Cedars-Sinai Graduate School Earns Renewed Accreditation

LOS ANGELES (Aug. 23, 2023) — The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Cedars-Sinai has again been accredited by the Senior College and University Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, signifying recognition of the academic medical center’s higher education program for exceptional quality, integrity and innovation.

The renewed accreditation, granted in June 2023 for the next eight years, followed an in-depth evaluation based on the very highest standards.

The graduate school was commended for fostering an academic culture in which students build connections with faculty, staff and fellow students, and for the faculty and staff providing individualized attention and mentoring.

The commission noted that Cedars-Sinai’s “faculty and program leadership engages students in shaping courses, the curriculum and the students’ educational experience.” It also praised innovative faculty and leadership focused on strategic long-term growth in academic programs.

“Our PhD and master’s programs are known for academic rigor, integrity and the highest standards in medical innovation and training—paralleling Cedars-Sinai’s well-known excellence in patient care and research,” said Jeffrey Golden, MD, vice dean of Research and Graduate Education and director of the Burns and Allen Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai. “We are proud of the educational program we have built and look forward to graduating many more exceptional students in the years to come.”

The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences was founded in 2007 and initially accredited in 2012. Students in the Cedars-Sinai graduate school can pursue a PhD in biomedical and translational sciences, a master’s degree in health delivery science, or a master of science in magnetic resonance in medicine.

Seventy-five students are currently enrolled in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and some 150 faculty are associated with the programs and core curricula. As of 2022, the program produced 70 graduates with doctoral degrees who had been taught and mentored in research laboratories to advance medicine in areas ranging from Alzheimer’s and heart disease to diabetes, cancer and more.

“Receiving accreditation is high praise and a testament to a program supported fully by the leadership and faculty of Cedars-Sinai—clinicians and scientists dedicated to higher education, world-class training and mentorship of the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers,” said David Underhill, PhD, chair of the Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Janis and William Wetsman Family Chair in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

William Parks, PhD, director of the Graduate Program in Biomedical and Translational Sciences, adds that “students earning a PhD or master’s degree at Cedars-Sinai can feel proud that it is from a highly regarded, cutting-edge graduate education program.”  

Parks notes that this accreditation is a testament to its attendees, as well as to the administrative staff—including Graduate Education Program Manager Linda King, who efficiently maintains the program and keeps it flourishing.

Cedars-Sinai has been named to the Honor Roll for the eighth consecutive year and tied for #1 in California and Los Angeles in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2023-24” rankings.

Read more on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Graduate Students Are Using AI in Medical Imaging