MBS FAQ

• Admissions
  1. When is the Application Deadline?  The program has rolling admissions will accept applications at any time for August admission. Early application is recommended, as the admissions committee begins awarding seats in the program during the spring semester. However, students who were wait-listed for professional programs and did not obtain final admittance are still encouraged to apply during the summer months. We encourage students to indicate the program to which they were wait-listed on their application.
  2. How many students are accepted every year?  The program is limited to 24 students each year. This allows for small class sizes and individual advising.
  3. Do you interview applicants?  We do not interview applicants at this time.
  4. What if my GPA/MCAT/GRE/etc does not meet your admission requirements?  If your scores do not meet our admission requirements, you are not automatically disqualified and we will still review your file. However, it is critical that you provide an explanation for your scores and how you plan to improve in the future. The admissions committee is looking for students who have shown improvement and will hopefully be successful in the program. In the end, we do not want to take your time and money if we do not feel that we will be able to help you reach your ultimate goal.
  5. Do you show preference to Colorado residents?  We do not have a preference for students based on their state of residence.
  6. Can I submit scores after I apply?  You must submit at least one exam score before we will review your file. If you are planning on retaking an exam, please let us know and you can submit the new score once you receive it.
  7. I have a committee letter from my undergraduate institution; can I submit that instead of the individual letters of recommendation?  Applicants who have an electronic committee letter packet from their prehealth office may submit this packet in lieu of the letters from individuals. The committee letter packet must include at least three letters of recommendation and have a cover letter from the prehealth office verifying that the recommendations are authentic. This packet should be sent by e-mail to cynthia.budde@unco.edu with the subject line "committee letter packet".
• Money
  1. What is the cost of the program?  UNC is a state-supported institution and tuition is based on residency. For Colorado residents, the tuition for the 2018-2019 year is approximately $543 per credit for a total of approximately $16,290. This covers tuition for the entire 30 credits as well as university fees. For non-Colorado residents, the cost of tuition and fees for the 30 credit program is approximately $844 per credit for a total of $25,320 for the 2018-2019 academic year. Keep in mind that this is an approximate value and may fluctuate slightly.  Tuition for 2019-20 will be determine in mid-June 2019.
  2. Do you offer financial aid?  Financial aid is available for US residents who qualify. Please contact the financial aid office for more information.
• After graduation
  1. What is your acceptance rate into professional school?  Our average acceptance rate into professional school is approximately 82% and our average interview invitation rate is approximately 90%.  Currently an average of 98% of our alumni are either in professional school or working in a field that requires a Masters degree. 
  2. Do you guarantee admission to professional school?  We do not guarantee admission to any of the professional schools. Our goal is that successful completion of our program will make you a qualified applicant, but as in many things in life, there is no guarantee.
• Course substitution policy
  1. The MBS program will allow one substitution of a biomedically-related course in place of an MBS elective for any MBS student with prior approval by the MBS committee.
  2. If a student has completed, with a passing grade, all of the required and elective MBS courses prior to the start of the MBS program, additional substitutions can be made with prior approval by the MBS committee.
  3. Any substitution must be approved by the MBS committee as part of a student's Plan of Study which must be completed and submitted to the Chair of the MBS committee no later than the second week of the fall semester.
  4. Seminar, journal club, or independent study courses will not be considered as substitution for elective courses in the MBS program.
• Failure to meet the requirements of the program
   

  1. If a student fails to pass the exit exam upon the first attempt, but has an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher:
     1. The student may retake the exam once. In order to retake the exam, the student must take at least 3 credits of either a directed study course or a graduate level biology course during the semester in which he/she takes the exam. The student must retake the exam within one year of the first attempt.
     2. If the student fails to pass the exit exam upon the second attempt, no further attempts will be permitted. In this circumstance, the student will not be able to successfully complete the MBS program or receive the MBS degree.
  2. If a student passes the first attempt at the exit exam, but does not have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher:
     1. The student may take up to 9 credit hours of graduate level biomedically related courses to improve their GPA. These courses must be approved by the MBS committee prior to enrollment. If, after completing these 9 credit hours, the student's overall GPA is less than a 3.0, then he/she will no longer be able to successfully complete the program or receive the MBS degree.
     2. If the student's GPA is low enough that it is mathematically impossible for him/her to raise the overall GPA to a 3.0 after completing 9 credit hours, then he/she will no longer be able to successfully complete the MBS program or receive the MBS degree.
  3. If a student fails the first attempt at the exit exam and does not have an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, this student will no longer be able to successfully complete the MBS program and will not receive the MBS degree.