2-year masters degree programs can seriously strengthen a pre-med student’s medical school application. As medical school admissions becomes increasingly competitive, more and more students are completing a year or two of work experience or graduate studies after college graduation, before starting medical school. Despite the average college graduate age of 22, the average age of a first-year medical student is 24. And this is an average, meaning many students are several years older.
Read more about whether a masters before medical school is right for you.
And find below a list of 25 2-year masters programs designed to strengthen medical school applications.
A Mini Guide to Post-Baccalaureate Programs
A “post-bacc” program refers to any program a student completes after graduating with their bachelors, but usually refers to programs specifically designed to improve a student’s future application to doctorate programs (like PhD programs, med school, or dental school). So these programs will sometimes be referred to as “pre-med” post-bacc programs or “pre-professional” post-bacc programs.
Students that complete pre-med post-bacc programs generally have higher rates of admissions to medical schools compared to the average- considerably higher. Most pre-med post-bacc programs state medical school admission rates of their graduates between 80-90%. Read more about average medical school admissions rates here. And read our full guide to pre-med post-bacc programs here.
25 2-Year Masters Programs You Can Do Before Medical School
A few notes: This list only includes programs designed for those who have already completed pre-med requirements in undergrad, also known as “academic enhancer” programs (pre-med masters programs). “Career changer” programs are designed for students who do not have a pre-med or life-science background and are excluded from this list.
And students interested in pursuing medical school are certainly not restricted to the programs on this list. There are hundreds of “regular” masters programs that would still strengthen a medical school application. This is just a list of “special” pre-med masters programs specifically designed for students who want to pursue medical school.
Find a list of 1-year programs here.
East Coast
| Location | School | Program name |
| Washington DC | George Washington University | MS in Anatomical and Translational Science |
| Massachusetts (Cambridge) | Boston University | MS in Medical Sciences |
| Massachusetts (Cambridge) | Harvard University | Master of Medical Sciences in Immunology |
| New Jersey (New Brunswick) | Rutgers University | MS in Biomedical Sciences |
| New York (New York) | Icahn School of Medicine | MS in Biomedical Sciences |
| New York (New York) | Icahn School of Medicine | MS in Clinical Research |
| New York (Valhalla) | New York Medical College | Master in Basic Medical Sciences |
| New York (Valhalla) | New York Medical College | Master of Science (multiple) |
| Pennsylvania (Philadelphia) | Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine | MS in Biomedical Sciences |
West Coast
| Location | School | Program Name |
| California (Los Angeles) | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | Masters in Health Delivery Science |
| Colorado (Boulder) | University of Colorado | Masters in Modern Human Anatomy |
| Colorado (Fort Collins) | Colorado State University | MS in Biomedical Science |
| Colorado (For Collins) | Colorado State University | MS in Toxicology |
Midwest
| Location | School | Program Name |
| Iowa (Des Moines) | Des Moines University | Master of Biomedical Sciences |
| Kentucky (Lexington) | University of Kentucky | MS in Medical Sciences |
| Ohio (Cleveland) | Case Western Reserve University | MS in Applied Anatomy |
| Ohio (Cleveland) | Case Western Reserve University | MS in Pathology |
| Ohio (Cleveland) | Case Western Reserve University | MS in Nutrition |
Southeast
| Location | School | Program name |
| Florida (Miami) | Barry University | MS in Biomedical Sciences |
| Georgia (Atlanta) | Georgia State University | MS in Medical Sciences in Biology |
| Georgia (Atlanta) | Morehouse School of Medicine | MS in Medical Sciences |
| Georgia (Macon) | Mercer University | MS in Biomedical Sciences |
| Louisiana (Shreveport) | Louisiana State University | MS in Biological Sciences |
| Louisiana (New Orleans) | Tulane University | Master of Science (multiple) |
Southwest
| Location | School | Program Name |
| Texas (Denton) | University of North Texas | MS in Medical Sciences |
| Texas (Lubbock) | Texas Tech University | MS in Biomedical Sciences |
Final Thoughts
This list is does not include all 2-year pre-medical masters programs in the US. And it doesn’t include 1-year pre-medical masters programs (listed here) or certificate programs (listed here). But it’s a good place to start your search. Again, students can also consider “regular” masters programs, such as masters programs in chemistry, biology, etc. These would still significantly improve a medical school application.
If you’re interested in a specific medical school, check to see if that school has it’s own pre-medical masters or certificate program. These can be a great opportunity to network with faculty and obtain letters of recommendation from your top school of interest. Read here for more gap year opportunities before medical school. Or if you’re not sure about medical school, these masters programs can still help prepare you for other careers in healthcare. Read here for a list of 5 other lucrative career opportunities in healthcare.
