Nine students will receive the first bachelor’s degrees conferred by UC Irvine’s Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Founded as a program in 2003, the department offers an interdisciplinary curriculum of biology, chemistry and pharmacology for students interested in careers in the booming drug development and biotechnology industries or in pharmaceutical research. The “pharm sci nine” will walk in the College of Health Sciences’ commencement ceremony Friday, June 11. All will graduate with grade-point averages above 3.0, according to senior academic counselor Kim Ayala. The growing department has 53 returning students, with another 69 scheduled to join next year.