Masters in Biological Sciences + Fellowship

[Monika12]

Hello all,

Are you familiar with programs that offer FUNDED masters (not phD) in biological sciences ( microbiology, immunology ...etc.) ? Besides Purdue, I don't seem to find any program that offers this.

Thank you,

[ss2player]

It is quite rare. Look into external funding like NSF, AAAS, AAI, various charitable organizations.

Why not go for the PhD? Science masters are not always a great investment, and are not required to start a doctoral program in the USA (other countries differ on this).

[Monika12]

It will take me two more years to become a permanent resident and go to med school, I want to spend that time doing research. phD would take me 5-6 years to complete.

[Monika12]

NSF and all don't offer fundings for international students.

[ss2player]

Getting a research job would probably be a better use of your time; master's programs suck up your money and you can do similar or better research work as a tech/assistant.

Only reason I could see doing one is if your undergraduate grades are poor and you need to make up for that. And if your goal is medical school, why not a post-bac program? You'd probably see better results for getting into med school, though they too are unfunded.

[bsharpe269]

I agree with ss2player. If your goal is to spend the next couple of years doing research then a masters is not a good route. You will be taking lots of coursework and will do alot less research than you could as a full time tech. Also, as a lab tech you would be getting paid for the research instead of paying to do it.