Explore Career Resources
The Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation (PPI) program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Pharmacy approaches career development holistically. In addition to completing robust coursework to prepare you for your next stop, students will grow through professional development workshops, expert career advising, and exposure to leading pharmaceutical and psychedelic companies.Individual Career Development
The PPI program gives students the tools to be successful. A pillar of a successful job search is exploring individual interests, skills, and motivations – and how to translate that into applications. The program offers workshops designed to prepare students for the process. PPI students come from all backgrounds at all stages of life.The program recognizes this, and believes that uniqueness requires a tailored, individual approach for each student. Students will meet with a dedicated career advisor and conduct individual meetings to polish resumes, practice interviews, and discuss individual factors such as geographic location and preferences. The psychedelic space is broad, and the PPI advisor will help craft a strategy that works for each student through leveraging foundational education, current skill set, and interests. To schedule a meeting, e-mail Chris McIntyre at cmcintyre@wisc.edu – or, use this link.
Our Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences: Psychoactive Pharmaceutical Investigation prepares graduates to take on Researcher, Technician, Scientist, or similar roles for industrial employers focused on CNS drug discovery and development, and graduates are uniquely qualified to support those companies pursuing rigorous psychedelic and cannabinoid research. These industries are expected to grow by approximately 20% each year for the next decade, with market values exceeding $100 billion.
Our graduates are also well positioned to seek employment in governmental or regulatory positions, and to pursue careers in established not-for-profit institutes and academic centers focused on psychedelic research.
Active program partnerships with organizations engaged in drug discovery, chemistry and manufacturing, formulation development, drug-assisted therapy, patient advocacy, Federal lobbying, patent law, venture capital, clinical trials and more have provided our students with access to diverse internships and careers in a very active, multifaceted, and rapidly-evolving marketplace.
Exposure to Employers
Students in the program have opportunities to engage with leading employers in the industry. These include:- Employer and Career Spotlights (Archive can be found here)
- Resume Books
- Curated Summer Internship Program
- Alumni Networking
- Site Visits
Where PPI Badgers Go?
Students in the PPI program have taken diverse roles across the industry. These include:- Research Administrator
- Scientist
- PhD
- Clinical Affairs Associate
- Patent Associate
- Medicinal Chemist
- Business Development
- Product Development
- Integrata
- Capital Ketamine
- MindMed
- Usona
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHSA)
- Calyx Law
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Wisconsin Opioid Overdose Response Center (WOORC)
"There's no other program that trains across disciplines for work in the psychedelics space, so it's an extraordinary honor to work with PPI master's students. We've been deeply impressed by the knowledge and motivation of all the students we've met, and hope we can continue to work with them as summer interns as well as after graduation."
- Graham Pechenik, Calyx Law
