Master of Science in Cancer Biology

About the Program

Master of Science: 40.0 - 43.0 semester credits 

The goal of the MS in Cancer Biology program is to provide a master's degree focused on the fundamentals of cancer from an interdisciplinary perspective, including:

• biology and molecular biology of cancer initiation;
• metastasis;
• treatment; and
• bioinformatics/systems biology.

The program is designed to meet the needs of two groups of individuals: (1) new or recent college graduates who wish to increase their marketability for jobs in academic or industrial laboratories through the acquisition of knowledge and skills more developed than obtained through a standard college curriculum; and (2) currently employed technical staff in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry (or academia) who wish to advance their position.

Consisting of both classroom and laboratory instruction, the program fills a need to train laboratory personnel in cancer theory and research. Graduates of this program will possess knowledge in both the theoretical as well as the practical level.   

Additional Information

Stephanie Hasson, MS
Academic Coordinator
Biomedical Graduate and Postgraduate Studies
shasson@drexelmed.edu

Mauricio Reginato, PhD
Program Director
Department of Biochemistry + Molecular Biology
Drexel University College of Medicine
mauricio.reginato@drexelmed.edu

Admission Requirements

For acceptance to the program, the applicant must have completed a four-year biology or chemistry-based bachelor's degree program, or equivalent, with at least a 3.0 GPA. Students must fulfill all requirements for consideration as defined by the Drexel University College of Medicine Biomedical Graduate Education Committee:

• official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended;
• official copies of entrance test scores and official test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE);
• references from at least three instructors or professionals;
• an application fee, made payable to Drexel University is required for application processing (online application is free);
• International applicants (non-United States citizens) must meet the same requirements for admission as students from the United States. Applicants whose native language is not English must demonstrate the ability to speak, write, and understand the English language by submitting an acceptable score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or IELTS.

Students applying to the program will be expected to have undergraduate experience in chemistry, cell biology, biochemistry, and mathematics--including, at a minimum--two semesters each of inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, calculus and biology.

Visit Drexel University's Graduate Admissions site for additional information regarding specific requirements for applying to the College of Medicine as well as important application dates.

Degree Requirements: Thesis Option

43.0 semester credits

Each semester, throughout the two years, there will be a weekly Cancer Journal Club. Students will also attend the Molecular & Cell Biology & Genetics (MCBG) Seminar series. Each semester contains a research component.

The Thesis Option of this program based on research can be initiated at the end of the first year.

Degree Requirements: Non-Thesis Option

40.0 semester credits