Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences
Application Requirements

PCOM's Master of Science (MS) in Biomedical Sciences program, offered at both the Philadelphia and Georgia campuses, provides an opportunity for students with baccalaureate degrees to begin their graduate study in the biomedical sciences as preparation for science careers or as additional preparation for professional study:

The MS in Biomedical Sciences program represents a broad content base in the basic biomedical sciences with a strong emphasis on human medicine and clinical applications of the material. Foundation courses provide a unique interdisciplinary background in biomedical sciences that may be applied in business, management or teaching careers, or as preparation for professional school. A certificate of graduate study is awarded for successful completion of all foundation (first year) courses and laboratory objectives. The degree tracks build upon the foundation courses and can be completed in one of several concentrations.

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Admission Requirements

The Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences program requires the following:

Eight semester hours each, including two semester hours of laboratory: biology and physics.
Sixteen semester hours of chemistry course work (including labs), four credits of which must be organic chemistry.

Application Process

There is no hard deadline, therefore, applicants are encouraged to apply early, beginning in September, as acceptances will be offered until the class is filled. Please note that personal interviews are not conducted. However, the Admissions staff members are available for counseling either by telephone or e-mail.

As an applicant to PCOM's Biomedical Sciences program, you are responsible for ensuring that all admissions materials are completed accurately and submitted in a timely manner.

Students may declare a degree concentration at any time after matriculation. Please note that a 3.00 GPA in foundation year courses and a personal interview is required in order for approval of a Master's degree concentration.

The admissions process for the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences is not related in any way to the admissions process for the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program on either campus at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) participates in GradCAS, the centralized application service for graduate study.

Prospective graduate students may submit their application through a secure web server, GradCAS, which is similar to a "common app". In order to connect your general GradCAS application to PCOM, visit the ADD PROGRAM tab, search for Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine and select your program of interest from the list. Also, be sure you complete the fourth quadrant of PCOM custom questions and click SUBMIT when completed. Be advised that your full GradCAS application must be e-submitted, completed and verified to be considered for admission to PCOM.

There is a $99 fee to apply.

Note that official college transcripts from all colleges/universities schools attended must be sent directly to:

GradCAS Transcript Processing Center
PO Box 9217
Watertown, MA 02471

Letters of Recommendation can be sent through the evaluator portal on GradCAS or directly to PCOM Admissions in PDF format to recommend@pcom.edu. Recommenders can be directed to our "For Recommenders" page for guidance.

Instructions on how to use GradCAS can be found here.

Once your application has been downloaded from GradCAS, you will be contacted via email with a confirmation of its receipt including reminders of the appropriate steps to complete the application process.

Your application will be processed and assessed by the Faculty Committee on Admissions only after the receipt of:

A general autobiographical statement explaining your interest in this academic program as it relates to your career goals (in 500 words or less).
One letter of recommendation from the pre-professional advisor/committee or a science faculty member of the applicant's undergraduate or post-baccalaureate institution (letter must be on letterhead and preferably signed). Please note that faculty letters must be from a professor who issued a grade for a course that is noted on the applicant's institutional transcript.
Submit official reports of standardized test scores: MCAT, PCAT, DAT, OAT, or GRE
- If you plan to submit an MCAT score you will need to forward to PCOM a screenshot of a full copy of your MCAT report as a pdf attachment of your AAMC ID number as well as the verification code which can be obtained from AAMC. Self reported scores are not considered official and will not complete an application. All tests must be taken within three years of the desired date of matriculation. For 2019 enrollment, exams taken before August 2016 will not be accepted to complete an applicant record. Please allow at least 15 business days to us to access the AAMC and attempt to manually retrieve the scores.
- The PCOM GRE institutional code is 2662. The PCOM Georgia GRE institutional code is 4281.

Admissions Process

The Faculty Committee on Admissions conducts a holistic review of all completed applications. There are no minimum grade point averages or standardized test scores during the application review process. Following the completion of the review process, each applicant is notified of the Faculty Committee on Admissions decision in writing including any conditions that must be satisfied prior to or following enrollment. The committee can accept candidates up until the first day of class in mid-August. Applicants not selected for the program will be sent a final decision email after the first day of class in mid-August.

In an effort to foster the safety and well-being of the entire campus community, as well as to ensure that students accepted to PCOM will be permitted to perform clerkships/internships required to successfully complete their degree requirements, PCOM requires all first year students to complete a criminal background check prior to matriculation. All students must have their criminal background checks processed through a PCOM vendor of choice. The Office of Admissions will send notification of the process after confirmation of enrollment and must have this information on file prior to orientation; students will not be allowed to start classes without this information.

Prior to enrollment, all candidates are required to complete PCOM's Technical Standards for Admission and Matriculation.