The Master of Arts in Medical Sciences is designed for students interested in pursuing a career in a health related field including the pursuit of medicine. Students who matriculate, some of whom had applied previously to medical school, come from many universities throughout the U.S. and Canada. The concept is to introduce students to a variety of career opportunities including medicine. Students are required to take a number of medical school courses as well as courses in advanced basic medical sciences. In fact, up to 24 of the 32 required credits of course work can be taken in first-year medical school classes along with medical students. This provides a student an opportunity to improve his or her academic standing and to demonstrate the ability to successfully complete a medical curriculum while continuing preparation for a career in medicine or another health-related field.

The program has been successful in identifying a large number of students who have gone on to careers in medicine and beyond. Optional coursework is available in Public Health, Health Care Management, Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine, Clinical Investigation, Bioimaging, Medical Anthropology, Medical Nutritional Sciences, Biomedical Forensics, and Forensic Anthropology. Combined degree programs are available leading to MPH, MBA, and MA in Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine degrees. Although the vast majority of students successfully completing the Program go on to medical school (see below), many utilize the program to pursue a PhD, DMD, or DO degree. Others, after completing an MBA, elect a career in health care management. Students completing the MA in Medical Sciences/MA in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine elect a career as a mental health counselor.

The MA in Medical Sciences Program takes four semesters to complete. Because of the unique summer calendar at Boston University, it is possible to complete the degree in Medical Sciences in one full calendar year commencing in the fall semester. It should be pointed out that many students need a full year of grades and sometimes a retake of the MCATs to demonstrate their qualifications for admission to medical school. Consequently, while the program can be completed in one year, the process of gaining admission to medical school often takes two years to complete.

A thesis is required for the degree. Students have the option of pursuing a laboratory or library based thesis.

Sample Curriculum to Complete Program in Twelve Months

Medical School courses or their equivalent appear in bold print.

*Common elective courses—Students may select from these or others offered.

Fall Semester

• GMS BI 751 Biochemistry (6 cr)
• GMS PH 730 Human Physiology A (4 cr)*
• GMS AN 705 Medical Histology A (3 cr)*
• GMS PM 730 Introduction to Medical Pharmacology (4 cr)*
• GMS MS 971 Related Medical Sciences (research credits) (2–4 cr)*

Spring Semester

• GMS PH 731 Human Physiology B (2 cr)
• GMS AN 706 Medical Histology B (3 cr)*
• GMS PH 748 Endocrinology (2 cr)*
• GMS PA 510 Medical Immunology (2 cr)*
• GMS PA 600 Introduction to Pathology of Disease (4 cr)*
• GMS MS 640 Introduction to Biomedical Information (2 cr)
• GMS MS 700 Biostatistics (2 cr)
• GMS MS 972 Related Medical Sciences (research credits) (4 cr)*

Summer I

• GMS MS 985 A1 Continuing Studies or
• GMS MS 971 Related Medical Sciences (research credits) (2–4 cr)*

Summer II

• GMS MS 986 B1 Continuing Studies or
• GMS MS 971 Related Medical Sciences (research credits) (2–4 cr)

Degree Requirements

Candidates are required to complete a minimum of 32 graduate credit hours including an original thesis.

The program for the MA degree in Medical Sciences consists of the equivalent of two semesters of fundamental course work and two semesters of directly supervised research. The latter two semesters may be completed during the summer. Students in the program must be registered for 4 semesters. Candidates are required to complete the equivalent of a minimum of eight semester courses (32 credits) at the graduate level.

Students who wish to complete the requirements of the MA program in 12 months must register full-time (12-16 credits in the Fall and Spring semesters and at least 2 credits in both summer sessions) or register as a continuing student for each of the two summer semesters.

Required Courses

The program features a structured set of core course requirements and several groups of courses from which electives may be chosen.

The core courses required of all students (except the students completing the Oral Health curriculum track, please see below) 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 740* Physiology (Spring Semester, 6 cr) or GMS PH 730 and PH 731 Human Physiology A, B 
(Fall and Spring semesters, 3 cr each)
• GMS MS 640 Introduction to Biomedical Information 
(Spring Semester, 2 cr)

Required Courses for the Oral Health Sciences Curriculum Track

• GMS OH 751 Biochemistry/Dental (Fall Semester, 6 cr)
• GMS OH 730 Physiology A/Dental (Fall Semester, 6 cr)
• GMS OB 700 Biostatistics (Fall Semester, 2 cr)
• GMS OH 731 Physiology B/Dental (Spring Semester, 2 cr)
• GMS OH 750 Prevention and Health Promotion in Dentistry
(Spring Semester, 3 cr) or GMS OH 760 Prevention and Health Promotion (Summer II, 2 
cr)

Concentrations

Students in the MA in Medical Sciences Program can direct their elective course selection and final thesis project to one of the three concentrations:

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

To declare your intention to complete a concentration, please complete an MA in Medical Sciences Concentration Declaration Form obtain your faculty advisor’s signature, the concentration advisor’s signature, and submit the form to Millie Agosto, Registrar, Room L-315.

In addition to completing your final thesis project in a topic related to your concentration, the requirements for each of the three concentrations follow:

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 curricula, 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.

The two required courses for the Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine concentration are:

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

Students who elect the Mental Health Counseling & Behavioral Medicine concentration must also take 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, 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 equirements 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

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 medical nutritional sciences 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 of 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

Elective Courses

Fall Semester Electives —at least four credits must be taken

• GMS AN 705 Medical Histology A (3 cr) (This is the first part of a two-
semester sequence; GMS AN 706 (3 credits) will be taken in
 the Spring Semester.)
• GMS AN 720 Introduction to the Neurobiology of Education (2 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS BN 777 Beginning Basic Neuroscience (3 cr, for Mental Health concentration)
• GMS BN 779 Beginning Basic Neuroscience (2 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS BN 798 CNS Functions (4 cr)
• GMS BN 893 Child Clinical Neuropsychology (4 cr)
• GMS BC 600 Natural Hazards (3 cr)
• GMS BC 610 Technological and Man-made Hazards (3 cr)
• GMS BC 620 Psychology and Sociology of Disaster and Methods
of Risk Communications (3 cr)
• GMS BC 630 Ethical and Policy Issues in Health and Medical Services (3 cr)
• GMS CI 640 Regulatory & Compliance Issues (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS CI 675 Designing Clinical Research Studies (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS FS 703 Forensic Chemistry (3 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS FS 705 Forensic Anthropology (2 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS GC 603 Embryology, Teratology, and Prenatal Genetics (3 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS GC 605 Clinical Applications in Human Genetics (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS CM 753 Cell Biology (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS GE 701 Principles of Genetics and Genomics (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS IM 600 Bioimaging Foundations (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS IM 610 Magnetic Resonance: Principles, Methods, and Applications in Biomedical Research (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS IM 660 Radiation Protection, Safety, and Ethics (2 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MA 720 World Religions, Medicines, and Healing (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MA 740 Cultural Formation of the Clinician: Its Implications for Practice (3 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MH 701 Counseling Theory (3 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MH 703 Counseling Techniques (3 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MH 705 Psychopathology (3 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MH 708 Human Growth and Development (3 cr, with permission
of instructor)
• GMS MM 701 Genetics and Epidemiology of Disease (2 cr, prerequisite BI 751 and permission of instructor. Should only be taken by second-year students.)
• GMS MM 703 Cancer Biology (2 cr, prerequisite BI 751 and permission of instructor. Should only be taken by second-year students.)
• GMS MM 707 Organ System Diseases (2 cr, prerequisite BI 751 and permission of instructor. Should only be taken by second-year students.)
• GMS MS 610 Ethico-Legal Issues of Bioscience (3 cr)
• GMS MS 706 Introduction to Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MS 783 Molecular Basis of Neurologic Diseases (2 cr, with
 permission of instructor)
• GMS NU 600 Medical Nutrition Sciences (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS NU 610 Research Methods in Medical Nutrition Sciences (4 cr,
with permission of instructor)
• GMS NU 700 Medical Nutrition Sciences Seminar (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS PM 730 Introduction to Medical Pharmacology (4 cr)
• GMS PM 800 Advanced General Pharmacology (2 cr, with permission of instructor)

Spring Semester Electives—at least four credits must be taken

• GMS AN 700* Medical Histology (6 cr with permission of instructor)
• GMS AN 706 Medical Histology B (3 cr, with permission of instructor) [Note: This class is the continuation of GMS AN 705.]
• GMS BN 779 Beginning Basic Neuroscience (2 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS BN 782 Forensic Practice in Neuropsychology and Neuroscience (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS CI 631 Clinical Trials Management, (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS CI 790 Seminar in Clinical Research (2 cr)
• GMS MH 704 Group Work Dynamics and Process (3 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MH 708 Human Growth and Development: Knowledge & Skills (3 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MH 711 Health and Exercise Psychology (3 cr)
• GMS MI 518* Virology (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MS 552 Presenting Data in Biomedicine (4 cr)
• GMS MS 703* Neurosciences (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS NU 620 Research, Clinical, and Public Policy Applications in Medical Nutrition Sciences (4 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS OH 730 Microbiology/Dental (4 cr, with permission of instructor, for Oral Health track only)
• GMS PA 600 Introduction to Pathology of Disease (4 cr)
• GMS PA 510* Medical Immunology (2 cr)
• GMS PM 810 Current Topics in Pharmacology (2 cr)
• GMS PH 748* Endocrinology (4 cr, with permission of instructor)

Summer Semester Electives

• GMS MH 810 Psychopharmacology (3 cr, with permission of instructor)
• GMS MS 506 Clinical Laboratory Genetics (4 cr)
• GMS CI 660 Good Clinical Practices in Clinical Research (4 cr)

The MMS/MHBM is an 85-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 vounseling and behavioral medicine including a strong academic foundation in neuroscience. The MMS/MHCBM program is designed to be completed in as little as 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 Masters of Arts 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.

Application

Students apply by completing an application to the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences 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. Students must submit a personal statement letter geared towards both programs.

A student already enrolled in either program who decides to pursue the dual degree may, with the advice of their advisor, apply for formal admission into the program. Upon acceptance, the director of the dual degree program reviews the applicant’s current transcripts and advises what courses may 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 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, emerging careers for professionals with a background in the medical sciences, and clinical research suggested the need for a Master of Arts in Medical Sciences and Clinical Investigation Dual Degree Program. This program is now available to incoming students beginning in the Fall 2010.

A number of the students in the Medical Sciences Program who take the Clinical Investigation electives in that concentration do so to gain a clinical research background prior to attending medical school. As well, some students elect to pursue a MA in Medical Sciences and an MA in Clinical Investigation with the intent of pursing clinical research related career opportunities in academic institutions, or in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or medical device industries. The dual degree option would give these students an opportunity to gain training that will serve them well as clinician- researchers.

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. Attached is the model curriculum for the dual degree program which can be modified to meet specific student needs.

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 course work, 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.

Model Dual Degree Master of Arts in Medical Sciences and Master of Arts in Clinical Investigation

Option 1

(Required courses appear in bold.)

Total Credits: 50 credits

Year 1 Fall Semester—17 credits

• BI 751 Biochemistry (6 cr)
• PH 730 Physiology (4 cr)
• AN 705 Medical Histology A (3 cr)
• CI 675 Design Clinical Research (4 cr)

Year 2 Fall Semester—8 credits

• CI 640 Regulatory and Compliance (4 cr)
• CI 670 Biostats with Computer (4 cr)
• CI 791 Practicum [0cr]

Year 1 Spring Semester = 17 credits

• PH 730 Physiology [2cr]
• CI 631 Clinical Trials Management (4 cr
  
• CI 790 Seminar in Clinical Investigation (2 cr)
• AN 706 Medical Histology B (3 cr)
• PH 750 Endocrinology (2 cr)
• PA 510 Immunology (2 cr)
• MS 640 Intro to Biomed Info (2 cr)

Year 2 Spring Semester—8 credits

• Elective (4 cr)
• Research or elective (4 cr)
• Thesis/Defense

Option 2

(Required courses appear in bold.)

Total Credits: 50 credits

Year 1 Fall Semester—18 credits

• BI 751 Biochemistry (6 cr)
  
• CI 670
• CI 640 Regulatory and Compliance (4 cr)
• CI 675 Design Clinical Research (4 cr)
• PM 730 Intro to Medical Pharmacology (4 cr)

Year 2 Fall Semester—8 credits

• Biostats with Computer (4 cr)
• Elective/Research (4 cr)
• CI 791 Practicum (0 cr)

Year 1 Spring Semester—18 credits

• GMS PH 740 Physiology (6 cr)
• GMS AN 700 Medical Histology (6 cr)
• GMS PH 748 Endocrinology (2 cr)
• GMS PA 710 Immunology (2 cr)
• MS 640 Intro to Biomed Info (2 cr)

Year 2 Spring Semester—6 credits

• CI 790 Seminar Clinical Investigation (2 cr)
• CI 631 Clinical Trials Management (4 cr)
• Thesis/Defense

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

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 Medical Science Division 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. Students are required to take a number of medical school courses and courses in advanced basic medical science, as well as core MBA and specific health sector management related coursework.

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 of the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences.

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.

Curriculum Map

First Year

School of Medicine

• Clinical Laboratory Genetics
• Presenting Data in Biomedicine
• Ethic-legal Issues of Bioscience
• Elementary Biostatistics
• Neuroscience
• Introduction to Computer Applications in Health Care and Biomedicine
• Research Seminar in Medical Informatics
• Cell Biology
• Introduction to Human Genetics
• Molecular Basis of Neurologic Diseases

Second Year

Fall

• Executive Presentations
• Career Toolkit
• Managing Organizations and People
• Financial Management
• Marketing Management
• Financial Reporting and Control
• Data Analysis for Managerial Decision-Making

Spring

• Executive Written Communication
• Current Topics in Law & Ethics
• IT Strategies for a Networked Economy
• Creating Value through Operations and Technology
• Economics and Management Decisions
• Competition, Innovation, and Strategy
• Health Sector Issues and Opportunities

Summer

• 400-hour required Health Sector Management Internship

Third Year

Fall

• MBA Professional Career Portfolio
• Health Sector Delivery or
• Drugs, Devices, and Diagnostics
• Elective*
• Elective*
• Elective*
• Elective*
• Elective*

• Elective*
• Elective* or
• Elective*
• Elective*

* 2 of 8 electives must be Health Sector Management electives

Please note that this is a sample guide. This is by no means a firm map of courses, and each individual’s schedule will vary. Current SMG students should see their advisor in the Graduate Programs Office for assistance with course selection. The curriculum and courses are subject to change as recommended by deans, faculty, and administrators of the School of Management and the School of Medicine.

Tuition

While students are attending both GMS and SMG, they pay a flat-rate tuition charge per semester. However, if a student exceeds 18 credits in a given semester, additional tuition charges will apply. Annual full-time tuition charges for 2008 – 2009 are $36,540.

Students taking summer SMG courses while considered a medical sciences student will incur tuition charges for those courses. Additionally, summer courses taken at SMG may not be applied toward the MA degree.

Students applying for institutional financial aid must submit the completed application to the School of Medicine no later than January 1 for fall admission or October 15 for spring admission. For the School of Management, applicants are automatically considered for available scholarship funds. The admission application should be submitted no later than March 15, however, applying early is recommended. Students with merit-based scholarships from GMS are unlikely to receive additional support from SMG.

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.

The Master of Arts in Medical Sciences Oral Health Sciences Track focuses on oral health and is designed for students interested in pursuing a career in Dentistry. The concept is to target applicants who have applied to dental school and were not granted admission because there were deficiencies in their transcripts or DAT, and to provide them with the opportunity to enhance their academic preparation prior to the reapplication process. This master’s degree program is open to applicants who have already earned their bachelor’s degree or equivalent, including completion of the pre-dental course requirements.

Students are required to take certain dental courses and courses in advanced basic sciences. Optional course work is available in a variety of disciplines, including public health, health care management, mental health or clinical research. This track follows all the guidelines of the MA in Medical Sciences program and takes four semesters to complete. Because of the unique summer calendar at Boston University, it is possible to complete the degree in Medical Sciences in one full calendar year commencing in the fall semester. (Students may complete all degree requirements in four semesters of study: Fall, Spring, and Summer Sessions I and II.) A thesis is required. Some students pursue a laboratory-based thesis, while others develop a library-based thesis

Program achievements: Since the program’s inception in 2005, 42 students have completed the Program and 37 have been accepted to dental school. Students have been accepted to the following dental schools: Boston University Goldman School of Dental Medicine; Tuft’s University School of Dental Medicine; University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry; University of Washington School of Dentistry; Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine; Creighton University School of Dentistry; Marquette University School of Dentistry; and University of Detroit Mercy School of Dentistry.

The following core courses are required of all students in the MA in Medical Sciences Oral Health Sciences Track and are taken with dental students at the Goldman School of Dental Medicine:

• GMS OH 751 Biochemistry (6 cr, 1st sem)
• GMS OH 730, 731 Physiology (8 cr, 1st and 2 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OB 700 Biostatistics (3 cr, 1st and 2nd sem)

Additionally the following courses are taken:

• GMS OH 740 Microbiology (4 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS OH 750 Prevention in Dentistry (3 cr, 2nd sem)
• GMS PA 600 Introduction to Pathology (4 cr, 2nd sem)

Students who elect the Oral Health Sciences Track may also elect to take one or more courses available through the Division of Graduate Medical Sciences.