The
Department of Biomedical Sciences offers a coursework Masters B (MS-B) degree
with an emphasis in the disciplines of Human Biomedical Sciences, Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, or Neurobiology. Students choose a concentration (Human, Veterinary, Neurobiology), which determines their core curriculum for the program. The degree is
earned after satisfactorily completing 32 credit hours of upper division
and graduate-level courses in microscopic and gross anatomy, physiology,
cell biology, and neurobiology. The Department's Master's Program is designed
to provide increased academic strength to pre-professional students, those
seeking careers in biomedical education, and future PhD students. The proscribed
curriculum is completed in one year, beginning only in the Fall semester,
culminating in a final comprehensive examination on the core curriculum
usually at the end of May.
The Program is designed as a place for talented biomedical students to extend their education beyond that which the undergraduate curriculum can offer. Students in the Master's Program have many different career goals. Many are pre-professional students (pre-medical, pre-veterinary, etc....) seeking to strengthen their applications with an impressive roster of upper division science courses. Others are looking to a career in education, where a Master's-level degree can expand the available opportunities to teach. Some of our former students have found careers in biomedical technology or have gone on to enter doctoral programs. The broad-based, rigorous curriculum of the Department of Biomedical Sciences' Master's Program is designed to help students meet the demands of a wide variety of biomedical career pathways.
The Master's Program in Biomedical Sciences is also intended to teach students
to make the step to graduate education. Thirty-two credit hours are finished
in two semesters, with most of these coming from 500-level "core"
courses in anatomy, physiology and neurobiological sciences. These courses
feature extensive laboratory instruction, hands-on dissection, and recitations
with problem-based learning exercises. Students are expected to take a proactive
approach to their education and learn to apply their knowledge outside the
didactic classroom. A required course in Managing a Career in Science makes
use of lectures, guest speakers, class discussions and a series of written assignments to mentor students and to further explore available career opportunities. Entering students
are counseled that the coursework in the Master's Program will not represent
a simple continuation of their undergraduate experience.
Concentrations Within the Program
Three tracks of study are available in the Department's Master's Program: Human Biomedical Sciences, Veterinary Biomedical Sciences, and Neurobiology. Regardless of the concentration chosen, all students receive a Master's Degree in Biomedical Sciences. Each concentration requires the completion of 32 hours of coursework consisting of a core curriculum plus electives. The electives may be selected from university-wide offerings as long as they are 300-level or greater.
1) The Human Biomedical Sciences core curriculum includes:
Managing a Career in Science BMS610A (1 credit)-Fall semester
Mammalian Physiology I BMS500 (4 credits)-Fall semester
Mammalian Physiology II BMS501 (4 credits)-Spring semester
Neuroanatomy BMS545 (5 credits)-Spring semester
Human Gross Anatomy BMS575/BMS619 (6 credits)-Fall semester
2) The Veterinary Biomedical Sciences core curriculum includes:
Managing a Career in Science BMS610A (1 credit)-Fall semester
Mammalian Physiology I BMS500 (4 credits)-Fall semester
Mammalian Physiology II BMS501 (4 credits)-Spring semester
Neuroanatomy BMS545 (5 credits)-Spring semester
Domestic Animal Anatomy BMS531/633 (5 credits)-Spring semester
3) The Neurobiology core curriculum includes:
Managing a Career in Science BMS610A (1 credit)-Fall semester
Mammalian Physiology I BMS500 (4 credits)-Fall semester
Neuroanatomy BMS545 (5 credits)-Spring semester
Developmental Neurobiology NB503 (3 credits)-Spring semester
Neuronal Circuits, Systems and Behavior NB505 (3 credits)-Spring semester
Graduate School Requirements
As a graduate degree-granting program, we are subject to the rules and requirements of Colorado State University's Graduate School. Admission into our program is contingent upon acceptance by the Graduate School. Information, instructions and their application form may be found on the Graduate School website.
The Graduate School requires:
On occasion, students with special circumstances have merited individual consideration. Students who do not meet the minimum standards but who are admitted after favorable evaluation of their situation are enrolled on "Academic Probation." (see the CSU Graduate Bulletin)
Prerequisites
This program assumes a fairly substantial and broad background in science courses. Although applicants' background course work is evaluated on an individual basis, the strongest applicants have had some biology, chemistry, physiology, cell biology, genetics, etc. Entering MS-B students are expected to assimilate new material at a rapid rate, thus, we do not want our students exposed to some of these foundational concepts for the first time while in the program. Therefore, we strongly recommend background coursework in physiology (BMS300). Applicants planning to do the Human or Veterinary concentration might also consider a background course in anatomy (BMS301 or BMS305, respectively), though this is not mandatory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please visit our FAQs page. This link was created especially for you, and is guaranteed to answer at least one question you didn't know you had.
How to Apply
APPLICATION DEADLINE: APRIL 1st ANNUALLY
1. Complete the online application, which can be found at the Graduate School's website.
2. Pay the Office of Admissions a $50 non-refundable application fee. If you intend to pay your application fee online, you will need to supply a valid Visa or MasterCard number at the time you submit the application. You also must have the billing address for the credit card. If payment is not done when you submit the application, you may pay by a check or money order. Make funds payable to Colorado State University and note the applicant's full name.
Office of Admissions
1062 Campus Delivery
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1062
(970) 491-6909
3. Submit GRE scores (taken within the past 5 years). The testing center must send the scores directly to CSU; we do not accept paper copies. Once submitted, our Graduate Coordinator can access the scores from CSU's central database.
Although the Graduate School does not require the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Department Graduate Admissions Committee requires scores from a standardized examination. We prefer the GRE (Verbal, Quantitative and Writing sections) but will accept other standardized exams in lieu of the GRE, such as the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)* or similar professional school entrance exams.
* If you are submitting MCAT scores in lieu of GRE scores, please email a pdf version of the official score report to our Graduate Coordinator.
4. Send supporting documentation to the Department:
Send supporting materials to:
Erin Bisenius
Department of BMS
Campus Delivery 1680
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1680
Checking Application Status
Due to the number of applications we receive and the fast and furious nature of the application season, we cannot accommodate individual requests to check application status. However, rest assured that your application WILL NOT be discarded for incompleteness without giving you a chance to provide missing materials. Approximately 4 weeks before the application deadline, we will review every file for completeness and contact each applicant by phone or email regarding the status of his/her application.
We only matriculate students into this program in the fall. The annual application deadline is April 1st. All supporting application materials are expected to be in by that date. If you are taking your MCATs or GREs after this date, your application will not be reviewed until we receive those scores.
Timeline for Admissions Committee Decision
Historically, we receive approximately 140 applications for 50 positions. Therefore, applicants have slightly better than a 1 in 3 chance of being accepted. We do not offer any early decisions for this program. The admissions committee begins reviewing all applicants after the April 1st application deadline; we feel this is most equitable to all. We will contact applicants via mail and email approximately the first week of June to let you know whether you have been accepted, wait-listed, or declined. Due to the subset of applicants who are on waiting lists at various professional schools and who get accepted at these schools over the course of the summer, we often have positions in our program become available throughout the summer and until the start of the fall semester.
*For the fall 2009 entering class, we received more than 250 applications for 50 spots. This was an unusually large applicant pool, and obviously, made the selection process much more competitive. We cannot predict the size of next year's applicant pool; however, 140 applicants is the historic average.
Costs and Financial Assistance
For the most recent estimate of graduate tuition and fees, please visit the Registrar's website. This program is designated as a "special program" by CSU. Thus, students are assessed an additional fee each semester (see above link) to cover the additional instructor and resource costs of this program. Tuition and associated fees for the year are approximately $22,000 for non-residents and $10,000 for residents (based on the 2009-10 academic year).
This program is a self-funded program, which means the department does not have graduate assistantships or fellowships to offer deserving students. (Therefore, please disregard the February 15th deadline for priority financial aid consideration posted on the Graduate School's website.) Many students pay for the program by taking out federal student loans and this option is still available to you after acceptance into the program. Please visit the Student Financial Services website for more information.
Career Opportunities and Program Statistics
As of the beginning of the current academic year, 98% of the students admitted to the Department of Biomedical Science's Master's Program have successfully finished the degree. Many of our graduates have found careers in the biomedical industry or academia. Others have entered doctoral degree programs or professional schools. The Program affords good students an opportunity to advance their education and compete with an edge in many biomedical fields.
The average GPA of incoming MS-B students is 3.4. The average GRE scores for incoming students are 1100 on the combined verbal and quantitative components, and 4.0 on the written component. Additionally, 26 is the average combined MCAT score. Based on the past few graduating classes for which we have statistics, roughly 48% of our graduating students with intentions to go to professional school at the beginning of the program have been accepted into professional school by program end. Though several students with professional school aspirations are accepted into professional school during the course of our program, historically our program enhances professional school acceptance rates after its completion.
More Information
Please visit our FAQs. Still have questions? Contact Erin Bisenius, our Graduate Coordinator, at erin.bisenius@colostate.edu or (970) 491-6188.
Housing Options
Fort Collins boasts plentiful housing for students. University housing for graduate students is available in a wide variety of apartments. Information about University housing can be found at the Apartment Life website. Privately owned apartments also are available throughout Fort Collins. Please visit our local newspaper, The Coloradoan, or Housing Helpers for more information. Additionally, Off-Campus Student Services offers a wealth of resources, including an online database of apartment rentals and a roommate-finder service.
Living in Fort Collins, Colorado
Fort Collins is a city of just over 120,000, situated on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, 65 miles north of Denver. The casual lifestyle with easy access to many recreational opportunities recently helped earned Fort Collins the designation of "Best Small Town in the West" by Money Magazine. In and around town, residents take advantage of the nationally renowned park system with extensive trails that offer scenic views of the Poudre River and the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Ski resorts, cross-country trails, and other winter recreational opportunities exist a short drive from the city, and summertime offers hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking, camping, and more. Trout fishing and whitewater rafting are popular activities on the nearby Cache la Poudre River.
For more information about living in Fort Collins, visit the City of Fort Collins website.
Other links of interest:
Student Financial Services
Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau
