Personalized attention. Professional growth. Community impact.
Enhance your academic record and become a competitive applicant for medical school or other graduate-level health professional programs.
Study topics found on the MCAT and complete a meaningful master’s thesis on your chosen research project. Gain valuable internship, shadowing, and direct patient care experience in a city with a robust healthcare environment.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Fall Semester: July 1
Participation in Scientific Research
project at Loras helps students deepen their understanding of science in ways that are not possible with purely didactic coursework. The immersion that comes with research deepens the understanding of science concepts and makes connections between biology, biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and physics. Students need to make these connections to score well on the MCAT exam—or other standardized exams for other types of professional school applications—a critical component of a successful application.
A meaningful research experience can strengthen a student’s application portfolio, and can improve critical analysis skills needed for the medical admission test (MCAT) and medical school. Conversely, the research project would also give students experience that will be valuable to them if they decide to pursue a Ph.D. program or go directly into the workforce.
Enhance Your Academic Record
This program is designed to serve as an Academic Record Enhancer (ARE) graduate program. ARE graduate programs are specifically intended for students who have taken the required undergraduate science coursework to apply to medical school—or other graduate-level health professional programs—but do not have a competitive application.
Student-led Research
Choose your research from a variety of areas and topics related to biology and the interdisciplinary biomedical sciences field. Learn how to ask appropriate research questions, design experiments, and interpret data.
Current Student Projects Include:
- Directing evolution of yeast to improve beer brewing
- Understand how fungi can become resistant to anti-fungal drugs, understanding the structure and function of a mitochondria protein that when mutated causes human blindness
- Investigating changes to mouse brain structure after development of deafness
- Looking into how manipulating the stiffness of a surface affects the movement of cells, which relates to how cancer cells move through different tissues of the body.
Quick Highlights
- On-campus daytime classes
- 34 credits, two-year completion
- Academic Record Enhancer program
- Advising from a MD
- Research resulting in a thesis

Admission Criteria & Eligibility
A holistic admission decision will be based on multiple factors, including your motivation for pursuing this degree, work history, volunteer activities, and other extracurricular involvement.
- Earned a bachelor’s degree with a natural sciences background by the time of enrollment.
- A cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
- Completion of the following prerequisite course requirements or MCAT score above 500 with no sub-score below the thirtieth percentile or 123.
- General Chemistry (two semesters)
- Organic Chemistry (two semesters)
- Biochemistry (one semester)
- Introductory Biology (one semester)
- Cellular/Molecular Biology (one semester)
- Physiology or Anatomy & Physiology (one semester minimum)
- US citizen or permanent resident.
International students interested in specific coursework should contact the program director.
Application Checklist
Requirements, Outcomes & Schedule
Book a chat.
Schedule a personalized visit or a video chat to learn more about the curriculum, internships, outcomes, enrollment process, and more.
Get in Touch
Megan Henderson
Graduate Admission
megan.henderson@loras.edu
563.588.7140
Learn More
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Financial Aid
Advanced degrees are worth the investment. We have options to help you make your educational goal a reality, and financial aid helps open doors for your future.
Tuition & Fees
Understand the costs before applying. Review tuition, fees, and living expenses to create a realistic budget. Financial planning is key for advanced degree success.
Straight Talk from a Duhawk
Our program builds in a research experience to help students improve both their in-depth learning and the strength of their application to medical school.
— Dr. Kate Cooper, Ph.D., Program Director
Biomedical Science FAQ
Graduate Programs FAQ
Meet Your Professors

Elaina Biechler PhD
Associate Professor of Kinesiology
Coaching Leadership Program Director

Sarah Cassella PhD
Associate Professor of Neuroscience

Kate Cooper PhD
Professor of Biology
Biomedical Sciences Program Director

Kathryn DeShaw PhD
Assistant Professor of Kinesiology

Andrew Kehr PhD
Assistant Professor of Biochemistry

Christoffer Lammer-Heindel PhD
Associate Professor of Philosophy

Molly M. McDonald Figgins PhD ATC
Associate Professor of Athletic Training
Athletic Training Program Director

Adam Moser PhD
Associate Professor of Chemistry

Ulrike Schultz MD MPH
Director of Postbaccalaureate Pre-Medical Program
Director of Pre-Health Advising

Keith Thraen-Borowski PhD
Associate Professor of Kinesiology