With growth and new programs coming to Cabrini, one of the many changes that will benefit students are the new masters programs that are being developed. The science program is widely recognized and in the upcoming months the department will be adding two MS degrees in biological science. These two tracts will be thesis and non-thesis, allowing students to choose whether or not they would like to conduct research within their studies.
The department had been discussing how to make students more marketable. With their successes in the past and their respected reputation, the department as a whole decided it was time to grow into something bigger and stronger.
Dr. Anne Coleman, chair of the science department, is excited for the new changes to come within the department. “It all started with the biotechnology graduate certificate. From there we looked at our current strengths and where there was a market demand and constructed a curriculum accordingly,” Coleman said.
Dr. Mary Harris, dean for academic affairs, said, “The science department found a certain need for students that was not being addressed. Some students needed some additional classwork before they applied to medical school, and others were interested in a career in the pharmaceutical industry and needed some additional coursework to help with securing a job in that industry.”
With the two tracks that will be offered within this master’s programs, students will be advised if they are wanting to go within the medical field to go with the non-thesis track. Students who would like to participate in the research based, thesis track, are the ones who are more willing to go on to a PhD program after they complete the masters. Both tracks have the ultimate goal to help students grow and learn more about the biological science field.
“Having a master’s program in the science department is a huge benefit of its students. Students will have the option of doing a 4+1 program which saves a year of tuition. This program will give our students potential advantage when it comes to job searching,” Coleman said.
Within this program, staffing has become no problem. Many of the professors of the science department are willing and able to teach the classes. Although this is a plus for the department, they have also decided to bring in one new hire for the program as a full time professor, starting Fall of 2017.
“This is really a great program for our science majors and that the faculty in the science department has spent a great deal of time and effort bringing this idea to fruition, especially Dr. Fuller-Espie,” Harris said.
