ALL PROGRAMS | College of Arts & Sciences Programs

students working on a health science project

What does it cost?

Check out our cost calculator or visit student financial services for information on estimated costs.

How long will it take?

A minimum of 32 semester hours of applicable graduate coursework must be completed. It is possible to complete the program in one year, but most students take two years (four semesters).

Where will I take classes?
Atlanta Campus

Application Deadlines

Fall: May 15
Spring: September 1
Summer: Does Not Admit

View Admissions Requirements

College of Arts & Sciences

Biological Sciences, M.S, Medical Science Concentration

Biology

Director
Dr. Carmen Eilertson, [email protected]

The Biological Sciences, M.S, Medical Science Concentration is designed to help students be better prepared to apply to medical school and succeed in the tough first year of coursework.

Students who have completed a bachelor's degree often encounter a “gap year” prior to applying to med school. They often need additional coursework and advising to enhance their application and make them more competitive in the selection process. Once they enter medical school, students often struggle with their first year of studies and wish they had taken key pre-med courses. The program consists of 32 credit hours of relevant courses that teach concepts and skills central to the practice of medicine.

The program focuses on:

Mastery of specific pre-med coursework that simulates first year medical school courses,
Advisement with the medical school application process, and
A capstone course that focuses on internships and clinical research.

For more information on the program, explore our frequently asked questions.

Not planning to apply for medical school? For information about the Biological Sciences, M.S., go to https://cas.gsu.edu/program/biology-ms/.

Program Highlights

90% Medical School Acceptance Rate

The first three cohorts are reporting a 90% acceptance rate into medical school.

Many of the courses are taught using case-based or problem-based instruction methods. Medical schools are adopting case-based instruction methods. That means students who complete our MBMS program will have experience with this teaching format. Demonstrating success in these courses is also designed to strengthen the credentials of the student applying to med school, potentially giving them an advantage over students who only take the minimum required courses set by various medical programs.

Career Outcomes

This program prepares students for the medical school application process as well as the first year of medical school.

Students go on to careers as:

general practitioners
physicians
surgeons
other allied health professionals

Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Zachary Morehouse — Master of Biology Medical Sciences Program

Get to know alumni Dr. Zachary Morehouse, as he shares how Georgia State University impacted his career and journey as a medical student, as well as tips for current graduate students.

Program Details

Please Note: GRE scores are being waived for all of 2021.

A strict minimum GPA of 3.30 (both cumulative and science). Scores below this cut-off WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.
Upload ALL Official Transcripts of past academic performances.
Statement of Purpose
For non-native speakers of English, official scores on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System)
Completion of all of the premed prerequisites required by medical schools:
One year of General Biology with labs, one year of Physics, one year of English, and two years of Chemistry with labs (inclusive of Organic Chemistry) with a grade of C or better. Most applicants have grades of B or better. These cannot be online courses.
At least three letters of recommendation–two of which need to be from professors.
Select the concentration in Medical Science as your first choice
Complete Biol 7240, 7250 and 7800 with a grade no lower than a B. Many applicants do not have these prerequisite premed courses, yet may be accepted into MBMS under CONDITIONAL STATUS with the contingency of completing these courses their FIRST semester of graduate school. Candidates can take other graduate courses, but before they are formally accepted into MBMS, they must complete these prerequisite courses. If comparable courses were taken as an undergraduate, they may be accepted as a substitution; however, this is subject to the discretion of the MBMS directors. Conditional students who do not fulfill the specifications of their acceptance will be terminated from the MBMS program.

Students who began the program in summer 2020 or before must follow the curriculum listed in the course catalog of the year that they entered.

Students who began the program in fall 2020 can either be grandfathered into the curriculum of the 2020-2021 course catalog or choose to follow the new curriculum.

Students who began the program in spring 2021 or after should follow the new curriculum below.

PRE-REQS (14)

Biol 7800 Cell Molecular Biology (3)*
Biochemistry I (5)*
Biol 7240 Applied Medical Physiology (3)**
Biol 7250 Human Physiology Lab (1)**

CORE (2)

Seminar (2)

CORE SCIENCE (12)

Biol 6687 Surgical Anatomy (4)
Biol 6686 Pathophysiology (4)
Biol 6685 Functional Histology (4)

MEDICAL ELECTIVES (8)

Biol 6246 Advanced Human Physiology (4)
Biol 6930 Orthopedic and Osteopathic Medicine (4)
Biol 6428 Medical Microbiology (4)
Biol 6115 Medical Neurobiology (4)
Biol 6278 Immunology (4)
Biol 6460 Parasitology (4)
Biol 6074 Developmental Biology (4)
Biol 6240 Endocrinology (4)
Biol 6232 Cancer and Cell Cycle (4)
Biol 6284 Medical Biochemistry (4)
Biol 6248 Cell Physiology (4)
Biol 6675 Virology (4)
Biol 6102 Neurobiology (4)
Biol 6800 Advanced Cell Biology (4)
Biol 6241 Hormones and Behavior (4)
Biol 6580 Microbial Pathogenesis (4)
Bio 6545 Bioethics (4)

HEALTH ELECTIVES (6)
Electives in Healthcare

GERO 7200 Health and the Older Adult (3)
GERO 8320 Psychology of Aging (3)
PH 7011 Intro to Epidemiology (3)
Biol 7021 Infectious Disease and Society (3)
HA 8160 Intro to Health Care System (3)
HA 8190 Health Policy & Ethics (3)
NUTR 6500 Macronutrients (3)*
NUTR 6700 Micronutrients (3)*
NUTR 7280 Nutritional Genomics (3)*
Biol 6744 Biostatistics or PH 7017 Fundamentals of Biostatistics (3)
CHEM 6610 Biochem II (3)
CNHP 6010 Medical Terminology (3) online course
CNHP 7800 Interprofessional Collaboration for Advanced Practice (3)
CNHP 6400 Spanish for Healthcare Professionals (3)
CNHP 7810 Interpretation of Lab Values (3) online course
CNHP 6900 EKG Interpretation (3) online course
CNHP 8000 Trends Affecting Healthcare Policies (3) online course
KH 8385 Obesity and Related Diseases (3)*
KH 8771 Cardiovascular Physiology (3)*
KH 8770 Neuromuscular Physiology (3)*
KH 8773 Chronic Disease & Myopathies (3)*

Electives in Biomechanics

KH 8830: Motion Analysis (Spring, Odd YR)
KH 8850: Instrumentation in Biomechanics (Fall, Even YR)
KH 8870: Biomechanics of Orthopedic Injuries (Spring, Odd YR)

Electives in Exercise Physiology

KH 8380: Laboratory Methods in Exercise Physiology (Fall, Odd YR)
KH 8385: Obesity and Related Disorders (Spring, Even YR)
KH 8770: Advanced Topics: Neuromuscular Physiology (Spring, Odd YR)
KH 8771: Advanced Topics: Cardiovascular Physiology (Spring, Even YR)
KH 8772: Advanced Topics: Bioenergetics (Fall, Odd YR)
KH 8773: Advanced Topics: Chronic Disease & Myopathies (Fall, Even YR)

Electives in Psychology of Physical Activity

KH 8600: Physical Activity Interventions & Behavior Change (Spring, Even YR)
Capstone (4)
Biol 6997 Capstone Project (4)
Biol 6998 Clinical Internship. In Greece (Program fee cost to student ~ $3000) (4)
Biol 7803 and Biol 8888 for Research *must get prior approval from MBMS Director. (4)

All must have a paper and a poster/presentation PRE-APPROVED by Dr. Eilertson.

Visit the catalog for curriculum details.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

The department offers competitive graduate assistantship opportunities, which include a stipend and tuition waiver. If you are interested in these graduate assistantship opportunities, please apply as early as possible.

Graduates of the Medical Sciences concentration in Biological Sciences automatically become a more competitive candidate when applying to medical school. Graduates also complete the program better prepared for first-year med-school courses.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE DEADLINES DIFFER FROM THE OTHER MASTER’S DEGREE CONCENTRATIONS!

Incomplete files, files that do not make the GPA and test score minimums, and/or files submitted after the deadline will not be reviewed. This a competitive program and applicants must meet the requirements listed above to be considered. Selections are also based on enrollment capacity.

Current Georgia State master’s students seeking to switch into MBMS concentration must resubmit their application in the next cycle, specifying MBMS as their primary choice. Their files will be reviewed alongside new applicants. There is no guarantee of acceptance into the MBMS concentration.

Applicants who are accepted into the MBMS program, either full or on contingent basis, must notify the Graduate Office and Dr. Eilertson within 30 days of the date on the award letter to be put on the cohort roster. Students must enroll in program courses the first semester as indicated in their award letter. Those who do not declare acceptance will be dropped from the MBMS program and replaced with waitlisted students, per space availability. Students who do not enroll in the first semester will have to reapply as spots are not held for any reason.