Courses

The listing of a course description here does not guarantee a course’s being offered in a particular term. Please refer to the published schedule of classes on the MyBU Student Portal for confirmation a class is actually being taught and for specific course meeting dates and times.

• GMS GC 712: Metabolic Genetics/Advanced Risk Assessment
  Section A covers screening, prevention, diagnosis, recurrence risk, treatment and prognosis for biochemical genetic disorders. Section B emphasizes mathematical techniques necessary for accurate genetic counseling, including empiric risk, probability, linkage, mapping and Bayesian analysis. 3 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS GC 713: Genetic Counseling Research Methods
  This year long, continuous course will meet weekly throughout the second year of study. Building on GMSGC 601, the fall semester will focus on developing skills in both conducting and evaluating research in genetic counseling. The course will focus on organizing and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data. Analysis of the literature from genetic counseling, medical, and social science fields to assess theory of the methodology and the validity of the results will be incorporated. The spring semester will focus on how to effectively communicate research in written, visual, and verbal formats, and the completion of a capstone project. Fall 3cr.
• GMS GC 714: Advanced Topics in Medical Genetics
  This course will build from the basic genetic concepts covered in GMSGC 605. Some of the topics addressed include autism spectrum disorders, direct to consumer testing, complex genetic mechanisms, chronic conditions, screening programs, pharmacogenetics, and emerging genetics specialties. 3 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS GC 716: Social, Cultural, and Ethical Issues in Genetics
  This course will address the social, cultural, and ethical issues encountered in genetics and genetic counseling. We will review the basic principles of biomedical ethics and discuss different scenarios that a genetic counselor may encounter, as well as legal cases that have impacted the field of genetic counseling and the ethics of emerging genetic technologies and practices including direct-to-consumer testing and gene therapy. Social and cultural issues in genetic counseling will be explored through case studies, addressing gender, race, religion, social class, disability, and sexual orientation. 3 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS GE 701: Principles of Genetics and Genomics
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - This course will serve as a foundation for understanding the heritable basis of numerous biological traits, the relationships among genes, and the regulation of their expression. Focus on the ability to use genetic systems to probe these problems, and therefore will heavily explore the experimental aspects of these investigations. Includes discussion of the impact of the genome sequences' availability on the practice of modern science. Use of case study approach to investigate the rich variety of scientific insights gained through genetic studies of aging, addiction, obesity, and others. 4 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS GE 702: Advanced Topics in Genetics
  Prereq: GMS GE 701 or consent of instructor. This course will focus on the mechanisms of biological processes that influence the inheritance and regulation of genes. In particular, the molecular details of genetic, epigenetic, and genomic processes will be explored in the context of cancer, stem cell biology, and others. In addition we will discuss the translational science of utilizing these technologies in medical treatments. Dasgupta. 4 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS GE 703: Genetics and Genomics Colloquium I
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - The Genetics and Genomics Colloquium will be a highly participatory journal club where the students will be asked to give presentations on cutting edge research with the focus on communication skills rather than scientific content. This approach will allow students to become more comfortable with public speaking while developing the skills necessary for effective communication of scientific ideas. 2 cr, Fall sem.
• GMS GE 704: Genetics and Genomics Colloquium 2
  Graduate Prerequisites: consent of instructor - Colloquium is structured to serve as both a journal club and a seminar for ongoing research, tailored for graduate students. This course engages students in two key activities: the critical analysis and presentation of contemporary research papers, allowing them to deeply explore and understand the latest advancements in their respective fields; and the opportunity to present their current research, receiving insightful feedback from their peers and faculty. This setup nurtures a collaborative and supportive learning atmosphere. By employing this dual-method approach, Colloquium not only hones students' abilities to effectively articulate complex scientific concepts but also deepens their understanding of research methodologies, findings, and interpretations. This course is designed to cultivate critical thinking, enhance public speaking skills, and foster scientific discourse, all of which are integral for the academic and professional development of students in the scientific community. 2 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS GE 705: Critical Thinking in Genetics and Genomics
  Prereq: consent of instructor. This class is designed to chronologically follow the development of a field of study, to allow students to explore the logical evolution of a coherent line of scientific inquiry. The individual meetings build on the background studies discussed in previous meetings, examine apparent discrepancies in experimental results, critique the approaches employed by the authors, and consider the logical follow-through experiments for the results at hand. TBA. 2 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS GE 706: Deconstructing Systemic Bias: Where Biology Ends and Bias Begins
  This course will help students explore the relationship between race, ethnicity, ancestry, sex, gender, ability status, and identity. Students will also gain understanding of the fundamentals of human population variation at the genetic level and will demonstrate how this information has been misused in the form of "scientific racism." These principles will be used to examine the impact of underrepresentation in scientific studies and cases in which scientific racism and bias have caused harm to marginalized groups. To integrate this knowledge, students will debunk misapplication of these concepts in examples of racism and other forms of bias where biological principles are misrepresented. 2 cr, Spring sem.
• GMS GE 901: Research in Genetics and Genomics
  Var cr, Fall & Spring sem.
• GMS HS 701: Health Science Education 1
  This first portion of a two-part course provides an in-depth introduction to core principles in health professions education. In this course, learners will explore a variety of core concepts through a review of the literature, reflective activities, small group discussion and practical skills-building exercises to review both theory and practice of health sciences training. Topics in this initial course will include definitions of learning and teaching, developing learning contracts and goal setting, adult learning principles, experience and reflection, and competency-based training. This course will ultimately prepare educators in the health sciences to teach directly and provide consultation on teaching and educational issues in their home academic or training institutions. Course instructor approval needed. Fall semester.
• GMS HS 702: Health Science Education 2
  This second portion of a two-part course continues an in-depth exploration of core principles in health professions education. In this course, learners will explore a variety of core concepts through a review of the literature, reflective activities, small group discussion and practical skills-building exercises. Topics in this follow up course will include clinical teaching microskills, cognitive learning processes, diagnostic reasoning and clinical problem solving, the role of feedback and how to provide maximally effective feedback, best practices in bedside teaching, application of direct observation, and integrating evaluation. "Principles of Health Professions Education 2" will prepare educators in the health sciences to teach directly and provide consultation on teaching and educational issues in their home academic or training institutions. Course instructor approval needed. Spring semester.
• GMS HS 704: Learning and Teaching Modalities in Health Professions
  Graduate Prerequisites: Instructor Consent Required. The Fundamentals of Learning and Teaching Modalities in Health Professions course will prepare students to design meaningful learning experiences in health professions education using multiple modalities including large group lecture, small group teaching, cased-based, problem- based and team-based learning, flipped classroom, standardized patients and simulation, e- learning and clinical and bedside teaching. There will be a focus on creating innovative and engaging learner-centered experiences and supportive learning environments. The class will review the concepts of adult learning theories and students will apply their knowledge and understanding of andragogy during this course. Each of the teaching methods classes will be taught in the modality it is reviewing. Students will prepare a final project using one of the teaching modalities to teach a relevant topic to their peers. Fall semester.
• GMS HS 707: Evaluation & Assessment for Health Professions Educators
  Graduate Prerequisites: Instructor Consent Required. This course is designed to provide MS HSE students with an understanding of basic principles of measurement and assessment as it relates to both research and instruction. In this course we discuss how to use, interpret and construct valid and reliable tests. We will examine standardized and classroom assessments, how to develop customized tools as well as explore how accreditation requirements (e.g., ACGME) impact teaching and learning in Health Professions Education. Class will be a mix of lecture, discussions, group work, and in-class activities. Generally, the direction of the course depends largely on student interests and questions. Spring semester.
• GMS HS 715: Use of Artificial Intelligence to Aid Instructional Design in HPE
  This course will aim to review fundamentals of instructional design, outline the foundations of modern artificial intelligence tools, and leverage the growing variety of artificial intelligence (AI) tools for application in health professions education curricula. The course will begin with a brief review of the fundamentals of instructional design and competency-based program development in health professions education, then move into a review of the current models of artificial intelligence such as large language models and generative AI, as well as underlying techniques such as natural language processing and machine learning. The class when then engage in a brief exploration of the growing literature and evidence base regarding the use of artificial intelligence in health professions education, as well as the various available tools in the current marketplace and potential benefits and issues associated with each. Core to this course will be the creation of a complete teaching module, created using artificial intelligence tools and adhering to the core principles of effective instructional design. Given the rapidly developing field of artificial intelligence, students will be active participants in generating and validating course content based on their own experience and exploration of the field through related course assignments such as identifying and sharing a new piece of literature or tool and addressing its potential application to use in health professions education. Similar to other HPE courses, this will be offered in both online and in-person sections.
• GMS HS 800: Practicum Seminar
  This course provides a structure and both peer and faculty support in the development and implementation of a practicum in health professions education, based on an individual presentation and group discussion format.
• GMS HS 801: Practicum
  PRACTICUM 1
• GMS HS 802: Practicum
  PRACTICUM 2
• GMS MA 605: History of Medicine and Healing in the United States
  This course explores the history of medical, cultural, and therapeutic pluralism in the United States, beginning with the colonial period and continuing to the present. We will examine how this pluralism necessarily includes the story of American religious pluralism, the rise of biomedicine, and the changing faces of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), while factoring in the roles of class, race, and gender. We will work with primary source materials, as well as sources from history of medicine, and medical anthropology. 4 cr, Spring sem. M 2:30-5:15, Charles River Campus.