Online M.S. Degree?

[malesback24]

What do you guys think about this? It's 36 credit hours at about $400 per hour. Seems pretty legit no?

http://www.unk.edu/academics/ecampus/programs/Biology_Degree/

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[deleted248403]

Online?

No. Just no.

 

[chartero]

It's absolutely legitimate as what it is, a master's degree in biology from a regional state university, primarily undergraduate and liberal arts. UNK Biology faculty. Your typical classmate at UNK will probably be a high school biology teacher; from their undergraduate program, here are career areas they suggest for UNK biology majors, from plant research to wildlife forensics. There's certainly human biomedicine in the mix too.

Could you make a master's in biology from a regional public college a plus in a med school application? If you can't make this a plus I don't think you're very clever, so there. 😛

However, even aside from delivery, this is a very different thing from special master's programs and others with a curricula closely mapped to human medicine, and often directly linked to medical school.

 

[malesback24]

It's absolutely legitimate as what it is, a master's degree in biology from a regional state university, primarily undergraduate and liberal arts. UNK Biology faculty. Your typical classmate at UNK will probably be a high school biology teacher; from their undergraduate program, here are career areas they suggest for UNK biology majors, from plant research to wildlife forensics. There's certainly human biomedicine in the mix too.

Could you make a master's in biology from a regional public college a plus in a med school application? If you can't make this a plus I don't think you're very clever, so there. 😛

However, even aside from delivery, this is a very different thing from special master's programs and others with a curricula closely mapped to human medicine, and often directly linked to medical school.

If that doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.

My GPA is on the low side so I figured I could ace this and re-apply.

 

[deleted248403]

If that doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is.

My GPA is on the low side so I figured I could ace this and re-apply.

I hope the first part is sarcasm.

This is not a program for GPA repair.

 

[pineapplepancakes]

I think a lot of us on SDN would caution against doing an online degree, at least in the case for the goal of applying to medical school. There are a lot of better ways to improve your application that are more geared towards getting you into med school, such as postbacc programs (doing undergraduate work to improve your GPA and take upper-level science courses) and special masters programs (doing graduate work that proves you are capable of succeeding in medical school). This doesn't seem like one of them.

 

[chartero]

I like good online programs, and my sense is that for a program in general biology, not based on bench work, the University of Nebraska at Kearney MS in Biology is a good online program.

Having said this,

My GPA is on the low side so I figured I could ace this and re-apply.

let's question this assumption. Looking at UNK biology faculty who are listed both at Ratemyprofessors and on the current UNK faculty list, here are the ratings for Easiness on a scale of 1 to 5, errors and omissions excepted:

1.0, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 1.8, 2.0, 2.3, 2.3, 2.6, 3.0, 3.3, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7
n=14 mean=2.42 standard deviation=0.84

So Ratemyprofessors users seem to report there are many tough graders here, and no especially easy graders.

UNK is a bricks-and-mortar state school with tenured professors that offers this program by distance as an extension. This isn't a degree in leadership from a for-profit online school: the incentives are not to offer easy As. You probably shouldn't readily 'figure you can ace this.'

 

[pineapplepancakes]

My GPA is on the low side so I figured I could ace this and re-apply.

I wanted to add one more thing... From what I've read on here, achieving a high GPA in grad school doesn't always make up for a subpar undergraduate GPA, partially because a lot of grad programs have grade inflation. That's something to keep in mind, if you think you can use this kind of program for grade repair.

You might want to check out this thread (and search for others around this site): http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=796298

 

[deleted248403]

I like good online programs, and my sense is that for a program in general biology, not based on bench work, the University of Nebraska at Kearney MA in Biology is a good online program.

There is no such thing as a good online program, esp for med school admissions.

Unless you are deployed overseas or on a military base in the middle of nowhere - there is 0 reason you can't take classes at a brick+mortar institute. Med schools know this and are suspicious why you didn't attend one

 

[malesback24]

There is no such thing as a good online program, esp for med school admissions.

Unless you are deployed overseas or on a military base in the middle of nowhere - there is 0 reason you can't take classes at a brick+mortar institute. Med schools know this and are suspicious why you didn't attend one

The transcript and diploma makes no mention of it being an online program.

As far as we know, I'll be receiving an M.S. in Biology from UNK.

I'm not saying I'll get straight A's (from the ratemyprofessors ratings) but it won't hurt, can it?

 

[deleted248403]

Until you get asked about class interactions....

Don't take shortcuts for med school apps...

 

[chartero]

There is no such thing as a good online program, esp for med school admissions.

Unless you are deployed overseas or on a military base in the middle of nowhere - there is 0 reason you can't take classes at a brick+mortar institute.

Well this must be overstated. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg has delivered their MPH online for fourteen years. Don't tell me this would never move a needle positively for any adcom (for anyone but a deployed service member in extremis). I'd guess that it already has moved a needle more than once. Also, I don't think any accredited bricks-and-mortar MPH would widely be perceived as inherently stronger than Hopkins online just because the former was bricks-and-mortar.

Of course, the MS in general biology from a small state college our OP asks about here is in a different class from any MPH, and these are both different classes from SMPs intended for GPA remediation. And I think what this poster robflanker writes on the thread about the Georgetown MS in CAM is probably also on point here. 🙂

 

[malesback24]

Until you get asked about class interactions....

Don't take shortcuts for med school apps...

They don't ask. They just look at GPA.

What's the difference between this and SMP?

 

[chartero]

They don't ask. They just look at GPA.

You expect the master's degree you just earned will never come up in an interview?

What's the difference between this and SMP?

In addition to the traditional master's degrees in the biomedical sciences, there are several "Special Master's" programs, offering MS degrees in the medical sciences. These graduate programs generally target students whose career goal is medicine, rather than an academic career. These are offered by medical schools and usually comprise a combination of medical school courses and advanced/graduate science courses. The courses may be those traditionally offered in the first year of medical school, however, advanced standing or transfer credit to medical school is not usually earned. Students who go on to medical school complete a full four-year medical school curriculum.

The programs are highly structured and the work is rigorous, with the intent of modeling a year in medical school. The programs seek students whose academic credentials are close to those of accepted medical students. Many students in these programs may have interviewed at medical school in the previous cycle, but they were not ultimately admitted. Good performance in these programs can be a useful predictor of success in medical school. For this reason they can be attractive to the student who will say, "I know I can do the work; they just need to give me a chance to prove it."

Relatedly, the authors write:

The student must be realistic about his/her long-term career goals. Clarity of purpose will help in making the decision between further undergraduate work and graduate work and the decision between traditional graduate work and the "special master's" programs. […]

• If you do not ultimately gain admission to medical school after completing this degree, what are your alternate career goals?
• Is this a graduate degree that will be useful to you in that career?
• Do you want to gain research experience?
• Do you want an academic career in science?

A Postbac Primer (Carol Baffi-Dugan and Gale Lang, National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions, Inc.)

 

[malesback24]

You expect the master's degree you just earned will never come up in an interview?





Relatedly, the authors write:

A Postbac Primer (Carol Baffi-Dugan and Gale Lang, National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions, Inc.)

Ah okay but I'm currently $40,000 in debt, adding another $30,000 in debt seems unwise.

This program is only $19,000 and is done at my own pace and can be completed in 2.5-3years (which would overlap with possible dental school matriculation, which is a problem)

 

[deleted248403]

Ah okay but I'm currently $40,000 in debt, adding another $30,000 in debt seems unwise.

This program is only $19,000 and is done at my own pace and can be completed in 2.5-3years (which would overlap with possible dental school matriculation, which is a problem)

As mentioned, you will have to interview and will undoubtedly have to answer Qs about your masters.

And $40k is nothing when you consider that most med school students have like $180k+

If you want to get into med school, do it right, and spend your money wisely. A $40k ticket into med school is better than a $20k waste of time that gets you nowhere

 

[DrMidlife]

What's the difference between this and SMP?

Facepalm.

I'm in favor of you doing this online program because:
1. you're fighting hard to do it despite advice to the contrary
2. you've not educated yourself, at all, on low GPA comeback strategy, which is plentiful and free here
3. you're looking at $30k as too much to spend to get into med school

You've given no indication that you're taking this seriously, thus it doesn't matter what you do, so you might as well do a useless online masters. What other corners can you cut?

 

[chartero]

Perhaps the UNK program could have value to help you get somewhere else, say if your second-choice career path was teaching biology. Of course you'd also need to earn a state teaching certification to teach in public, most charter and some private schools.

IMHO, the UNK program seem perfectly fine as a degree in general biology from a small state college delivered nontraditionally.

But our fellow posters may also be right that this might not carry much weight with a medical or dental school adcom that was also looking hard at your low undergraduate GPA.

If you're looking for a relatively low-cost way to increase your overall or science GPA, how about additional undergraduate courses?

Or, if you're interested in a master's in biology, have you looked at your local state schools? Or other schools that might offer financial aid through an RA or TA position?

DON'T assume that the workload from this UNK program is necessarily any less than a master's in general biology on campus. UNK offers the same degree on their campus! And they're not a tuition-driven for-profit school: The UNK biology department's incentive is very likely to protect the brand by making online students work for it. For instance, don't be surprised if they try to make up for the online program's not having lecture and lab time by loading it up with research paper assignments.

I differ with the rest of the room so far on the UNK program or online programs generally, for what they are. I am skeptical about the assumptions underlying your plan.

 

[malesback24]

As mentioned, you will have to interview and will undoubtedly have to answer Qs about your masters.

And $40k is nothing when you consider that most med school students have like $180k+

If you want to get into med school, do it right, and spend your money wisely. A $40k ticket into med school is better than a $20k waste of time that gets you nowhere

Yes for sure but I'm wasting my time and my scores will expire in 3 years anyway

 

[malesback24]

As mentioned, you will have to interview and will undoubtedly have to answer Qs about your masters.

And $40k is nothing when you consider that most med school students have like $180k+

If you want to get into med school, do it right, and spend your money wisely. A $40k ticket into med school is better than a $20k waste of time that gets you nowhere

Give me some choices to make and I'll make them.

 

[deleted248403]

Give me some choices to make and I'll make them.

Do your own homework.

Start with the stickies and skim read the titles of the threads.

#1 you should figure out what an SMP actually is...

 

[Captain Sisko]

There's a table in the latest MSAR that lists pre-med coursework for each school, whether it's required, recommended, or not, and what forms are accepted, ranging from AP, online, or community college, with indicators saying yes, no, or only under special circumstances. If you're seriously considering taking an online degree for prereqs, check the reference, and you'll find that most schools do not accept online coursework. There are some, though.

 

[malesback24]

There's a table in the latest MSAR that lists pre-med coursework for each school, whether it's required, recommended, or not, and what forms are accepted, ranging from AP, online, or community college, with indicators saying yes, no, or only under special circumstances. If you're seriously considering taking an online degree for prereqs, check the reference, and you'll find that most schools do not accept online coursework. There are some, though.

I live in California, we don't have many SMP programs here.

Besides, who's to say I'm going to get a 4.0 in that, and NOT waste another tens of thousands of dollars?

 

[deleted248403]

I live in California, we don't have many SMP programs here.

Besides, who's to say I'm going to get a 4.0 in that, and NOT waste another tens of thousands of dollars?

Dude just do the program.

You've clearly made up your mind and no-one can talk you out of it, so quit pretending like u give a f*** what the rest of us think and just enroll.

 

[malesback24]

Dude just do the program.

You've clearly made up your mind and no-one can talk you out of it, so quit pretending like u give a f*** what the rest of us think and just enroll.

I actually don't want to. I'm looking for better ideas to do to "re-do" my crappy GPA.

 

[Toss]

I actually don't want to. I'm looking for better ideas to do to "re-do" my crappy GPA.

There's a whole sticky for that....

that other people in this thread are telling you about already.

 

[JSReed]

I live in California, we don't have many SMP programs here.

Besides, who's to say I'm going to get a 4.0 in that, and NOT waste another tens of thousands of dollars?

We've given you every reason NOT to do this program and you continue to stick to your guns. Just go ahead and do it.

Tons of people leave California for SMPs, myself included.

 

[malesback24]

We've given you every reason NOT to do this program and you continue to stick to your guns. Just go ahead and do it.

Tons of people leave California for SMPs, myself included.

How much debt did you take on?