Combined BScH/MSc Program | Biomedical and Molecular Sciences | School of Medicine

The Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences is very excited to present a program for exceptional students called the Combined BSc or BHSc Honours/MSc (Biomedical & Molecular Sciences). This program offers an opportunity for students in the 4th year of their Honours program (Health Sciences program/ SSP plan of the Life Sciences or Biochemistry programs) to take up to 2 courses in Biomedical & Molecular Sciences at the graduate level which would then allow them to enter the graduate program with advanced standing. Research begun in the 4th year laboratory thesis project (i.e. ANAT499, CANC499, EPID499, MICR499, NSCI499, PATH499, PHAR499, PHGY499 or BCHM421 + BCHM422) could be carried forward as a foundation for the graduate thesis, which may create an opportunity for exceptional students to reduce the time required to obtain the MSc degree by up to two terms.

Note: this program is not open to Life Sciences MAJ students.

Program eligibly requirements:

Students admitted into this program must have an overall minimum A- average in the previous four completed academic terms of their undergraduate program.
Students must identify a supervisor or co-supervisor in DBMS (either primary appointment or cross-appointed) who has agreed to supervise them throughout their 499/59x and BScH or BHScH/MSc program

Admission to the combined program is a two-step process.

Step 1: Students may apply for admission to the combined program (permission to take graduate level courses) between the winter term of the 3rd year (in parallel with the process for admittance to the Honours year and the thesis research project), and December 1st of the 4th year.

If accepted into the combined program, in Year 4 of the BSc (Honours) or BHSc (Honours) program, students will be permitted to take up to two 3.0 graduate level courses for a total of 3 or 6 credits towards the 12 credits required for the MSc degree. It is the student’s responsibility to request admission to these graduate courses following acceptance into the program. These courses will be counted as electives or science options towards completion of the degree requirements in the BSc (Honours) or BHSc (Honours) program. Only 1 of these courses may be a combined undergraduate/graduate (400/800) level course. The second (and all subsequent) graduate courses must be graduate only (800 and/or 900 level).

Step 2: For admission to the MSc program in Biomedical and Molecular Sciences with advanced standing, students will be expected to complete the standard SGS application process, have maintained an overall A- average in the previous 2 years of their undergraduate program, and have demonstrated significant research productivity in the 4th year thesis project. All applications will be reviewed by the DBMS Graduate Admissions Committee.

Applications:

Students should apply in writing via email to the Graduate Assistant Wendy Cumpson (cumpsonw@queensu.ca), providing a copy of their transcript, a brief description (~200 words) of their research project, indicate their Project Supervisor’s name, and identify the graduate level course(s) they hope to enroll in during their 4th year. A separate email from the Project Supervisor indicating their willingness to support the applicant is also required. Students will be notified by email of the outcome of their application. If accepted into the combined program students must obtain the course coordinator’s permission for the chosen graduate courses and forward this information by email to Wendy Cumpson to complete the course registration process.