Academics
Bridging the Gap in Minority Biomed Doctoral Programs
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Partnering with the University of Miami, Miami Dade College is working to increase the number of minority students entering Ph.D. programs in biomedical research.
The partnership, funded by four successive Bridges to the Baccalaureate awards from the National Institues of Health, focuses on student development, faculty support and curriculum supplementation.
The Bridges collaboration between Miami Dade College and UM focuses on recruiting Miami-Dade County high school students who are underrepresented and underserved at the college level. It also enables MDC students to receive college credit for courses taken at UM. Providing these students with supplementary courses and workshops, the Bridges program increases their academic competitiveness. Interest in research is encouraged through collaborative learning and inquiry-based laboratory courses. In addition, there are provisions for hourly wages for summer research with UM mentors.
A key component of the partnership encourages faculty development, allowing professors to attend workshops on innovative teaching. This enables MDC and UM faculty to teach in each other’s classrooms.
There are currently Bridge Scholars at MDC’s Wolfson, Kendall, North and InterAmerican campuses. To remain in the program, they must maintain at least a 3.5 grade-point average and make satisfactory progress toward an associate degree. All students accepted into the program receive tuition waivers from MDC.