Those seeking a Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry through the Distance Master's Program will pursue their degree off-site. This requires students to take online courses and, in most cases, work with a supervisor at their site in addition to a thesis advisor at the University of Kansas.

A Master's Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry requires 30 credit hours (19-21 hours of course work and 9-11 hours of thesis research credit hours). A Master's degree level thesis project will satisfy the 9-11 hours of thesis credit research. A senior staff member at the candidate's off-site location normally provides day-to-day supervision of research. In the unusual circumstance that a thesis project is not feasible, an in-depth literature review of a specific topic of interest to pharmaceutical chemistry, including pharmaceutics, may be chosen as the final project. The review, to be supervised by a faculty member of the Pharmaceutical Chemistry Department, will be of such depth and quality to warrant publication in a major pharmaceutical journal.

The final oral committee will comprise at least three members. At least two members will be from the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry faculty, one of which will serves as the committee chairperson, with the final member being the person who provided day-to-day supervision at the research site.