
Master's in Anatomy and Neurobiology
Boston, USA
DURATION
2 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
31 May 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
USD 75,002 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* for full-time, 1 year | for part-time: $2,083 per credit | tuition and fees for 2025/ 2026 will be available April 2025
Introduction
The M.S. degree in Anatomy and Neurobiology is a rigorous two-year program incorporating coursework in anatomical and neurobiological principles. In addition, the degree has a strong focus on producing outstanding educators through a combination of lecturing and one-on-one mentoring. The program also requires the acquisition of scholarly and scientific expertise through the generation of a Master’s level thesis. The program for the M.S. degree consists of the equivalent of one year of foundational course work and at least one year of directly supervised research work. Candidates are required to complete 32 credits at the graduate level. Course selection for the M.S. program is done in consultation with your academic advisor. By the end of their first year of study, Master’s students will normally be expected to have chosen an adviser from among the faculty of the Department, and to spend the first summer occupied with scientific research. This faculty member will then advise the student on which courses should be taken in the second year of their training.The research work carried out, and the results obtained, will be presented as a thesis at the end of the M.S. program. This should be comparable in design and content to a full-length article in a scientific journal.
Ideal Students
We are looking for students with a strong interest in the disciplines of Neurobiology and Anatomy and in pedagogy at the graduate and medical school level. Often this is demonstrated by a good undergraduate record in the sciences. Most, but not all of our successful applicants have prior research experience. Some of our students come to us directly from undergraduate programs, and others have worked in laboratories or in clinical positions before deciding to return to school. We also welcome applicants who have an interest in teaching in Biomedical Sciences, either as a career, or as a component of an academic position.
Admissions
Curriculum
Required Courses for the M.S. Degree:
- Exptl. Design & Statistical Methods
OR Elementary Biostatistics - Professional Skills
- Human Gross Anatomy
- Neuroanatomy Through Clinical Cases
- Graduate Histology
- Research Colloquium (Journal Club)*
- Vesalius 1: Teaching in the Biomedical Sciences
- Vesalius 2: Teaching Apprenticeship (fulfilled by Teaching Fellow assignments)
- Vesalius 3: Teaching practicum in the biomedical sciences
One Departmental Elective Course (see list below)
Courses Typically Offered in the Fall:
- Cellular Organization of Tissues
- Fundamentals of Cell & Molecular Neurobiology
- Systems Neurobiology
- Scientific Writing
- Human Anatomy and Osteology
- Advanced Human Osteology
- Forensic Biology
- Forensic Pathology
- Molecular Biology of Forensic DNA
- Biomedical Imaging Foundations
Courses Typically Offered in the Spring:
- Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (even years)
- Neurobiology of Aging (odd years)
- Advanced Clinical Anatomy
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
- Methods in Neuroscience
- Advanced Neuroanatomy (even years)
- Graduate Histology
- Neurobiology of Visual System (on demand*)
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Dynamic Modeling (on demand*)
- Methods of Functional Imaging of the Brain
- Molecular Basis of Neurologic Disease
Program Outcome
The goals of the Master’s in Anatomy & Neurobiology (Vesalius) Program are to provide trainees with the knowledge base and skills to become proficient in basic biomedical research and to develop outstanding pedagogic skills. Successful completion of these goals enables our students to pursue further studies in the biomedical sciences including teaching, research, and health care. At the conclusion of the program students will be able to:
- Demonstrate an understanding of Gross Anatomy, Neuroscience, Statistics, and other graduate level elective anatomical and neuroscience topics through successful completion of our core curriculum.
- Demonstrate proficiency in pedagogical skills in the context of the Teaching in Biomedical Sciences course and through teaching fellowships in core medical and graduate student courses (as listed above).
- Demonstrate an understanding of pedagogical theory through the development of a mentored Vesalius teaching practicum, which involves the development of a didactic lesson or exercise under the direct mentorship of department faculty.
- Demonstrate proficiency in scientific data acquisition and analysis through mentored research in one of the department’s research labs.
- Describe and interpret scientific findings of their laboratory research study through the development of a written, publication-quality thesis.
- Demonstrate an understanding of the professional skills (including an ability to read and interpret scientific literature) required of biomedical scientists and educators.