Location:

Harrisonburg, United States

Program Type:

Full Degree

Degree Level:

Master

Specialty:

Biomedical Science

Program Overview

Program Description:

Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) has launched a new MA Biomedicine graduate program with three tracks: (1) Natural science and health, culminating with an MA in Biomedical Science; (2) Natural science and education, culminating with an MA in Biomedical Teaching; and (3) Natural science and business, culminating with an MA in Biomedical Leadership. Our vision is to prepare graduates who can successfully enter medical school or other professional health science schools, enhance their effectiveness as teachers in secondary schools, or work in health care administration. The MA in Biomedicine program uses the same core curriculum of natural sciences taught in many other graduate programs. Guided by our excellent faculty, equipped science laboratories, and direct interaction of faculty with students in small class settings, students can gain a mastery of biomedical science concepts. Beyond that our students are challenged to examine the complexity of the human self by considering physical, social, psychological, and spiritual dimensions. Faculty mentors uniquely educate students through the following four methodologies: • integrative seminar/practicum courses emphasizing transdisciplinary and practical experiences, • cross-discipline courses in social science, theology, and ethics accenting the interconnectedness of faith and science, • faculty-mentored research project investigating transdisciplinary facets of a biomedicine topic, and • cross-cultural course practicum reflecting biomedical practice in different ethnic or social settings. Our goal is to educate broadly and humanely, and to holistically promote the power of shalom in a world of hurt and sickness The primary target audience for the natural science and health track (Biomedical Science) are students holding a baccalaureate degree, frequently not in science, but in other areas of the liberal arts. Such students, who want to enter medical school or another doctorate level health science professional school (e.g. optometry or pharmacy), frequently lack the prerequisite courses to enter their desired program or in prior years have not scored well on such prerequisite courses or entrance tests. In response this program through the biomedical science track provides the prerequisite core science courses and training that enables students to successfully gain entrance into medical school. The primary target audience for the natural science and education track (Biomedical Teaching) consists of current secondary education science teachers who wish to enhance their academic credentials and teaching with graduate courses and to gain current training in new advances in biomedicine. The primary target audience for the natural science and business track (Biomedical Leadership) consists of students who are interested in entry-level administrative positions in health care institutions. Instructional delivery involves traditional classroom and laboratory classes at EMU. Dual-listed courses (undergraduate/graduate) comprise a significant quantity of the courses in this program along with other courses that are exclusively graduate. The MA is awarded based on satisfactory completion of 48 hours of approved coursework. The program is interdisciplinary with courses based in multiple academic departments including the natural and social sciences and the humanities. The core required courses and most of the elective courses are taught on Eastern Mennonite University’s Harrisonburg, Virginia, campus. A few elective courses can be taken “on-line.” Students who complete our program are prepared to apply and successfully enter medical or dental school. As a potential measure of quality, in our undergraduate premedical program about 90% of the graduates from the premedical program have been successful in gaining entrance into medical school.

Additional Program Information

Accreditation:

Program approved by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS)

Financial Aid:

No

Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree with minimum GPA of 2.75; Minimum GRE score of 1000 or MCAT score of 21 Prerequisite undergraduate science and math courses For full admittance—35 SH including two general biology courses with labs (8 SH), two general chemistry courses with labs (8 SH), two organic chemistry courses with labs (8 SH), two general physics courses with labs (8 SH), and one math course (3 SH) For provisional admittance—19 SH including two general biology courses with labs (8 SH), two general chemistry courses with labs (8 SH), and one math course (3 SH).