Work alongside students and faculty from diverse scientific backgrounds to develop the communication and teamwork skills valued in research, healthcare, and biotechnology careers.

Apply Science in Real-World Settings

Address clinical, public health, research, and industry challenges through hands-on projects, capstones, and thesis experiences that connect classroom learning to practice.

Prepare for Research and Career Success

Build expertise in research design, critical analysis, data interpretation, and scientific communication to support future graduate study and careers in the life sciences.

About the MS in Applied Life Sciences

A Flexible Master's Program Designed Around Your Goals

Ready to drive innovation in healthcare, science, and biotechnology?

The Master of Science in Applied Life Sciences at Keck Graduate Institute is a two-year, residential graduate program that prepares students for advanced healthcare education, doctoral training, biotechnology careers, clinical and translational research, public health, and healthcare leadership.

Students tailor their experience through:

Three academic tracks
Six concentration options
Individualized faculty mentorship
Hands-on research and applied learning
Thesis, capstone, or Team Master's Project experiences

Whether your goal is medical school, a PhD program, a biotechnology career, or leadership in public health, the MS program provides a flexible pathway to help you get there.

Learning Outcomes

Science & Research Skills

Perform hypothesis-driven research. Evaluate research design and methodology. Analyze and report data results. Assess scientific literature and identify knowledge gaps. Translate scientific discoveries into products that benefit society.

Communication & Teamwork

Communicate effectively with industry leaders. Contribute productively to an interdisciplinary team. Develop communication skills through presentations, reports, thesis, capstone, and Team Master’s Project experiences.

Ethics & Professional Responsibility

Learn ethical principles related to research, development, healthcare, and bioscience industry issues, and how to adhere to them in future professional work.

Outcomes That Matter

92.3%

Would Recommend the Program

96.6%

Reported Preparation for Professional Careers

Based on alumni survey responses from graduates across multiple cohorts.

Choose Your Career Pathway

The MS in Applied Life Sciences supports students pursuing a wide range of academic and professional goals through flexible coursework, individualized mentorship, and experiential learning opportunities. Students choose pathways, tracks, and concentrations that align with their interests and long-term goals.

Healthcare Professions

Prepare for medicine, osteopathic medicine, physician assistant/associate programs, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and related healthcare professions.

Research & Doctoral Training

Build a foundation for doctoral programs, biomedical research careers, translational science, laboratory research, and computational research pathways.

Biotechnology & Industry

Prepare for careers in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, medical devices, clinical research, quality, regulatory affairs, and healthcare innovation.

Community & Public Health

Develop expertise in community health, public health, health equity, prevention, healthcare leadership, and service to underserved populations.

Customize Your Academic Experience

The MS curriculum combines flexibility with individualized guidance. Students select an academic track while pursuing coursework and project experiences aligned with their goals.

Pre-Health Track

Designed for students preparing for advanced healthcare education and healthcare professional programs.

Research Track

Designed for students seeking doctoral preparation, biomedical research experience, and translational science opportunities.

Industry Track

Designed for students pursuing careers in biotechnology, pharmaceutical sciences, clinical research, healthcare innovation, quality, or regulatory affairs.

Concentration Options

Students may choose from six focus areas.

Biotechnology Clinical Research Community Medicine Infectious Diseases Public Health Translational Research

Students in any track may pursue any available concentration based on academic interests and career goals.

Explore Academic Tracks

What Sets KGI's MS Apart?

Advanced Healthcare Preparation

Strengthen your preparation for medicine, physician assistant/associate programs, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, and other healthcare professional programs.

Research Preparation

Gain experience through laboratory, clinical, computational, infectious disease, neuroscience, and translational research projects.

Biotechnology & Pharmaceutical Career Preparation

Develop industry-relevant skills through Team Master's Projects, internships, applied experiences, and biotechnology-focused coursework.

Flexible Thesis & Capstone Experiences

Complete projects aligned with healthcare, research, community medicine, public health, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, or industry interests.

Individualized Advising

Receive guidance from faculty, advisors, mentors, and alumni who support your academic and professional development.

Community & Public Health Impact

Engage with projects focused on health equity, prevention, underserved communities, and population health.

Student Support

MS Program Mentorship & Advising

Supporting Students from day one. Advising and Mentorship are central to the MS Program. Every MS student benefits from three complementary types of support. Faculty Mentorship to guide academic and professional planning. Student Mentorship to provide peer-based guidance and community. Alumni Engagement to connect students with graduates who offer career insights and networking opportunities. Together, these structures help students progress academically while preparing for professional and academic success beyond graduation.

Learn More

Exclusive Pathway

MSPA Pathway Mentorship Program

KGI offers current students the opportunity to participate in the MSPA Pathway program, which guarantees a select number of students the opportunity to interview for the MSPA program.

Learn More

Learning Through Experience

Students complete meaningful projects and applied learning experiences in areas such as:

Clinical Research
Hospital Quality Improvement
Community Medicine
Public Health
Biotechnology
Translational Research
Biomedical Research
Artificial Intelligence & Data Science

Students in any track may pursue any available concentration based on academic interests and career goals.

View Student Projects

Where Our Graduates Go

Graduates have pursued advanced healthcare education, doctoral training, biotechnology careers, clinical research positions, healthcare leadership roles, and public health careers.

Healthcare

Medicine, Osteopathic Medicine, Physician Assistant/Associate, Pharmacy, Nursing, Dentistry, Occupational Therapy, and related healthcare professions.

Research and Doctoral Programs

PhD programs, biomedical research institutions, translational science organizations, and public health doctoral programs.

Biotechnology and Industry

Biotechnology companies, pharmaceutical organizations, healthcare systems, clinical research organizations, diagnostics companies, and public health agencies.

Explore Graduate Outcomes

MS Students Success Stories

Current students and alumni of MS program share how Keck Graduate Institute helped them discover their passion and purpose.

How to Apply to the Applied Life Sciences Graduate Program

Position yourself for success by applying to our MS in Applied Life Sciences program. To position yourself as a competitive candidate, you should submit your application by the priority deadlines listed above. After that, KGI utilizes rolling admissions.

When applying, you must include:

Online application
Personal statement
Résumé
Letter of recommendation
Transcripts from all previously attended institutions
English language proficiency (by interview or scores from TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo exam for international students)

Apply Now

More Info

Admission Process

After you submit your online application, our team will carefully review your materials. We'll then contact you to schedule an admissions interview, where we can get to know you better and discuss your academic and career goals.

Our Admissions Committee comprises faculty and senior administrators who thoroughly review each application. We consider your application in the context of the total applicant pool and in relation to our general admissions standards and do not use arbitrary GPAs or test score cutoffs.

All admissions decisions are final for the academic year in which they are rendered.

Applying from outside the U.S.? Learn more about our international admissions process.

Admitted students are required to submit a $400 non-refundable enrollment fee to hold their spot in the program.

Funding Your Master’s in Applied Life Sciences Degree

Pursuing a graduate education is a big investment, and KGI is here to support you through the process. We provide personalized guidance and holistic financial aid resources to ensure you have all the information you need. Explore scholarships, federal aid, or other ways to pay for your education.

Financing Your Studies

Become a Front-Runner in Life Sciences — Apply to KGI

Be a part of crafting real-world solutions by earning your Master of Science in Applied Life Sciences degree at KGI. Here, you embark on a graduate education journey that strengthens your research skills, deepens your specialized knowledge, and empowers you to lead in various fields.

Ready to take your career to the next level? Apply today to kick-start your journey at Keck Graduate Institute.

Virtual Tour

Inside KGI’s Research Laboratory

Tour where you’ll be researching, collaborating, and discovering? Explore our cutting-edge laboratory wherever you are!

Launch School of Health Sciences

Program Faculty and Staff

MS Program Advising and Mentorship

Advising and mentorship are central to the MS program. Every MS student benefits from complementary types of support: faculty mentorship to guide academic and professional planning, student mentorship to provide peer-based guidance and community, and alumni engagement to connect students with graduates who offer career insights and networking opportunities.

All MS students receive individualized advising, mentorship, and access to research, thesis, capstone, clinical, community, public health, biotechnology, industry, and professional development opportunities regardless of entry pathway or selected track.

Students identify Plan A, their primary career goal, and Plan B, their alternative pathway. Advising helps students develop experiences that support multiple realistic options. Examples include medicine and clinical research; physician assistant/associate and public health; doctoral training and the biotechnology industry; dentistry and community health; or biotechnology and regulatory affairs.

The Program Leadership Team consists of the Program Director and Program Administrative Coordinator. It supports students from entry through graduation and transition into the next academic or professional step. The Program Director serves as Primary Program Advisor and Capstone Coordinator, ensures academic progress, oversees culminating projects, and maintains an open-door policy for mentoring and student concerns. The Program Administrative Coordinator provides guidance on registration, deadlines, capstone logistics, and program requirements.

Each student identifies a Second Faculty Advisor whose expertise aligns with their academic interests, Plan A or Plan B, and their intended professional pathway. Students may request to change advisors or add a co-advisor if goals evolve.

Students pursuing medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, physician assistant/associate training, or other healthcare professional programs can seek guidance from a Pre-Health Advisor. This advisor supports course planning, clinical and service experiences, and application preparation, complementing the advice provided by faculty and program leadership.

Students completing a Thesis or Capstone identify their project and advisor, subject to program approval. Research or external advisors support project design, methodology, data analysis, academic writing, and professional development. Projects may be conducted at KGI or approved external sites.

The MS Peer Mentorship Program pairs incoming students with second-year peers to provide support and community. Mentors help students adjust to graduate-level study, understand program expectations, connect with campus resources, learn about internships and research, and prepare for professional or doctoral opportunities. Mentors model reliability, professionalism, and confidentiality.

Alumni engagement connects current students with graduates who can offer career insights, networking opportunities, and examples of successful pathways into healthcare programs, doctoral training, biotechnology careers, clinical research, and public health.

Program Details

Collaborate Across Disciplines