Master of Clinical Anatomy, M.C.A.

The mission of the professional degree program, Master of Clinical Anatomy (M.C.A.), is to provide clinically relevant content knowledge coupled with experiential learning activities for developing skills in teaching, education research, and enhancing advancement to professional health care programs. Graduates will be able to:

• demonstrate knowledge of the anatomical sciences (neuroanatomy, gross anatomy, and histology) at a level necessary for instruction within a professional program;
• design and deliver effective instructional activities appropriate for a cadaveric dissection course;
• design and deliver effective instructional activities appropriate for individual, small group, large group, and laboratory settings;
• evaluate the effectiveness of educational instruction using both formative and summative methods; and
• practice effective methods of self-reflection on the nature, quality, and impact of instructional activities for learning.

The professional Master of Clinical Anatomy (M.C.A.) program requires a minimum of 32 s.h. of work that is distributed between required (25 s.h.) and elective (7 s.h.) coursework. Students must maintain a g.p.a. of at least 3.25. The program is designed so that students can complete the requirements in a year and a half, and provides clinically relevant content coupled with experiential learning activities to develop skills in teaching and educational research. A portion of the curriculum is offered online to complement classroom and laboratory learning.

Students with a degree in a specific biological science (e.g., genetics) for which no formal coursework in basic gross anatomy has been completed may be required to take a prerequisite undergraduate anatomy course.

The Master of Clinical Anatomy requires the following coursework.

Required Courses

Electives

Students select at least 7 s.h. in elective coursework.

Research/Education Project

Students successfully present their research/education project in November of their second year.

Capstone Project

The capstone project is the final formal piece of assessment that students are required to pass in order to graduate from the M.C.A. program. It represents the integration of the anatomical sciences in terms of both teaching and research as a culmination of studies in gross anatomy, neuroanatomy, histology, and embryology. The capstone project tells the story of each student's unique experience of learning and development in the anatomical sciences, providing evidence of a student's integrated understanding of the anatomical sciences. It allows students to demonstrate the skills that they have developed on their journey through the production and submission of an original body of work.

Once the capstone project proposal has been approved by the advisory committee in September of their second year, students must complete the project with the anticipation of providing a final oral presentation in December that addresses the following:

• question/problem identification,
• anatomical sciences integration,
• project development, and
• impact (goal) reflection.

Applicants must:

• have a B.A. or B.S. degree with a strong science background;
• have a g.p.a. of at least 3.00;
• have an external performance exam from the last five years, such as MCAT (minimum score of 500 or pre-2015 exam scores greater than 27) or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test (score above the 50th percentile with verbal score of at least 150 and math score of at least 150);
• submit a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) score (only the iBT—Internet-Based Test is accepted with a total score of 93 and a speaking score of 26) and the test must have been taken within the last two years, or submit a current acceptable score from the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) if an international applicant and if English is not student's first language;
• provide three letters of reference/support;
• submit a personal statement; and
• be available for an interview with the M.C.A. faculty.

Application deadline is May 31.

For detailed application instructions and forms, visit the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology website.

Graduates are prepared for a variety of anatomical sciences education settings that include advanced professional study, faculty/lectureship positions in medicine, and allied health care fields at community colleges. Some will want to continue their studies within a health care profession, others may want to prepare for college-level teaching, and others may want to pursue a career in anatomical sciences.