Skip to Main Content

Our Program Policies

All program policies apply to faculty, staff and students equally (where appropriate). The MMSc program is administered as part of the Graduate School. All policies found in the Graduate Student Handbook published by the Graduate School.

Graduate Student Records

Records maintained by the MMSc graduate program for each student include:

• Original letters of recommendation, transcripts, applications, and statements
• Plan of Study and any updates
• Copies of forms required by the Graduate School
• Performance evaluations from faculty, supervisors, and mentors

Admission Requirements and Undergraduate Course Work

Before being admitted to the program, students must complete the course work and exams specified at the Admissions link for the MMSc program.  Students with a Miami University undergraduate degree must be aware that any course completed at Miami for undergraduate credit will not be counted towards the MMSc degree even if it is repeated for graduate credit.  In other words, if you completed MBI 414 (Immunology) as an undergraduate at Miami, you cannot take MBI 514 as part of your MMSc program.  You would take PAS 623, Immunology and Infectious Disease, instead.

Curriculum and Requirements

Students must successfully complete the curriculum of required and elective courses. 

The MMSc degree General Track requires 32 semester hours of graduate credit. The MMSc degree Leadership Track requires 47 semester hours of graduate credit. The MMSc General Track is designed to be a 12-month full-time program (at least 9 credit hours per academic fall/spring semester). The MMSc & Certificate Leadership Track is designed to be a 24-month program (at least 6 credit hours per academic fall/spring semester). Any student who decides to study part-time must understand that they may need extra semesters to complete the program.  In addition, courses may not be available every semester so they will need to plan carefully to complete the program. 

Upon matriculation, each student must work with the Program Director to form a graduate committee and complete a Plan of Study. The graduate committee is made up of the Program Director (committee chair) and two graduate faculty (level A or B) representing the MMSc program. The graduate committee will conduct the final examination required for awarding a Master's Degree. The Plan of Study can be revised by consultation with the Program Director and graduate committee.   

The culminating experience of the MMSc degree is the completion of the MMS 690 Capstone course with a written and oral report. The Program Director and the individual student’s graduate committee will serve as the Final Examination Committee for the culminating experience. Two of the three committee members must vote “Pass” for the student to pass the exam. If two or more members vote “Fail” then the student fails the exam.  If necessary, the work can be revised and the process repeated within 14 days of the initial evaluation. If the student fails a second time, the MMSc degree is not awarded. The graduate committee must submit the Graduate School forms M-1 and M-2 to complete the degree process.

The Biomedical Science MMSc is a distinct and separate program from the Physician Associate Studies MMSc program (PAS). PAS classes taken when a student is enrolled in the Biomedical Science program WILL NOT transfer to any PA program in the State of Ohio or elsewhere.

GPA Policy

It is a Graduate School policy that graduate students must maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 in graduate coursework. If the cumulative GPA is below 3.00 at the end of any semester, the student is placed on academic probation by the Graduate School. The student then has one regular academic year semester to improve the GPA. In other words, a GPA < 3.00 at the end of Summer must be rectified during the subsequent Fall semester, a GPA < 3.00 at the end of Fall or Winter must be rectified during the subsequent Spring semester, and a GPA < 3.00 at the end of Spring must be rectified during the subsequent Fall semester. If the GPA is not raised to > 3.00 within the specified time frame, the student is dismissed from the program by the Graduate School.

For all graduate courses , a grade lower than a B will negatively affect the GPA. Additional courses can be taken to re-establish an acceptable GPA up to a limit of 3 additional classes. Because PAS courses cannot be repeated or replaced by other courses, if a grade lower than a B is earned in any required PAS course, that course can be remediated as described below.

Courses for the MMSc degree cannot be taken Credit/No Credit or audited.  All other Graduate School policies regarding grades in graduate courses apply.

Remediation Policy for PAS Courses

If a student is earning a grade lower than a B at the end of the course, a grade of Incomplete (I) will be assigned. The student then has a limited time to complete remediation to resolve the incomplete. Successful course remediation of any PAS course assigned an incomplete will consist of:

  • A meeting with the course instructor/coordinator to discuss the matter and identify any specific issue(s) within 1 week of grades being posted. It is the responsibility of the student to arrange the remediation meeting. The student will be provided additional instruction and intervention plans will be developed for academic improvement.
  • Remediation for a course might involve more detailed repeat course work, oral boards, or other more intensive assessments to ensure proper knowledge to proceed within the program to be determined by the course instructor/coordinator.  A time limit for remediation is set by the course instructor.
  • The course instructor evaluates the remediation work and changes the Incomplete grade to the appropriate letter grade.
  • If the student does not complete the assigned remediation work, the original letter grade is assigned to replace the incomplete.
  • The student must recognize that PAS classes cannot be repeated by MMSc students.

Shadowing Policy

Students in the MMSc program must complete at least 100 hours of graduate-level shadowing in clinically relevant settings as the foundation for the capstone class. The Program Director will provide specific advising to help students select appropriate and sufficient shadowing experiences. 

Miami University Withdrawal Policy, Medical and Non-Medical

Student Employment Policy

Students are STRONGLY DISCOURAGED from being employed even part-time while in the MMSc program. Instead, every student is encouraged to devote the maximum time possible to their studies while enrolled in the program. The curriculum is intense, demanding, time-consuming, and requires long hours of both in-class attendance and devoted study time. Therefore, any activity that takes time away from a student’s efforts within the program is discouraged.

Should students continue employment while in the program, work schedules must NOT interfere with class attendance, participation, or completion. Some students may choose to work during breaks between semesters, but it is highly recommended that those breaks be used for shadowing.

Students in the MMSc program are not eligible for Teaching Assistantships or Research Assistantships funded by Miami University.

Background Checks and Toxicology Screen

Ohio law mandates criminal records checks for all prospective employees in positions where the individual will be caring for older adults or children. Because the MMSc program includes opportunities for shadowing and clinical observations, all MMSc students are required to obtain a criminal background check and toxicology screen prior to starting the program.

Any events that occur after the initial background check that might affect the student’s status in the program must be reported to the MMSc program immediately. Students are also required to comply with additional requests for background checks at any time during their course of study, for example before a shadowing experience or externship.

Drug Screening

Some medical facilities require students that rotate in their facility to undergo drug screening prior to being awarded temporary privileges. It is the student’s responsibility to comply with this screening without exception. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange for the screening in a timely fashion so as not to negatively impact their shadowing experience or damage the working, professional relationship between Miami University and the host clinical institution.

The student is responsible for any applicable fees associated with drug screening.

Immunization Policy

All students in the MMSc program must comply with the Miami University Immunization and Screening Policy.

Some shadowing opportunities may have additional policies for immunizations, medical screening, and/or wearing personal protective equipment. MMSc students must comply with those requirements in order to participate.

Academic Grievance Policy

MMSc students should follow the Graduate School Academic Grievance Policy to resolve concerns about courses or the program.

Program Dismissal Policy

Students may be dismissed from the program for: