The Mason Gazette

Mason and Georgetown University Launch Joint Bioscience Degrees

September 8, 2009Print-Friendly Version Send to a Friend

By Marjorie Musick

Mason Provost Peter Stearns, left, shakes hands with Howard Federoff of Georgetown University after signing a memorandum of understanding to establish a new joint initiative. Photo by Evan Cantwell

In a new joint education initiative known as “George Squared,” George Mason and Georgetown Universities are paving the road for Greater Washington’s growing bioscience and health care industries.

Scheduled to launch in the fall of 2010, the program will provide students at both schools with access to two new education options — the Joint Certificate for Advanced Biomedical Science and the Special Master’s Program.

A memorandum of understanding to initiate George Squared was signed by Howard Federoff, executive vice president for health sciences and executive dean of the School of Medicine at Georgetown; Peter Stearns, Mason provost; and Maurice Scherrens, Mason senior vice president. A ceremony was held on Mason’s Fairfax Campus on Friday, Sept. 4, to commemorate the signing. Federoff, Stearns and Vikas Chandhoke, dean of Mason’s College of Science, made remarks.

“We are pleased to launch this collaboration with George Mason University and think that the diverse offering of high quality educational programs will serve students well,” Federoff said.

The 24-credit Joint Certificate for Advanced Biomedical Science and the 40-credit Special Master’s Program will prepare up to 60 students for careers in the biological, biochemical and medical biosciences industries, as well as for application to pre-medical programs and medical school.

Through a wide range of science courses such as anatomy, biochemistry, human physiology, medical microbiology and molecular biology, George Squared will give students a solid foundation in the life sciences as well as the technical skills needed to enter the workforce. Classes will be conducted at Mason’s Prince William Campus in Manassas but will be taught by faculty members from Mason and Georgetown.

“Graduates need specialized skills in order to succeed in these highly competitive fields, and at the same time, the demand for health care and biosciences workers is growing. This partnership with our colleagues at Georgetown allows us to meet both needs by offering students unprecedented access to some of the best biomedical-related training in the area while also increasing the number of graduates with biomedical expertise. This agreement constitutes a new vision in biomedical education,” said Chandhoke.

For more information, see the website.