Biomedical Sciences, MS

Dr. Tiffany Wills
Program Coordinator of the Basic Science Track

Dr. Chindo Hicks
Program Coordinator of the Bioinformatics Track

The Biomedical Sciences Program at LSUHSC-NO contains two tracks: a Basic Science track and a Bioinformatics track. The overarching goal of the MS Program is to prepare students for biomedical career pathways in academia, research, and industry.  Both tracks require a thesis.

The Basic Sciences track provides students with an integrated curriculum and the opportunity to select a mentor and research project from a wide range of disciplines within seven basic science departments.  Students participate in an integrated biomedical curriculum and a series of two research rotations in different labs.  At the completion of the first semester, students select a mentor/department where they will complete electives over the next 3-4 semesters as required by their department and conduct research for the thesis. 

The Bioinformatics track is designed to allow student to explore current issues in the biomedical field and gain practical skills through courses in bioinformatics, computational genomics, genetics, computer programming, and biostatistics. Students enrolled in this program will learn how to apply cutting edge technologies such as genetic algorithms, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Artificial Intelligence and other emerging technologies to analysis and integration of complex data to address biomedical and life sciences questions. Thesis work focuses on projects, designed in conjuction with a metnor, and includes interactions with captains of biotech, academic, pharmaceutical and other related industries.

• Requirements for the Degree

  • Residence - 1 academic year, 2 semesters, or 4 summer terms represents the minimum requirement. 2 years residence represents a more realistic average. 
     
  • Semester Hours - Minimum requirement is 30 semester hours of graduate work, not over six hours of which is allowed for research and composition of a thesis, and not more than 2 credit hours of seminars. At least 15 hours must be in courses that receive a letter grade (A,B,C,D, F). At least 15 semester hours must be in graduate courses outside the medical or dental curriculum. Core requirements are listed in the curriculum below, and elective course work will be customized to fit the needs of each student.  A full curriculum plan will be determined and approved by the student’s advisor, at the beginning of the second semester.
     
  • Grade Requirement - Students must maintain a cumulative 3.0 average on all work taken as a graduate student. A student will be dropped from the rolls of the School of Graduate Studies if the student’s cumulative average is below a 3.0 for three consecutive semesters.   
     
  • Transfer Credit - Candidates for the M.S. degree may receive up to 13 hours of transfer credit at the discretion of the program involved, providing they have completed the courses, which are comparable to School of Graduate Studies courses in another graduate level institution, and satisfy the subject matter requirements. No transfer credit is permitted for course work receiving a grade below B. Transfer of the credit does not reduce the residency requirement. 
     
  • Thesis Instructions - Instructions on the preparation of the thesis may be obtained from the School of Graduate Studies website. For the planned graduation date, the student should check the school calendar date for the final date for the submission of the thesis to the School of Graduate Studies. Final approval of the thesis rests with a committee of not less than 3 graduate faculty members, 1 of whom must be from a department different than the student’s department, nominated by the head of the department, and appointed by the dean. The dean may serve as a member or may appoint members to the committee. 
     
• Core Course Requirements for each track can be found at the links below: