About BMC

Biomedical Communications (BMC) offers an interdisciplinary graduate program in the design and assessment of visual media in science and medicine.

Drawing on our rich heritage of medical illustration, BMC bridges disciplines (art, science, medicine and communication) to develop visual material for health promotion, medical education, and as part of the process of scientific discovery.

Biomedical Communications (BMC) offers both an interdisciplinary Master of Science in Biomedical Communications (MScBMC) degree as well a BMC Undergraduate Minor Program that have an interdisciplinary focus in science communication.

The Master of Science in Biomedical Communications

The Master of Science in Biomedical Communication (MScBMC), unique in Canada, is one of 4 internationally accredited programs of its kind. Our graduate program combines theoretical and applied approaches to the profession of medical and scientific visualization.

The objectives of the program are to:

emphasize a content rather than media driven curriculum that assures a solid foundation in basic and clinical sciences;
facilitate the development of new visual communication tools for the purpose of educating medical, allied health, and non-medical audiences;
stimulate intellectual curiosity and self-directed learning;
advance knowledge transfer in the biomedical sciences through the development of the analytical skills essential to evaluating existing scholarly works, and formulating research questions that advance knowledge in the discipline.

Upon graduation, students are employed by: media and animation companies; medical legal companies; prepress companies specializing in print (textbooks & journals); advertising agencies serving the medical market; hospital media departments; academic departments in universities and colleges; and science centres.

The Master of Science in Biomedical Communications (MScBMC) is offered through the Institute of Medical Science in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and principally housed at the Mississauga campus (UTM).

Quality Assurance and CAAHEP Accreditation

In addition to rigorous oversight by the provincially mandated University of Toronto Quality Assurance Process (UTQAP), the BMC graduate program is externally accredited by the US-based Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Educational Programs (CAAHEP). CAAHEP accreditation is renewed every eight years, and requires ongoing reporting and oversight of various factors affecting the quality of the educational program. Accreditation ensures that the program meets or exceeds standards for the industry.

Our most recent accreditation review was in 2013.

Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs
www.caahep.org
1361 Park Street
Clearwater, FL 33756
Phone: 727-210-2350
Fax: 727-210-2354

Outcomes Data

As part of our graduate program accreditation requirements, we must make available the positive placement results for the MScBMC program from our graduate and employer surveys. For the graduating years 2009-2013 (our latest data), the positive placement rate was 92.3%. “Positive placement” includes full-time employment, self-employment, and continued educational activity; the rate is derived from surveys sent to our graduates 6-12 months after graduation, and is a 5-year average.

Biomedical Communications Minor Program

BMC also offers undergraduate Health Sciences Communication (HSC) courses at the University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM) campus. These courses have an interdisciplinary focus in science communication designed to create a continuum of education from the undergraduate to the graduate level. They contribute to the Biomedical Communications Minor Program, which is administered through the Department of Biology at UTM.

The knowledgeable BMC faculty, diverse group of students, and outstanding resources form the basis of an exceptional educational experience for our students.

Related Links
News & Announcements
- Mar
  12
  
  Read about the female illustrators behind the famed Grant’s Atlas of Anatomy and their pioneering...
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- Dec
  6
  
  The Master of Science in Biomedical Communications is delighted to share that Michael Corrin has...
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- Aug
  27
  
  Alumna Carolyn Teare-Richardson (BScAAM ‘79) passed away on July 6, 2018 at the age of...
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