One-year master's program provides path for professional biomedical studies
Friday, April 16, 2021
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University continues to fulfill its land-grant mission through new programs that help serve unique educational needs.
Launched in summer 2020, the new one-year master's degree in biomedical science program is attracting a broad mix of students to the College of Veterinary Medicine, serving as a bridge for opportunities both inside and outside of the veterinary medical curriculum. Part of the appeal lies in the program only requiring a yearlong commitment for completion of a master's degree.
"Often students are not sure what their future holds," said Matthew Basel, clinical assistant professor and associate director of the program. "The pre-professional one-year master's program is designed to introduce students to the biomedical field and prepare them for professional school. During the program, students are able to take advanced courses in a wide range of biomedical sciences, including anatomy, physiology, histology and pharmacology."
"This program has been a great way to strengthen my application for dental school," said Julissa Andazola, who is in the program's first class of students. "I have been able to improve my grade point average while working on rigorous coursework."
Andazola, Ingalls, has a bachelor's in life sciences from K-State.
"I applied for the one-year master's program to strengthen my application for veterinary school and gain the confidence I needed to successfully enter a professional program," said Elizabeth Grimes, another student in the program. Grimes, from Cypress, Texas, came to K-State for the program after earning her bachelor's degree at another university.
Hosted in the anatomy and physiology department, the pre-professional one-year master's program in biomedical science is a non-thesis, coursework-based master's degree that can be completed in 12 months. Typically a master's degree program takes about two years to complete. This program starts during the summer session and is completed at the end of the following spring semester. The 2021 program starts June 7. Applications for summer admission are being accepted through Friday, May 21.
Along with Basel, program coordinators include Pradeep Malreddy and Cathy K. Sparks, clinical assistant professors who both teach anatomy courses in the veterinary college.
"There are no specific admission requirements for this program, as we would like to serve a wide range of potential students," Malreddy said. "We do have some suggested guidelines for students that we think will help them be more likely to succeed. We recommend a bachelor's degree in a biomedical science-related field, a minimum 2.5 or higher overall grade point average and at least a 2.8 grade point average in their higher-level science courses or the last 45 hours of bachelor's degree studies."
All students earning a master's degree at Kansas State University must complete a culminating experience that will be determined by the student in concert with his or her graduate committee. Culminating experiences include either an intellectually creative project, a final report or a culminating examination.
"We believe the best place to prepare for professional school is at a professional school where students can interact with professors who understand the program," Basel said. "Students take courses designed to have the same rigor as any other professional health school and have access to world-class facilities. Classes begin in the summer semester with an intensive introduction to anatomy and physiology, followed by a mix of required and elective courses in the fall and spring."
While the first class nears graduation in May, the program is currently taking applications for the next school year. Classes are scheduled to start in June. Applications are made through the Graduate School at Kansas State University, while the one-year master's program in biomedical science is administered through the College of Veterinary Medicine.
For a full description of the program, the admission requirements and application procedures, go to vet.k-state.edu/education/graduate/one-year-masters/admissions.html.
