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Make Healthcare More Personalized
Anticipate and understand how to use the latest techniques influencing medical research, patient care, population health, and drug development with an online Master’s in Precision Medicine from ACU. A flexible format better accommodates your schedule, while our vibrant, virtual Christ-centered community fosters and supports your personal and career success.
Introducing
Locked-In Tuition.
Our Locked-In Tuition program guarantees you’ll pay the same price for your entire graduate degree.
About the Program
The Master of Science in Precision Medicine will provide students with both theory and skills to apply the latest molecular diagnostic techniques and analytics procedures to assist in the planning and implementation of precise treatment protocols for patients confronting serious illness, as well as a foundation for effective laboratory management. As a fully online program, you will gain knowledge and skills in this rapidly evolving field while continuing in your current profession.
Program Structure
All the Details on Your Degree
Learn how to use and apply emerging data science and genomic technologies in your respective area of the healthcare field. As you grow your scientific and operational expertise, you’ll further participate in research involving data and literature under the guidance of an experienced mentor that results in a report and presentation.
Stackable Certificate:
Earn a certificate while completing your master’s degree.
While enrolled in our Master of Science in Precision Medicine program, you will also earn a graduate-level Certificate in Precision Medicine. Earn this valuable credential as you progress through your degree at no additional cost.
Required Hours
35 Hours
2 year timeframe
Example Coursework
Histopathology and Molecular Biology of Cancer
Applied Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Analysis
Advanced Strategies in Clinical Biomarker Development/Use
The Immune System and its Role in Precision Medicine
Department
Upcoming Start Dates
April 30, 2024
June 25, 2024
Common Job Titles
Clinical Laboratory Technologist or Technician
Histotechnologist and Technician
Pharmacology Laboratory Technician
Natural Science Research Manager
Curriculum
Over 35 credit hours, the curriculum for the online Master’s in Precision Medicine explores genetics-related topics and introduces you to tools for gathering and analyzing data for diagnostic, treatment, and research purposes. You’ll learn about:
- fundamental cancer theory and image analysis techniques in histopathology;
- the focus of drug development for precision medicine and pharmaceutical research;
- technical competencies for genetics laboratory operation and management, including reporting, ethics, financial, and sustainability best practices;
- Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platforms, methods, and applications;
- concepts, laboratory techniques, and other skills involved in applied medical genetics, with emphasis given to cancer genes;
- regulatory and payment guidelines for diagnostic laboratories;
- clinical biomarkers for examining biological processes and responses in molecular medicine;
- precision medicine data analysis techniques, including data mining, statistical analysis, and machine learning to extract information for diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic purposes;
- research design principles used in clinical laboratories and drug development; and
- personalized medicine strategies involving the immune system, immunology, pathophysiology, and drug development and treatment.
Meet the Program Director
Dr. Jon Wiener, Master of Science in Precision Medicine
Dr. Jon R. Wiener is an assistant professor and program director of Precision Medicine in the College of Graduate and Professional Studies at ACU Online. Jon received his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Microbiology from the University of Maryland, College Park, and his Ph.D. in Microbiology from the University of Virginia, all degrees specializing in the structure and pathogenesis of infectious mammalian viruses.
Following a post-doctoral fellowship at Duke University in the evolution of viral genomes, he stayed on as a junior faculty member at Duke in the Departments of Surgery and Ob-Gyn where his research centered on the molecular biology of Human Breast and Ovarian Cancer pathogenesis and metastasis. He subsequently moved to the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, where his research in Ovarian Cancer continued, and he became the Dean of Academic Affairs for the University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences for ten years. A subsequent move to Asheville, NC resulted in being a community college dean: 7 years as Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences and 5 years as Dean of Allied Health.
He is the author of 36 peer-reviewed papers, six book chapters, and 28 meeting abstracts. His hobbies include teaching martial arts, playing the guitar, and spending time with family and friends.
Spotlight
Student Spotlight: Katrina Pfefferle
If there’s one thing Katrina Pfefferle wants everyone to know, it is that it’s never too late to find your purpose and place in this world. As both a highly motivated lab manager at Caris Life Sciences and current student in the Master of Science in Precision Medicine program, Katrina is passionate about telling anyone that they, too, can achieve their academic goals. All it takes is to let go and let life take you there.
Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Allison Sherier
Working as a scientist at Caris Life Sciences and adjunct professor in the Precision Medicine program at ACU Online, Dr. Allison Sherier is highly interested in furthering both the educational development of her fellow Caris colleagues as well as graduate students interested in oncological research. As part of the growing Precision Medicine program, Dr. Sherier is deeply invested in seeing how her courses can impact students to become driven researchers dedicated to advancing cancer science and treatments.
Faculty Spotlight: Jon Wiener
Dr. Jon Wiener is one of the country’s leading minds in cancer research and microbiology. From leading teams at world-class medical centers to serving as an academic dean to teaching biology at local community colleges, all of these opportunities have led Jon to his current position as the program director for Precision Medicine at ACU Online. Jon is hyper-focused on building a program that equips dedicated scientists and researchers in the collaborative efforts of technology and medicine to prevent and detect cancer and other illnesses early on.
How to Stay Motivated While Taking Online Classes
Going online for your degree program seems like the perfect fit for starting your graduate degree journey. After all, you are already busy with family and career, so there is no way you have time to physically go to class. When you actually get into your program, however, you may find that it’s a little more difficult to stay motivated than you thought it would be. Here are some tips to help you stick with the program and earn that degree with the flexibility of online education.
5 Benefits of Attending a Virtual Open House
Considering attending an online school like ACU Online? Here are 5 reasons why you need to attend the next virtual open house.
A one-size-fits-all approach shortchanges the majority of patients. With new vaccines rapidly developed in response to Covid-19 and the American Cancer Society estimating 1.9 million new cancer diagnoses in 2021, strictly looking at averages ignores a visible number of patients and their individual histories. Also described as “personalized health,” precision medicine acknowledges the specific genetic makeup and experiences of each patient. Data collection and genomics are gradually taking these differences into account, shaping not only diagnostic and treatment processes but clinical research trials and population health interventions to drive more meaningful, detailed results.ACU’s online Master’s in Precision Medicine equips you with the tools to pursue this mission and enrich your healthcare organization. As a student in this program, you’ll:
- learn the theories and practices supporting clinical precision medicine laboratory techniques for performing molecular tests and evaluating analytical test results;
- understand how to critically evaluate the research literature, identify an important problem in precision medicine, and plan and conduct research to address data discrepancies;
- strive to uphold the highest level of laboratory safety and professional, ethical conduct;
- strengthen your knowledge of diagnosing, treating, and preventing diseases and addressing health disparities through genes, environment, and lifestyle, including genomic technologies, bioinformation, and data science; and
- learn how to collect and analyze clinical and other types of data to uncover a more nuanced picture of individual and group health, better meet patients’ needs, and conduct more effective health interventions.
Adapting to new technologies and a growing aging population have caused demand for healthcare professionals to soar. The data- and genomics-rooted foundation of ACU’s online Master’s in Precision Health sets you apart in a competitive marketplace and helps you contend with a broader range of challenges.
Whether you’re seeking to pivot to a different role or move up in your workplace, the online Master’s in Precision Health invigorates and broadens your skill set. What you acquire proves to be an asset for:
- genetic counselors, predicted to see 26 percent growth between 2020 and 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics;
- medical scientists, expected to see 17 percent growth over the same period; and
- clinical laboratory technologists and technicians, with an anticipated 11 percent growth.
To be considered for admission, students must:
- Complete the online program application accompanied by a non-refundable processing fee.
- Submit official transcripts showing earned bachelor’s from a regionally accredited college or university or the equivalent.
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, probationary status may be granted for those with a 2.5 to 2.99 GPA.
- Write a purpose statement addressing career goals and fit with the program, including the Christian identity of the university.
- Submit a current resume.
Abilene Christian University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Ga. 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of ACU.
Abilene Christian University enjoys a strong national reputation as one of the leading private Christian universities in the west and southwest, indicated by various ratings (such as U.S. News and World Report and other reports).