WHICH non-thesis Masters programs?

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i've heard a lot of mention of obtaining a non-thesis masters to improve chances at admissions, but what particular fields are the most worthwhile for dentistry admissions? I'm a biochem undergrad major, but should one be more concerned with getting a really high graduate GPA or taking on an intense curriculum?

Thanks.
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I am in a non-thesis program in Chicago and really like it. I am taking 9 hours (3 classes), which is considered a full load. Being that they're all science courses, I have my hands full. I'm not sure your major really matters as long as it has 'biology' or 'chemistry' in its title. I've heard some schools have oral sciences programs that may be more related to dentistry. While grades are important, they certainly aren't everything. If you do enroll in a master's program, this alone, will show dental schools you are a serious student and aim to be accepted in the future. Really take the time to get to know the details. It's much more detailed than undergrad.

I was in a fraternity in undergrad, and while we were full of bright kids, there were lots of distractions, especially on weekends. Now, it's much easier to concentrate, and I only have one goal in mind.....Dental School. So with a little tunnel vision, and some hard work, your grades will be fine and dental schools will commend you for having worked harder for your goal.
 
Purduephigam -
How long is your grad program in Chicago?
 
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I'm at Tulane now for undergrad, and their master's program in Cell & Molecualr Bio is great and not too difficult. Each semester: 3 lecture classes, 1 presentation class, and 1 service learning (they can hook you up with volunteering at a local dental clinic).
 
Try an MPH (Public Health) program...Schools like the University of Utah have a 1-year MPH program. An MPH would definitely be a strength as an applicant to ASDOH.
 
thanks for the suggestions, everyone. :)
 
bump :thumbup: good thread...
 
I personally recommend the Hopkins Biotechnology M.S. 10 courses, no thesis. You can take some cool electives(Infectious diseases, Bioterrorsim, etc.) and it is coursework based, so I would think it would help your application more then just a research based masters. I will be done the M.S. in May and I can only say positive things about it.

It has taken me 2 years part-time, but if did it full time you could probably finish it in a calendar year.

http://advanced.jhu.edu
 
I'm gunna have to come in and rep my program again... Barry University in Miami, FL... M.S. in Biomedical Sciences. There are multiple tracks of study: Track 1 (for premeds/predents) - 1 year or 18 month/2 years. You take same basic science courses as your first 2 years of dental school. Biochem, Histo, Gross Anatomy, Physio, Pathophysio, Neuroanatomy, Infectious Diseases, Endocrinology, Epidemiology, Embryology, Nutrition, Pharmacology. Classes are small, teachers are good, students are cool.
 
dmonee6 said:
I'm gunna have to come in and rep my program again... Barry University in Miami, FL... M.S. in Biomedical Sciences. There are multiple tracks of study: Track 1 (for premeds/predents) - 1 year or 18 month/2 years. You take same basic science courses as your first 2 years of dental school. Biochem, Histo, Gross Anatomy, Physio, Pathophysio, Neuroanatomy, Infectious Diseases, Endocrinology, Epidemiology, Embryology, Nutrition, Pharmacology. Classes are small, teachers are good, students are cool.
Click to expand...
looks good, are you in the program?

http://www.barry.edu/bms/Default.asp
 
glad to see this thread is still going. all look like very good programs. i'm actually tossing around the idea of doing a Masters program out-of-state before even applying to dentistry school. I'm an undergrad student at WVU, and I'll most likely attend the dentistry school here at WVU (unless I get into one of my dream schools by some chance). I think the change of location would be nice for a year before I take on another four years in Morgantown. It's a nice town. I just think a break would be nice, too. It would also give me a new perspective academically before entering a professional program.

The biotechnology program at John Hopkins looks like it could be a very "cool" grad program if you choose the right electives. Barry, however, seems like it would make the transition into dentistry school seamless. I will certainly keep both programs in mind when the time comes for that decision.

Thanks again for the great replies. :)
 
RT0223 said:
looks good, are you in the program?

http://www.barry.edu/bms/Default.asp
Click to expand...

Yup, I'm in my second year right now. I was originally accepted into the 1 year program, but decided to do the two year program. I didn't apply for dental school in the '06 cycle. So I figured it'd be better for me to stay in the academic setting for 2 years instead of not doing anything for 1 year. I really like the program and I'm doing quite well. I feel like I've learned a tremendous amount of material. I'm sure I will still have to learn some stuff in dental school, as I'm sure they stress some things more than others. But I feel like I will have a much better grasp of the majority of the sciences than just coming straight out of undergrad. I definitely recommend the program.
 
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do these non-thesis masters programs require LOR's to get in?
 
The Hopkins Biotechnology Masters does not require any LOR's or GRE scores (at least when I was accepted, I would recommend contacting them to make sure).

Yes it is a "cool" masters that has interesting courses, but they offer general courses that will help you for dental school; pharmacology, physiology, neurobiology, etc. Thus far I've taken Advanced Cell Biology I & II, Molecular Biology, Infectious Diseases, Computers in Molecular Biology, and Radiation Biology as my science courses. I've also signed up for Immunology and Neurobiology in the spring.

They also offer a few non-science courses, I will have taken 2 when I'm done the program (thus 8 science courses). However, they were very helpful, dealt with business types (e.g.-LLC, Corporation, etc.) and patents/copyrights etc.
I had no business or legal experience and this will help me in the future with practice decisions, or at least give me a background in the area. The patent/copyright etc. are good if you are interested in doing research, as you should have an idea about intellectual property.


Personally I looked at the Barry masters before, and it is great. But for me, I want the M.S. to prepare for dental school AND give me a unique perspective in science (such as the radiation biology course). Many non-thesis masters will give you similar classes to the first year of dental school, and that is great. But I personally wanted to mix in interesting material that will not just be purely "prep" for dental school.

And by no means have I recieved any negative comments about the program, Hopkins has a decent name in science and medicine, whether that matters to you are not. Plus if you did it part-time, you could do research at Hopkins med school/hospital (which I did), it was a great experience and certainly something to add to my resume.

I was also accepted to PCOM's certificate program, but I chose Hopkins mainly because of these reasons and the fact that it is a real degree vs. certificate.
 
drpduck said:
The Hopkins Biotechnology Masters does not require any LOR's or GRE scores (at least when I was accepted, I would recommend contacting them to make sure).

Yes it is a "cool" masters that has interesting courses, but they offer general courses that will help you for dental school; pharmacology, physiology, neurobiology, etc. Thus far I've taken Advanced Cell Biology I & II, Molecular Biology, Infectious Diseases, Computers in Molecular Biology, and Radiation Biology as my science courses. I've also signed up for Immunology and Neurobiology in the spring.

They also offer a few non-science courses, I will have taken 2 when I'm done the program (thus 8 science courses). However, they were very helpful, dealt with business types (e.g.-LLC, Corporation, etc.) and patents/copyrights etc.
I had no business or legal experience and this will help me in the future with practice decisions, or at least give me a background in the area. The patent/copyright etc. are good if you are interested in doing research, as you should have an idea about intellectual property.


Personally I looked at the Barry masters before, and it is great. But for me, I want the M.S. to prepare for dental school AND give me a unique perspective in science (such as the radiation biology course). Many non-thesis masters will give you similar classes to the first year of dental school, and that is great. But I personally wanted to mix in interesting material that will not just be purely "prep" for dental school.

And by no means have I recieved any negative comments about the program, Hopkins has a decent name in science and medicine, whether that matters to you are not. Plus if you did it part-time, you could do research at Hopkins med school/hospital (which I did), it was a great experience and certainly something to add to my resume.

I was also accepted to PCOM's certificate program, but I chose Hopkins mainly because of these reasons and the fact that it is a real degree vs. certificate.
Click to expand...
Is it easy to get in? If I have a 3.0 and 18, do I have a good chance?
 
going to hopkins would be so tight! i've always wanted to be a bluejay lacrosse player. i'd settle for the masters program though.
 
As RT0223 already asked, how difficult is it to gain admission? I'm tossing around the idea of graduating a year early with a B.S. in Animal and Veterinary Science and beginning a Master's program during my fourth year. Whether I do that or finish the biochemistry degree, I'll have all the dentistry requirements (8 hr bio, chem, organic, phys), plus courses in Animal Physiology, Biochemistry, Genetics, Animal Pathology, Nutrition, Anatomy, Reproductive Physiology. I'm expecting to finish up with a sGPA in 3.3-3.4 range. Reasonable chance or not?
 
you'll be able to get into Barry... you need LORs and a DAT score, but you shouldn't have trouble
 
Its not that bad to get in, I graduated from undergrad with only a 3.05. I believe the requirement is a 3.0 in the last half of your studies, meaning that the last 2 years of college should have at least a 3.0 average. Even if you do not meet these requirements, you can get accepted as a provisional student, which just means you have to earn at least B or better in your first two classes, at which time you no longer have the provisional status.

Classes are around $2300 each, so for the 10 total courses, the Masters will cost you $23k, not including any housing, books, fees, food etc. If you could handle it, you could get a full time job as a research tech at Hopkins Med School/Hospital, and this includes $5k yearly tution remission. However, working full time and taking more then one class at a time seems to be extremely challenging (as some of my classmates did that, and all they had time for was work or study, period). You could work part time and earn enough to pay for rent/food, so you wouldn't have as much debt from student loans.
 
Is there any other great programs out there that would increase you chance to gain acceptance?

A friend of mine summitted an appl. to Case Bio master program but it had been 2 weeks already and she still hasn't heard from them. Do you know how long does it usually take for them to make a decision?
 
i am having the same problem with finding a good non-thesis master program to enter as it looks like i will not be accepted into Dental school this year. I will grad in spring of 07 with a degree in BIochem. Anybody else has any other suggestions around Minnesota? I was thinking of staying in the area, but have not had good luck finding a good school.
Although barry U seems very cool, i might just move down to FL, but so afraid to live in the south cuz it's so hot :)
thanks any suggestion is appreciated
 
You all need to realize that you can't cut corners at this stage. If you are thinking about graduate school, you need to realize it's like taking on a full-time job. You shouldn't be asking questions like, which school is best, or which school will better my chances of admission to dental school?

You are all smart people. You should know that no matter what the program, only YOU can better your chances at being admitted to dental school, and only YOU can make the most of the program to refine your studying habits. Remember, this is an opportunity to further your education. You shouldn't worry about being accepted into graduate school. If you're around the 3.0 mark there shouldn't be a problem. It seems like some of you just need to relax and have some faith in yourselves. I understand it's a stressful time, but it's still early. Oh, and it really shouldn't take graduate schools any longer than a month or two to decide on whether or not to admit you.
 
I did the program - best thing I could have done for myself before matriculating to medical school. If you have specific questions PM me and I can lay it out for you - the good, the bad, the ugly.

MSII
 
purduephigam said:
You all need to realize that you can't cut corners at this stage. If you are thinking about graduate school, you need to realize it's like taking on a full-time job. You shouldn't be asking questions like, which school is best, or which school will better my chances of admission to dental school?

You are all smart people. You should know that no matter what the program, only YOU can better your chances at being admitted to dental school, and only YOU can make the most of the program to refine your studying habits. Remember, this is an opportunity to further your education. You shouldn't worry about being accepted into graduate school. If you're around the 3.0 mark there shouldn't be a problem. It seems like some of you just need to relax and have some faith in yourselves. I understand it's a stressful time, but it's still early. Oh, and it really shouldn't take graduate schools any longer than a month or two to decide on whether or not to admit you.
Click to expand...
I agree if you're around 3.0 then it shouldn't be a problem to get in some graduate programs. However, I do believe some schools or programs are design to gear students into the med- or dent- schools, and some grad schools are more focus on the research aspect or perhaps something else. I guess my question is… which schools have curriculums/courses that are similar to (maybe the first year of) dental schools? ... and not whether a master program will increase your chance… :)
 
Barry U requires GRE, right? are there progs that do not require the GRE? i cant study for the GRE and DAT........
 
drpduck said:
The Hopkins Biotechnology Masters does not require any LOR's or GRE scores (at least when I was accepted, I would recommend contacting them to make sure).

Yes it is a "cool" masters that has interesting courses, but they offer general courses that will help you for dental school; pharmacology, physiology, neurobiology, etc. Thus far I've taken Advanced Cell Biology I & II, Molecular Biology, Infectious Diseases, Computers in Molecular Biology, and Radiation Biology as my science courses. I've also signed up for Immunology and Neurobiology in the spring.

They also offer a few non-science courses, I will have taken 2 when I'm done the program (thus 8 science courses). However, they were very helpful, dealt with business types (e.g.-LLC, Corporation, etc.) and patents/copyrights etc.
I had no business or legal experience and this will help me in the future with practice decisions, or at least give me a background in the area. The patent/copyright etc. are good if you are interested in doing research, as you should have an idea about intellectual property.


Personally I looked at the Barry masters before, and it is great. But for me, I want the M.S. to prepare for dental school AND give me a unique perspective in science (such as the radiation biology course). Many non-thesis masters will give you similar classes to the first year of dental school, and that is great. But I personally wanted to mix in interesting material that will not just be purely "prep" for dental school.

And by no means have I recieved any negative comments about the program, Hopkins has a decent name in science and medicine, whether that matters to you are not. Plus if you did it part-time, you could do research at Hopkins med school/hospital (which I did), it was a great experience and certainly something to add to my resume.

I was also accepted to PCOM's certificate program, but I chose Hopkins mainly because of these reasons and the fact that it is a real degree vs. certificate.
Click to expand...


I WANT TO HUG YOU RIGHT NOW... Thanks for the info!!! Especially the no GRE part.
 
AnonymousADCOM said:
Barry U requires GRE, right? are there progs that do not require the GRE? i cant study for the GRE and DAT........
Click to expand...

Hun, why are you studying for the DATs? I thought you applied and got in already.
 
hey drpduck, i got a q.
which one is it? i am filling the application for spring 07. let me know.
Biotechnology (concentration optional)

Concentration in Biodefense

Concentration in Biotechnology Enterprise

Concentration in Bioinformatics

Concentration in Molecular Targets and Drug Discovery Technologies

NCI Fellowship Program (Complete online application)

Concentration in Regulatory Affairs
 
QuackDentist said:
Hun, why are you studying for the DATs? I thought you applied and got in already.
Click to expand...

I didn't get in anywhere on the first. I have heard neither good nor bad news from the only school that interviewed me. People might say that it's still early in the game, but I want to be prepared. By the time I re-reapply, my DAT scores will be obsolete, so I'll need a new one.
 
callmejimmy said:
hey drpduck, i got a q.
which one is it? i am filling the application for spring 07. let me know.
Biotechnology (concentration optional)

Concentration in Biodefense

Concentration in Biotechnology Enterprise

Concentration in Bioinformatics

Concentration in Molecular Targets and Drug Discovery Technologies

NCI Fellowship Program (Complete online application)

Concentration in Regulatory Affairs
Click to expand...

I didn't specialize, you don't have to. I'm just graduating with a regular M.S. in Biotechnology. Some of the specializations are more for applied fields like research, government etc. I know the program has a few contacts with government (e.g.-Biodefense concentration) for things like homeland security.

However, the NCI fellowship Program is good. It is a 2 year program, where you take classes and do research at NIH (I believe, its only 1 hr from baltimore). I think most of your classes are also paid for, so its definately cheaper. However, they only accept 2 students a year for this program so if you are interested in it I would apply ASAP. The deadline for applying to that program was already passed when I applied to the M.S. program.
 
Oh and I forgot to add, one problem I ran into with this program is that they do not technically assign credit at the "graduate level" even though every course is worth the equivalent of 4 credits. They assign regular grades (A+, A, A- etc.). Look at their catalog, it says something along the lines of not assigning credit at graduate level, but on the transcript it should explain each course is worth 4 credits.

This is more of a annoyance when it comes to AADSAS b/c they could not assign me a graduate GPA b/c they said I didn't have credits. I cleared it up with schools by just calling them and explaining the situation and having hopkins send an official transcript directly to the schools. It held up my AADSAS for sometime before I figured all this out. But I believe schools are fine with it as long as you get them an official transcript from Hopkins.
 
I like the kind of program at Barry U. Does anyone know of any similar programs on the west coast? Preferably California?

how does everyone find these non-thesis master programs? Is there some kind of search website?

thanks!
 
neatofrito55 said:
Hi all,

Did anyone manage to find any information on good Biology masters programs in California or other special masters programs throughout the country? I'd appreciate any information!
Click to expand...

the berkeley extension. not sure if it's good though. it's too new to tell.
 
Hi all! I have a question to throw out, does anyone know how dental schools feel about obtaining only a certificate? I am looking into a MPH programs, but there are no one-year master programs around my area. So I was thinking about taking a year and getting a certificate.....is that ok??:) thanks all!!!
 
Ms.Dentista said:
Hi all! I have a question to throw out, does anyone know how dental schools feel about obtaining only a certificate? I am looking into a MPH programs, but there are no one-year master programs around my area. So I was thinking about taking a year and getting a certificate.....is that ok??:) thanks all!!!
Click to expand...

I would love to know the answer to this as well. That is my only option if I want to stay in Houston.
 
I think if the certificate is from a science based post-bacc program (provided it is reputable) then it would be fine. Most people reapply in their first semester of the SMP anyway, so it's not the "master's" degree that the adcom's weigh, it's the classes you take and your performance in them. I've been told that the best application booster is to enroll in a post bacc program that offers classes along side current med or dental students. If you perform well, then you've started to prove you can cut it as an actual dental student. I'm not quite sure how the adcoms would look at an Mph certificate, because the classes aren't science based, so there is no method of comparing performance. I've been told holding a master's in PH is a big bonus, but if your plan is to apply while obtaining the certificate, then the degree that comes out of the program becomes less important, and the difficulty and relevancy of classes you take in the first semester becomes the key. Hope that helps.:luck:
 
i'll be attending johns hopkins in the Fall so if any of you are too i would like to make friends now so we won't be so lonely when we move there :)
 
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