Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions

Individual Occupational Requirements for

GS-405: Pharmacology Series

The text below is extracted verbatim from Section IV-B of the Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions (p.IV-B-58), but contains minor edits to conform to web-page requirements.

Use these individual occupational requirements in conjunction with the "Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions."

Basic Requirements: Degree: major in an appropriate biological, medical, veterinary, or physical science, or in pharmacy that included at least 30 semester hours in chemistry and physiology and 12 semester hours in pharmacology.

Evaluation of Education: The positions in this series are multidisciplinary positions, since the work involves the application of a scientific knowledge of biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and such related sciences as microbiology, biophysics, genetics, mathematics, and statistics.

Courses in chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, general physiology, and animal, human, microbial, or cellular physiology may be used to meet the 30-semester-hour requirement in chemistry and physiology. Under some circumstances, i.e., where the course work provided additional insight into the biophysical, biochemical, and physiological relationships involved, courses in such subjects as cytology, embryology, cellular or microbial genetics, and biophysics may be used to meet this requirement.

Courses in pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, pharmacotherapeutic, molecular pharmacology, and other similar subjects may be used to meet the 12-semester-hour requirement in pharmacology. Courses dealing intensively with pharmacologically-oriented subjects may also be used to meet this requirement.

Updated 06 November 1998