Programs

Overview

This professional pathway allows students to earn a combined Bachelor of Science in Medical and Molecular Biology from MCPHS and Master of Science in Forensic Science (MFS) from Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 6 years.

Program Highlights

• Full-time, four-year undergraduate degree
• Fall semester start
• For incoming freshmen 
• Opportunities to add a complementary minor in chemistry, public health, or premedical and health studies

Program Details

BS in Medical and Molecular Biology / Master of Forensic Science with Drexel University College of Medicine pathway

Drexel University College of Medicine and MCPHS have an affiliation that provides reserved admission to the Master of Science in Forensic Science program for highly qualified MCPHS Medical & Molecular Biology students. The Master of Science in Forensic Science program is designed to expose students to both the intricacies of problem solving and the real-world application of forensic science. The curriculum provides students with a solid foundation within the forensic sciences while encouraging growth and leadership in new and emerging applications within the field.

The program allows for completion of the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Medical and Molecular Biology from MCPHS and the Master of Science in Forensic Science (MFS) with Drexel University College of Medicine in 6 years.

MCPHS students must meet the Drexel University entry requirements listed below to be eligible for matriculation in the MFS program.

Program Requirements

A maximum of 3 students who meet the eligibility requirements will be assured admission into the Master of Science in Forensic Science program following successful completion of all Medical and Molecular Biology BS degree requirements.

Students who meet the following criteria are eligible for admission to the Master of Science in Forensic Science at Drexel University College of Medicine:

• Be working towards a MMB bachelor’s degree
• Have completed at least 3.5 years, and no fewer than 105 credits of coursework, with an average of “B” or better (3.0 GPA) in MCPHS (overall and major) with no major grade less than a “C”
• Receive the endorsement of their candidacy to the MFS Program by MCPHS
• Demonstrate the personal qualities necessary to become a member of the student body of the Professional Studies Programs and fulfill his/her role as a future forensic scientist.
• Take the General Test of the Graduate Record Exam (General GRE) and/or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) no later than February of the year the student plans to matriculate; and
• Receive in a single examination, minimum MCAT scores of “8” or better in each sub-section or a minimum score of “24” and a letter score of “M” or higher on the MCAT writing section OR achieve scores in the 50th percentile on the General GRE

Please contact MCPHS Admission for additional questions.

Application Process

Students in the Medical and Molecular Biology program must:
• Fulfill all the requirements for an applicant listed above (in program criteria)
• Complete and provide all the necessary forms and documents required by the MFS Program by January 10th of the senior year in order for the MFS Program to make its decision
• Be invited and conduct a telephone interview with one of the Co-Directors of the MFS program
• Submit MCAT or GRE scores to Drexel University College of Medicine

Selection Criteria

A maximum of 3 students who meet the criteria set forth by Drexel University (see eligibility under Program Requirements), including a successful interview, are assured admission into the Drexel University, Master of Science in Forensic Science (MFS) program. Students in the Medical and Molecular Biology program who fail to be admitted to the MFS program at Drexel University will be granted a four-year Bachelor of Science (BS) in Medical and Molecular Biology from MCPHS, providing all requirements are met. 

The Professional Pathway to Becoming a Forensic Scientist

The 4 years at MCPHS will provide a challenging baccalaureate curriculum in Medical and Molecular Biology that will prepare students for professional study. Upon graduation from MCPHS the subsequent 2 years at Drexel University will provide the professional education required for the Master of Science in Forensic Science (MFS) degree.

The design of the MCPHS Medical and Molecular Biology curriculum is oriented toward the mission and values of Drexel University.

Medical Education at Drexel University

Mission

Drexel University fulfills our founder’s vision of preparing each new generation of students for productive professional and civic lives while also focusing our collective expertise on solving society’s greatest problems. Drexel is an academically comprehensive and globally engaged urban research university, dedicated to advancing knowledge and society and to providing every student with a valuable, rigorous, experiential, technology-infused education, enriched by the nation’s premier co-operative education program.

About Drexel University

Founded in 1891 in Philadelphia, Drexel is a top-ranked, comprehensive university recognized for its focus on experiential learning through co-operative education, its commitment to cutting-edge academic technology and its growing enterprise of use-inspired research. With more than 23,500 students, Drexel is the nation's 14th largest private university and ranked sixth among national universities in the most recent U.S. News & World Report list of "Up-and-Comers."

Co-operative Education

Drexel offers a variety of educational and employment opportunities to students through study and internship programs in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, and the co-operative education ("co-op") program. The only mandatory co-op in Pennsylvania and one of three in the United States, Drexel's program is among the nation's oldest, largest, and most respected.

The Steinbright Career Development Center (SCDC) is one of the most highly ranked co-op and career service organizations at any university in the country and works to ensure that students and alumni get the most from their experiential and career placement activities.

Technology

As Philadelphia's leader in curricular innovation and educational technology, Drexel has a history of integrating the latest technological advances into the learning process:

In 1983, Drexel became the first university to require all entering students to have microcomputers.

In 2000, Drexel became the first major university to operate a fully wireless campus, allowing students, faculty, and staff to access the Internet from indoors and outdoors, anywhere on the University's three campuses.

In 2002, Drexel launched the first mobile Web portal service for students, enabling them to access a range of information via virtually any Web-enabled handheld device, from anywhere in the world.

In 2011, the new version of the Drexel OneMobile portal was the first such app from a university to be offered across all five major mobile platforms.

Research

Drexel is a leader in creating technological solutions to societal problems of the 21st century. The University's research enterprise has increased expenditures for sponsored projects from $15M in 1996 to approximately $110M today. Drexel is committed to "use-inspired" research and is poised to respond to novel opportunities for research, scholarship, and technological development. Examples include interdisciplinary efforts to meet emerging national imperatives to upgrade the transportation infrastructure, to move "alternative" energy sources into the mainstream, and to invent the means to improve medical care while reducing its costs.

Curriculum

Year I-Fall

Year I-Spring

Year II-Fall

Year II-Spring

Year III-Fall

Year III-Spring

Year IV-Fall

Year IV-Spring

Total credits to complete degree requirements: 125 s.h.

Molecular and Cellular Biology Electives (3 must be chosen from this category):

Medical and Molecular Biology Electives (3 must be chosen from this category):

Accreditation

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (MCPHS) is chartered by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and is authorized to grant undergraduate and graduate degrees in the health sciences and related fields. MCPHS is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), Inc. through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. 

Drexel University

This program is currently seeking accreditation.