Program Description

The Master of Arts in Medical Sciences Program (MAMS) is designed for students interested in pursuing a career in a health-related field. The program introduces students to a broad range of topics in the medical sciences while strengthening their academic credentials for admission to professional school. In its 25-year history, many of the 2,000 graduates of the MAMS program have gone on to receive MD, DO, DMD, and PhD degrees and have become leaders in their chosen fields.

The curriculum in the MA in Medical Sciences Program is closely aligned with the first-year medical curriculum at Boston University School of Medicine and several courses, including the required Biochemistry and Cell Biology (BI 751) and Medical Physiology (PH 730/731) courses have identical content and faculty. Other graduate-level courses allow students to explore additional areas of medicine and biomedical research.

The MAMS program is a 32-credit program that can be completed in four semesters in either one or two calendar years. The curriculum and tuition for the program are identical for both the one- and two-year options. A laboratory- or literature-based thesis is required and many students elect to complete the program in two years, using the second year to gain valuable research experience.

In addition to coursework in the medical sciences, students may also opt to pursue interests in other areas such as Public Health, Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Investigation, or Nutrition by entering a concentration or dual degree program.

An Oral Health Sciences Track is also offered for students who are specifically interested in dental medicine (see below).

Degree Requirements

Candidates are required to complete a minimum of 32 graduate credit hours in four semesters. At least 24 of the credits must be obtained from required and elective coursework and up to 8 credits may be obtained from thesis research. The four-semester requirement can be satisfied in 12 calendar months by registering for Fall, Spring and the two Summer semesters, or in 24 calendar months by registering for Fall and Spring semesters in two consecutive years.

The original thesis may be completed through a laboratory- or literature-based research project and is carried out under the guidance of a faculty member in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. Research may be conducted either at Boston University School of Medicine, or another institution of the student’s choosing.

Required Courses

The MAMS program features a structured set of core course requirements and a wide variety of courses in many disciplines from which electives may be chosen.

The core courses required of all students in the MA in Medical Sciences Program are:

• GMS BI 751* Biochemistry & Cell Biology 
(Fall Semester, 6 cr)
• GMS MS 700 Elementary Biostatistics
 (Fall or Spring Semester, 2 cr)
 or GMS CI 670 Biostatistics with Computer
 (Fall Semester, 4 cr)
• GMS PH 730 and PH 731 Human Physiology A, B* 
(Fall and Spring semesters, 4 credits each semester)
• GMS MS 640 Introduction to Biomedical Information 
(Spring Semester, 2 cr)

Medical school equivalent coursework is indicated with an asterisk (*)

Elective Courses

Following are examples of elective courses which may be taken by students in the MA in Medical Sciences program.

Fall Semester Electives

• GMS AN 722 Cellular Organization of Tissues (4 credits)
• GMS PM 730 Introduction to Medical Pharmacology (4 credits)
• GMS BN 779 Beginning Basic Neuroscience (2 credits)
• GMS CI 640 Regulatory & Compliance Issues (4 credits)
• GMS CI 675 Designing Clinical Research Studies (4 credits)
• GMS FS 703 Forensic Chemistry (3 credits)
• GMS MH 703 Counseling Techniques (3 credits)
• GMS FS 705 Forensic Anthropology (2 credits)
• GMS GC 603 Embryology, Teratology & Prenatal Genetics (3 credits)
• GMS GC 605 Clinical Applications in Human Genetics (4 credits)
• GMS MS 971 Related Medical Sciences (research) (2 credits)

Spring Semester Electives

• GMS AN 706 Medical Histology B (3 credits) [Note: This class is the continuation of GMS AN 705]
• GMS PA 510 Medical Immunology (2 credits)
• GMS BN 779 Beginning Basic Neuroscience (2 credits)
• GMS CI 631 Clinical Trials Management (4 credits)
• GMS CI 790 Seminar in Clinical Research (2 credits)
• GMS MI 518 Virology (4 credits)
• GMS PA 600 Introduction to Pathology of Disease (4 credits)
• GMS MS 791 Essential Readings in Translational Research (2 credits)
• GMS MS 972 Related Medical Sciences

Admissions Requirements

In addition to the general admissions requirements for the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences, applicants to the MAMS program are expected to have completed all pre-medical requirements including two semesters each of Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Physics, and Biology, all with lab.

Applicants must also submit scores from either the GRE or MCAT examinations.

In addition to taking the required courses for the MAMS program, students also have the opportunity to tailor their academic program to an interest in one of the following three areas:

• Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine
• Clinical Investigation
• Medical Nutrition Sciences

Students pursuing a concentration will complete the final thesis project in a topic related to the concentration and must complete the requirements for each of the programs as noted below. Students may elect a concentration after beginning the MA in Medical Sciences Program and do not need to note this on their application.

Concentration in Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine

The renewed emphasis in most medical education programs on primary care demands that physicians become adept at the assessment, treatment, and prevention of mental disorders as well as physical disease. Increasingly, health care professionals are being asked to become experts in human behavior, since the key to health promotion is prevention. The mental health curriculum, which includes coursework in counseling techniques, health psychology, group treatment modalities, psychopathology, neuroscience, and the addictions, provides a unique opportunity for a mental health specialty for medical science students.

Students in the Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine concentration must take:

• GMS MH 703 Counseling Techniques: Helping Relationships, Skills, and Procedures

as well as two of the following courses:

• GMS MH 704 Group Work Dynamics and Process
• GMS MH 705 Psychopathology
• GMS MH 711 Health and Exercise Psychology
• GMS MH 812 Addictions
• GMS MS 703 Neuroscience or
• GMS MH 709 Neuroscience for Mental Health Professionals

Concentration in Clinical Investigation

“Clinical investigation” is research that involves humans as research subjects. This type of research is growing rapidly at many levels. The pharmaceutical and biotech industries are constantly discovering new disease “targets” and new compounds to attack these targets. The Human Genome Project will also expand the number of identifiable disease targets. In the medical device industry, the development of new and better materials for devices and the development of hybrid devices (implantable devices with a pharmaceutical or biotech component) has nearly limitless potential. These new technologies need to be tested in clinical research studies to document their safety and efficacy in humans. To conduct these clinical studies, we need well-trained professionals who know how to conduct human research. This need will continue to grow as the demand for clinical studies grows. The courses offered in the clinical investigation concentration provide a solid grounding in the technical and ethical aspects that make human research different from other types of research. Students will learn the elements of study design, trial management, and human research regulations, and write a thesis about a clinical research topic.

Four courses (16 credits) are required to complete the concentration in Clinical Investigation.

The requirements for the Clinical Investigation concentration are:

The three following courses

• GMS CI 640 Regulatory and Compliance Issues
• GMS CI 675 Designing Clinical Research Studies
• GMS CI 790 Seminar in Clinical Investigation

And one of the following courses

• GMS CI 660 Good Clinical Practices in Clinical Research
• GMS MS 610 Ethico-legal Issues of Bioscience

Concentration in Medical Nutrition Sciences

Recent research on the genetic, environmental, behavioral, and social determinants of human diseases has focused attention on the integral role of nutrition in disease epidemiology. Advances in basic nutritional sciences have identified new mechanisms of biological action of the essential nutrients and other components of foods. There is increasing evidence for the efficacy of a wide variety of medical nutrition therapies for the prevention and treatment of many chronic and infectious diseases and their complications. The importance of nutrition in individual and population health throughout the human life cycle, particularly into advanced age, is increasingly recognized. New methods in nutritional epidemiology have expanded research on the relationship among diet, nutritional status, disease risk, and health outcomes.

Evidence is emerging that public health nutrition interventions and health communication campaigns, consistent with national health policies, are effective in promoting and improving the nation’s health and that of vulnerable population subgroups. The concentration in Medical Nutrition Sciences will provide multidisciplinary training in nutrition sciences.

The following four courses are required to complete the concentration in Medical Nutrition Sciences:

• GMS NU 600 Medical Nutrition Sciences
• GMS NU 610 Research Methods in Medical Nutrition Sciences
• GMS NU 620 Research, Clinical and Public Policy Applications in Medical Nutrition Sciences
• GMS NU 700 Medical Nutrition Sciences Seminar

Four credits of elective courses offered by the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences must also be completed.

The Master of Arts in Medical Sciences (MAMS) Oral Health Sciences Track is designed specifically for students who wish to improve their credentials for dental school admission. This master’s degree program is open to applicants who have already earned their bachelor’s degree and have completed all of the pre-dental course requirements.

Oral Health Sciences students take courses at both Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine (BUGSDM) and Boston University School of Medicine Division of Graduate Medical Sciences. Optional coursework is available in a variety of disciplines including public health, health care management, mental health, or clinical research.

The Oral Health Sciences track follows all of the guidelines of the MA in Medical Sciences program and takes four semesters to complete. The degree may be completed in either one or two calendar years and a laboratory- or literature-based thesis is required.

Degree Requirements: Candidates for the MA in Medical Sciences, Oral Health Sciences Track, are required to complete a minimum of 32 graduate credit hours, including a final thesis project. The required courses are indicated with an asterisk (*).

The following core courses are taken at Boston University’s Goldman School of Dental Medicine:

• GMS OH 751 Biochemistry* (6 cr, 1st sem)
• GMS OH 730, 731 Physiology* (6 cr, 1st sem and 2 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OH 740 Microbiology (4 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OH 750 Prevention in Dentistry (3 cr, 2nd sem)

The following courses are taken with students in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences at Boston University School of Medicine.

• GMS OB 700 Biostatistics* (3 cr, 1st and 2nd sem)
• GMS PA 600 Introduction to Pathology (4 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS MS 640 Biomedical Information* (2 cr, 2nd sem)

Additional elective courses may also be selected from those offered through the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences.

Admission Requirements

The application deadline is April 30 and admissions decisions are made on a rolling basis starting January 1. Required applications materials include:

• Completed online application
• An official college transcript
• DAT scores
• A personal statement
• Three letters of recommendation
• A $75 non-refundable application fee

**Please note that we do not consider international students.

The MAMS/MHBM is an 83-credit dual degree program. This program offers students an opportunity to combine a broad-based program in medical sciences with a professional study in mental health counseling and behavioral medicine including a strong academic foundation in neuroscience. The MAMS/MHCBM dual degree program is designed to be completed in two years including summer sessions, or in three years excluding summer sessions. In addition to coursework, graduates will develop research skills in the medical sciences as part of their successful completion of a thesis, and clinical mental health skills that include substantial field training. Successful completion of the program will also lead to eligibility for independent licensure as a mental health counselor. Students completing the program will be awarded a Master of Arts degree in both Medical Sciences and Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine. Associate Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Stephen Brady is director of the Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine program (sbrady@bu.edu).

Application

Applicants submit an application to both the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences Masters in Medical Sciences program and to the Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine program, indicating on each application that admission to the dual degree is desired. Letters of recommendation, test scores, and transcripts must accompany one of the applications and are shared by both admissions committees. Applicants must submit a personal statement letter geared towards both programs.

A student already enrolled in either program who would like to pursue the dual degree may, with the support of their academic advisor, apply for formal admission into the program. Upon acceptance, the director of the dual degree program will review the applicant’s current transcripts and determine what courses must be taken to complete the combined dual degree requirements.

Course Requirements

Dual degree candidates can cross-register and take courses in both programs during a given semester. All courses will be taught on the Medical Campus. Upon completion of the program, students are required to complete 1,000 hours of clinical field work experience and submit a 50–60 page thesis.

Boston University School of Medicine currently supports the Master of Arts in Medical Sciences and Master of Arts in Clinical Investigation programs. A review of curricula, student interests and goals, and emerging careers for professionals with a background in the medical sciences and clinical research suggested the need for such a dual degree program. Students may elect the dual degree program to gain a clinical research background prior to attending medical school or with the intent of pursing clinical research related career opportunities in academic institutions or in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or medical device industries. Dr. Sue Fish (sfish@bu.edu) is the Director of the Clinical Investigation Program.

Curriculum

The 50-credit Medical Science and Clinical Investigation Dual Degree Program offers complementary curricula with a strong background in the medical sciences, and research design and implementation.

This unique program includes curricula in medical sciences and all of the key elements in clinical investigation, offered in a dynamic hospital and medical school environment. The program is designed as a two-year full-time experience, although accommodations can be made for students who need more time to complete the dual degree. Senior faculty with clinical and research expertise will both instruct and mentor students throughout the program. A research thesis, completed during the second year of the program, is designed to demonstrate research skills. Students will also complete 240 hours of a clinical practicum in either an academic institution or in industry. In addition to core coursework, graduates will develop fine-tuned clinical research skills as part of their successful completion of their practicum and research thesis. The dual degree program is appealing to those students who are interested in pursuing careers in the areas of academic medicine, health, and clinical research in either an academic or industry setting. Students completing the program will be awarded a Master of Arts in Medical Sciences and a Master of Arts in Clinical Investigation.

The Division of Graduate Medical Sciences and the School of Public Health offer a dual degree that is broadly based in preclinical medical sciences and public health. Students take core courses in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences and the School of Public Health. Taken as separate degree programs, the MPH requires 48 credits and the MA in Medical Sciences requires 32 credits. The dual MA/MPH, however, is awarded upon completion of 64 credits distributed equally between the two schools.

Students must apply and be accepted to both the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences and to the School of Public Health.

For more information, contact:
Division of Graduate Medical Sciences
715 Albany Street
Boston, MA 02118
617-638-5120

Dr. David Gagnon (617-638-4457) is director of the joint program in the School of Public Health.

The Master of Business Administration/Master of Arts in Medical Sciences is offered as a dual degree, administered jointly by the School of Medicine’s Division of Graduate Medical Sciences and the School of Management. This unique dual degree offers an opportunity to combine a broad-based program in the medical sciences with professional study in health sector management and administration.

Key Facts

• Number of credits: 96 credits
• Program length: 3 years
• Full-time or part-time: Full-time only
• Deadline to apply: Round 1—November 15, Round 2—January 15, Final Round—March 15

Program Requirements

Students interested in completing this dual degree usually complete two semesters in the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences (GMS) and then register with the School of Management (SMG). Once admitted to both programs, a student may cross-register and take courses at either school during any semester. Students must fulfill all program requirements for the MA in Medical Sciences Program.

In addition to successfully completing 96 credits (64 MBA credits and 32 medical science credits), students must fulfill the thesis requirement for the MA in Medical Sciences to successfully complete this dual degree. The thesis should be based on research carried out by the candidate under the direct supervision of a graduate faculty member who is selected by the candidate from the Graduate Medical Sciences faculty. This research project may involve library research only or a combination of library and laboratory (field) research. The thesis may be developed from a course paper with approval.

Additionally, students must also complete a 400-hour internship relating to one aspect of the health sector during the summer after either their first or second year of the program.

Admission Process

Applicants interested in the joint MBA/MA in Medical Sciences should submit completed applications to both the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences and the Graduate School of Management.

Please see the application process pages for the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences and Graduate School of Management for more information. Regardless of the deadline you choose to meet, if you are not yet enrolled in either the MBA or the MA in Medical Science programs, please be sure to submit your applications to each school at the same time.

Students who are currently enrolled in one portion of either of these two degrees, with permission of an advisor, may apply for this specialized dual degree. In these cases, the student must work with a counselor to formally apply for admission to the other School. Upon acceptance, the director of the dual degree program will review the applicant’s transcript and advise him or her on which courses may be taken to complete the combined dual degree requirements.

The School of Management will review your application when you have submitted all of the following materials:

• Application form, including answers to required essay questions
• Application fee of $125 payable to Boston University
• Current résumé
• Two letters of recommendation
• GMAT results (request official scores and include a copy with your application package); 
BU’s GMAT code is P42-5K-43; 
GMAT test scores are valid for 5 years
• Official copies of all university-level transcripts (undergraduate and graduate)

Please have all transcripts mailed to:
Boston University School of Management
Office of Graduate Admission
595 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215

Please note: The Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) is required by the School of Management.

Contact Us

Contact the School of Management at 617-353-2670 or the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences at 617-638-5120 for program-specific questions. We’re also available to chat through MSN/AIM/Yahoo/Google Talk; our screen name is BostonUMBA.