Biomedical Sciences, Master of Science
Overview
Manhattanville's 30-credit M.S. in Biomedical Sciences program aims to provide an advanced background for students who are interested in the medical field and who will ultimately apply for admission to medical, dental, veterinary, physician's assistant or physical therapy professional programs, as well as for those interested in biomedical research. The core curriculum will provide a solid breadth of the basic medical sciences with focused study on specific topics such as global health, bioethics, and biotechnology. Students may have the opportunity to pursue an advanced research project with a faculty mentor. The degree may also be paired as a 4+1 with a B.A. or B.S. degree from the University in the natural sciences.
The program aims to provide 3 core qualifications for its enrolled candidates:
- To improve the candidate's knowledge about the basic biomedical sciences specifically in the fields of cellular biology, anatomy and physiology, microbiology, genetics, molecular biology, immunology, bioethics, biotechnology, and global health issues.
- To allow candidates to recognize the relationship between structure and function at all levels: molecular, cellular, organismal.
- To allow candidates to: understand quantitative reasoning as it applies to skills in the biological sciences; implement the scientific method in laboratory, classroom, and research projects; gain familiarization and use of equipment and, instrumentations used in the biological sciences; adhere to laboratory safety guidelines; and to refine written and oral presentation skills.
Our students are welcome to explore various disciplines within the biomedical sciences through coursework, teaching assistantships, and through our laboratory research program. Teaching assistantships and laboratory research experiences are overseen by a mentor to ensure students learn valuable skills and knowledge in these environments.
The program is flexible to allow students to enroll directly into the program, or transition into the program from previously completed coursework at the University (including from our post-baccalaureate Health Sciences certificate program).
Program Director
Christopher J. Pappas, 914.323.1276, christopher.pappas@mville.edu
Program Advisor
Wendy McFarlane, 914.798.2740, wendy.mcfarlane@mville.edu
Faculty
Darlene Gandolfi
Wendy McFarlane
Nirupama Narayanan
Christopher Pappas
Nancy Todd
Anna Yeung-Cheung
Laboratory Technician
Kenny Plakas, 914.323.5328, kenny.plakas@mville.edu
Degree Requirements
Degree Requirements
Manhattanville’s unique M.S. in Biomedical Sciences curriculum assures flexibility. Students participate in coursework, teaching assistantships, seminars, research, or capstone experiences at their choosing each semester. During this process, they work with gifted professors and mentors who are published within their research field and trained in the latest pedagogical techniques.
The general track for students includes a minimum of 30 credits of:
- Four to six graduate-level biology course electives (minimum 16 credits)
- Two graduate seminars (8 credits)
- One culminating element: Graduate Teaching Assistantship & Literature Thesis; or Graduate Laboratory Research Sequence (6 credits)
The M.S. Thesis
To complete their degree, M.S. in Biomedical Sciences students must submit a thesis which is either the culmination of their laboratory research project at the University, or a literature review. To qualify for writing a research-based thesis, students must spend the equivalent of three semesters in a laboratory setting. Theses can vary in length, but are typically between 30-100 pages in length. Theses are prepared with the help of the student’s mentor during the M.S. in Biomedical Sciences Capstone course.
Example 2-year curriculum:
Year 1 Fall Semester:
Graduate-level Biology Course Elective
Graduate-level Biology Course Elective
Term credit total: 6-8
Year 1 Spring Semester
Graduate-level Biology Course Elective
Graduate-level Biology Course Elective
Term credit total: 6-8
Year 2 Fall Semester
Graduate-level Biology Course Elective
Graduate Seminar
Graduate Research I or Teaching Assistantship
Term credit total: 7-11
Year 2 Spring Semester
Graduate-level Biology Course Elective
Graduate Seminar
M.S. in Biomedical Sciences Capstone
Term credit total: 7-11
Elective courses available to MS students include (but are not limited to):
Seminar courses available to MS students include:
| BIO.5023 | Issues in Global Environmental Change and the Relation to Human Health Seminar | 4 |
| BIO.5026 | Biotechnology Seminar | 4 |
| BIO.5060 | Bioethics Seminar | 4 |
Research and Teaching Assistantships available to MS students include:
| BIO.5497 | Graduate Research in Biology | 3 |
| BIO.5498 | Graduate Teaching Assistantship in Biology | 3 |
| BIO.5499 | Capstone for MS in Biomedical Sciences: Thesis/Literature Review | 3 |
The minimum grade for courses to count towards the degree is a B.