, respectively (application deadline August 1st or January 3). Please apply early as it takes up to six weeks to get official documents for transcripts and transcripts evaluations. Contact the Director if there are any issues.
Curriculum Organization
CURRICULUM
FALL SEMESTER (HSC)
SPRING SEMESTER (HSC)
Tuition and Financial Aid
The Biomedical Graduate Programs and Loyola's Financial Aid Office are committed to helping students secure the financial resources to make their education at Loyola affordable. Tuition for 2024-2025 academic year is $1,290 per credit hour (12 credits are needed). The total cost of Phramacovigilance certificate is $15,480.
Contact us
Pharmacovigilance is the science of collecting, detecting, assessing, and monitoring data of marketed drugs to minimize or prevent adverse effects. Pharmacovigilance, an evolution of safety pharmacology, employs sophisticated, state-of-the-art approaches in the collection and analyses of data for marketed pharmaceutical products. It offers the promise of significant, beneficial improvements in human health by providing safer, effective and individually tailored therapeutics.
Loyola’s Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience offers a 12-credit certificate program in Pharmacovigilance which can be completed in 1-year (full-time) or 2-years (part-time). This program is especially well suited for individuals who are planning careers in the pharmaceutical industry, public health sciences, or biomedical research. The certificate program is also suited for physicians, nurses, and scientists in epidemiology or therapeutic-related fields.
All courses consist of Asynchronous lectures and synchronous course meetings (early evening) and are flexible to allow students to take the courses from home and around daytime obligations. Application deadlines: July 15th and January 3rd each year.
Upon completion of the program, our graduates will be knowledgeable in the latest cutting-edge methods and techniques used by pharmacovigilance groups to detect and assess adverse events of drugs and pharmaceutical products. They will also be knowledgeable of the means by which these data can be employed to improve human health.