The Master of Science (MS) degree in Biomedical Sciences, awarded through the Biomedical Sciences (BMS) program, is designed for students who have begun pursuing a terminal degree (PhD) within the School of Medicine but are unable to fulfill program requirements due to extenuating circumstances. This degree recognizes the academic work completed at Tulane University School of Medicine and is granted only in rare cases. Petitions for the MS degree require substantial documentation to support the request and must clearly demonstrate the justification for conferral.

Eligibility Requirements:
·    Bachelor’s degree (B.S. or B.A.)
·    Completion of all BMS coursework with passing grades (48 credit hours)
·    Must be in good standing both academically and professionally
·    Approval by the BMS Steering Committee and BMS Leadership

Students who continue to pursue a Ph.D. in the BMS program are not eligible. This degree is offered as an alternative to continuing the Ph.D. degree.

Degree Requirements:
·    48 credit hours of BMS Ph.D. coursework
Once accepted into the BMS M.S. Program, forty-eight (48) credit hours of BMS coursework will be applied toward the M.S. degree. To receive credit, grades must reflect a minimum of 3.0 GPA, with no single grade lower than a B-.

·    Masters Research (BMSP 9980), 1 credit hour (does not apply to credit minimum)

·    Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and earn a grade of B- or higher (BMS coursework and Masters Research)

·    Students will submit a thesis to be approved and graded by the Thesis Mentor and Committee.   

Thesis:
Thesis Mentor: The student’s Dissertation Advisor will serve as the Thesis Mentor. Under extenuating circumstances where the Dissertation Advisor may present a conflict, the student may petition the Program Directors for an exception. If granted, the student may select a different BMS faculty member as the Thesis Mentor. The Thesis Mentor will serve as Chair of the Thesis Committee.

Thesis Committee: The student will work with the Thesis Mentor to select two additional BMS faculty members to serve as members of the Thesis Committee. The role of the Thesis Committee is to approve the thesis topic, read the thesis, and provide a grade for BMSP 9980. The directors of this program may serve as members of the thesis committee.

Thesis Content: The thesis should comprise a 20-30 page research paper, including preliminary data if applicable, but not including references. The thesis should reflect the research that has been completed in the lab of the dissertation advisor. Under certain circumstances where research has not yet been executed, the thesis may comprise an extensive literary review of a topic approved by the Thesis Committee.

Timeline:
·    Students may apply after the completion of 48 credit hours of BMS coursework. Once enrolled, students may not continue to pursue a Ph.D. degree.
·    Students should complete the thesis (BMSP 9980) in one semester, but no more than two semesters.

^{Program String and Field of Study: MDMS_GR, BMSP}

For more information, contact the School of Medicine.