<p>Hello,
I am interested in the part-time MS in Biotechnology offered in the Advanced Academic Programs at JHU. From what I can tell, the admission requirements are a little more lax and the program could be entirely completed online. The reason I am considering this type of degree is because I am interested in going on to a PhD program but did not quite have the GPA during my undergrad years to make myself a really strong candidate. I have about three years of experience working as a laboratory worker in industry now and will probably have about five when/if I go to and finish this program. Do you guys and gals think that this would be a good strategy to boost my opportunities for a PhD program? </p>
<p>Also, has anyone had experience with this program? Can you comment on its reputation with other institutions and whether it is really possible to complete the entire degree online?</p>
<p>Is it really possible to complete this degree entirely online?</p>
<p>Yes, you can obtain the degree entirely online. However, it is very rigorous and they go out of their way to keep you engaged and make sure you’re not getting a substandard or abbreviated education. They also find creative ways to test you (For example: 50 minutes to answer 45 questions on your cumulative final or a thorough analysis of a made up protein or perhaps you’re asked to critique the experimental methods utilized in a short published paper) to make sure you’re learning and engaging the material. It is Hopkins after all, and they’re not about to damage their reputation. However, note that this isn’t a biomedical engineering degree, so you won’t engage advanced mathematics or physics in most of your courses. </p>
<p>I would say the 4 core courses (+ pre-reqs) are equivalent to an undergraduate education in the biological sciences and the remaining electives really help you expand your knowledge across an almost unbelievable array of electives. I was initially skeptical about the program, but have been genuinely impressed with quality of my classmates and the rigor of the program. I’d say a full 1/4 of the students already hold advanced degrees and probably 10% have PhD’s but are expanding with an emphasis in regulatory affairs or bioinformatics (or else cross list through those degree programs).</p>
<p>When you consider the cost, educational value, and reputation it’s almost too good to be true. That’s why I had so many red flags about the program, but now being half way through it I can assure you it’s nothing less than the best masters level biotech program on the planet (and I assure you I did my comparative research with Penn, UC Irvine, Columbia, Northwestern, etc). Note that all of the courses have to be taught on campus, twice, before they’re allowed to be offered online so the course content and material is identical. The only thing that changes is the delivery mechanism. The program also offers several lab based courses for those students who are close enough to attend, many of which are hosted on the weekend or at night.</p>