The Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences Department has excellent programs, faculty and research opportunities for you to realize your career potential.

Competitive Academic Programs with Graduates in High Demand

Undergraduate
  • Graduates of the Clinical Science (CS) Option of the Applied Biomedical Sciences (ABS) Bachelor of Science degree are exceptionally prepared to work in multiple fields of the biomedical sciences, including a variety of laboratory environments (e.g., academia, industry, government, and diagnostics), biomedical devices (e.g., development, marketing, and sales), biotechnology research and development, and the pharmaceutical industry. Employment rates for ABS-CS graduates are reported at nearly 100%.
  • Our highly competitive and nationally accredited Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Option of the Applied Biomedical Sciences (ABS) Bachelor of Science degree prepares students for employment in hospital and free-standing medical/clinical diagnostic laboratories. Graduates of the MLS Option are eligible to take a national certification exam and become professionally certified as a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS). The average job placement rate for graduates of the MLS Option is nearly 100% in hospital-based clinical laboratories across the region.
  • The Pre-Medical/Pre-Health (PMPH) Option of the Applied Biomedical Sciences (ABS) program prepares students for applying to post-baccalaureate professional programs, including medical, veterinary, dental, podiatry, and chiropractic schools. It includes all the prerequisite courses necessary for successfully applying to professional medical programs, including Physician Assistant (PA) school. Dedicated advisors will guide you through the class selection and application process.
  • Our Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Science (NS) prepares students for a wide variety of careers in nutrition and wellness, public health nutrition, nutrition education, research, and the food industry. Among its several options, the Dietetics Option is an accredited program that prepares students to register as a Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, which qualifies graduates to become contributing members of healthcare and food service management teams.
  • The Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Marketing and Management Option, is one of only a few across the country that prepares students for careers that integrate health sciences and business, focusing on the development and marketing of new pharmaceuticals.
  • Many of our alumni pursue advanced degree programs, both graduate and professional, including at UMass Lowell, with some attending medical, physician assistant, and veterinary schools. The ABS-CS and NS-General pathways are excellent choices for students interested in pursuing advanced degrees.
Graduate
  • The Master’s and Doctoral programs in Pharmaceutical Sciences prepare students for research and development careers in academic, governmental, and pharmaceutical industry positions, including biotechnology work environments.
  • The Master’s program in Applied Biomedical Sciences provide students with strong and competitive skills for successful employment in industry and academia research across multiple biomedical disciplines, including managerial positions in the biotechnology industry.
  • The Master of Public Health (MPH) Dietetics program includes coursework and research opportunities that prepare graduates for leadership roles in promoting nutritional health and wellness for diverse populations. The MPH Coordinated Program in Dietetics is an accredited coordinated program where upon graduation, students are immediately eligible to sit for the national registration exam and become a Registered Dietitian. This degree prepares graduates for careers in clinical dietetics, public health nutrition, and food service management through coursework and carefully planned internships in the region.
A female and two male students work with a anatomy dummy

Teaching Excellence for All College Majors in Biomedical & Nutritional Sciences

  • Most introductory “service lecture courses” that provide the foundational health sciences knowledge for all majors within the Zuckerberg College of Health Sciences are taught by expert Teaching Faculty from the BNS Department, most of whom have been recognized with teaching awards. These courses include anatomy & physiology, microbiology, physiological chemistry, and pathophysiology. Many teaching faculty also teach upper-level undergraduate, and even advanced graduate courses, based on their expertise.

Cutting-edge Research in Biomedical, Nutritional, and Pharmaceutical Sciences

The BNS Research Faculty is composed of scientists with extensive experience who inspire and motivate students to pursue their professional goals, helping them connect what they are learning in the classroom to the real world. They all conduct cutting-edge research and most of them also teach upper-level undergraduate and advanced graduate courses based on their expertise. They perform their work in state of the art facilities such as the Elisia Saab Technology and Innovation Center (ETIC), the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) and the Health Assessment Laboratory (HAL). The Center for Population Health includes researchers in nutrition, bone and cognitive health, cardiometabolic risk, microbiome, social and environmental determinants of health, and nutrigenomics.

Research strengths include:

  • Role of diet, genetics and environmental health
  • Gut microbiome links to disease prevention
  • Dietary links to osteoporosis
  • Chronic diseases and dietary intake
  • Cardiovascular disease and blood lipids
  • Food safety
  • Clinical microbiology and safe disinfection
  • Antibiotic resistance

Learn more about our Research Faculty on our research page.