Biomedical Communications

Our Program

The Master of Science in Biomedical Communications (MScBMC) is an interdisciplinary graduate program in the design and assessment of visual media in science and medicine. Drawing on our rich heritage of medical illustration, we bridge disciplines (art, science, medicine and communication) to develop visual material for health promotion, medical education, and as part of the process of scientific discovery.

Clear and compelling illustrations, animations, and simulations are vital to discovery and communication in science, medicine, and health.

As a professional, cohort-based program, students in the MScBMC program engage in the creation and evaluation of a range of visual tools, including medical illustration, media and user experience design, animation, and virtual simulations.

The MScBMC program is unique in Canada and one of five accredited Master’s level medical visualization programs in the world. The program’s state-of-the-art facilities are principally based on the University of Toronto Mississauga campus.

Compulsory Courses

Students in this program complete 8.5 FCE*

Year 1

MSC 1001Y (Human Anatomy, 1.0 FCE)
MSC 2001Y (Visual Representation of Medical Knowledge, 1.0 FCE)
MSC 2003Y (Biomedical Communications Technology, 0.5 FCE)
MSC 2004H (Research Methods, 0.5 FCE)
MSC 2009H (Ethics and Professionalism in Biomedical Communications, 0.5 FCE)
MSC 2020H (Visual Representation of Biomolecular Structure & Function, 0.5 FCE) and
MSC 2023H (Information Visualization, 0.5 FCE).

Year Two

MSC 2002H (Sequential Medical Communication, 0.5 FCE)
MSC 2012H (Neuroanatomy, 0.5 FCE)
MSC 2018H (Pathology, 0.5 FCE) and
MSC 2025Y (Master's Research Project for Biomedical Communications).

Successful students typically complete this program within 2 years.

Alumni Profile

Shehryar Saharan, MScBMC

Throughout my graduate studies, I had the opportunity to refine my skills in visual media, design, and storytelling, which led me to establish an award-winning scientific visualization and design studio, called SS. Design Studio Inc.

Since graduating, I have had the privilege of collaborating with renowned organizations such as Digizyme, Boston Scientific, and Switch Health to communicate complex science in a compelling and accessible manner.

In addition to my entrepreneurial ventures, I hold a contractually limited term appointment as assistant professor in the MScBMC program, and I have embarked on a PhD journey to research scientific visualization as applied to engineering education.

Potential Career Paths

Sample Jobs

Our MScBMC graduates take on diveres leadership roles in industry, including:

Animators in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries
Lead illustrators in textbook and journal prepess companies
User experience designers in mobile health application development
Communications specialists for non-profit health organzations
Developers in the educational gaming industry
Creative directors in medical advertising
Creators of medical demonstrative evidence for the courtroom
Hospital-based designers of educational health communication materials
Researchers and educators in higher education.

a human head with the brain and part of the skeleton visible

*Full course equivalent. A typical 0.5 FCE is over one term (13 weeks), meeting 1-2 times per week. A typical 1.0 FCE is over two terms (26 weeks), meeting 1-2 times per week.