Pine Manor College leverages its program strengths in Biology, Psychology, and Community Health to create pathways for students interested in careers in healthcare delivery and biomedical sciences. This initiative builds on the proven success of our graduates as mental health counselors, social workers, laboratory researchers, physician assistants, nurses, pharmacists, and healthcare administrators. Students benefit from faculty mentoring, financial support through National Science Foundation-funded STEM grants, scholarship opportunities, and active learning through strong community partnerships and community-based research.
As part of their learning path, students have aligned with:
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Harvard School of Public Health
- Research Labs at Tufts University
- United Healthcare
- Boston Healthcare for the Homeless
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- EasCare Ambulance
- Cambridge Health Alliance - Institute for Community Health
- Children’s Hospital
- McLean Hospital
- Upham’s Corner Community Health Center
- The Home for Little Wanderers
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Diane Mello-Goldner, Ph.D.
Dean of the College and Associate Professor of Psychology
“By refocusing our academic programs on the increasing need for well-trained and broadly-educated employees in the healthcare marketplace, we are preparing students for successful careers in addition to more traditional fields. The role that our talented faculty play in the Senior Seminar and the Senior Internship programs also builds on the College’s academic strengths. The Senior Seminar ties all that students have learned from their three previous years together with critical thinking and communication skills. The process requires students to demonstrate a tangible body of work, and this gives them a competitive edge in the job market.”
Susan Bear, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
“The strength of the biology major is that it prepares students to enter numerous careers. Our students go on to graduate programs in clinical medicine, basic research, and biotechnology. They are employed in a wide spectrum of jobs in healthcare, and the biomedical sciences. They are able to do this because the biology major focuses on foundational knowledge and skills. The curriculum is rich in molecular and cellular biology, organismal and systems biology, chemistry, and a broad spectrum of electives that allow a student to choose courses that serve his or her interests. The number of required courses and the depth of core studies is robust and this is necessary to help a student build strength for the next step.”
“A signature strength of the biology major is its relationship with organizations and universities in the Boston area. A strong partnership with the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences of Tufts University provides a two-way path. Our students benefit from professionals who come to campus to teach courses and serve as role models. Our students do internships in world-class laboratories where they receive individual mentoring. The lab experience builds upon the knowledge they are learning at Pine Manor and helps them acquire specific and current lab skills. This experience builds skills in inquiry-based learning that are important for any career a biology major chooses, including clinical medicine or community health.”
William Vogele, Ph.D.
Co-director, Community Health Program
Professor of Political Science
“Healthcare is undergoing tremendous transformation, driven in part by the Affordable Care Act, but also by the economic and social challenges that prompted that legislation. One growing and critical area for work is in the field of public health or community health. Community health professionals engage in research, education, direct service, care management and other interventions that interact with clinical professionals but do not require clinical training. At Pine Manor, we designed the Community Health major in response to student desires to work in this emerging field. Our consultations with public health professionals led to a program that is interdisciplinary and practice focused. The multicultural backgrounds of PMC students, plus the diverse learning environment of the College, make our students highly desirable in both work and graduate school settings. Recent Community Health graduates are employed in various positions in community health and counseling centers; a number are enrolled in graduate work in MPH programs or MSW programs.”