Campus: Astana, Kazakhstan, NU School of Medicine building

Language: English

Delivery mode: Full-time, on-campus

Duration: 2 years

Total ECTS credit: 120

The Master in Molecular Medicine program aims are in line with the NU SOM’s mission to do cutting-edge research, advance the understanding of medical science and improve human health. In the Master of Molecular Medicine program students will learn the latest research information and will be engaged in research at the frontiers of biomedicine. It is intended that the learning and research carried out will lead to new discoveries in medical science and contribute to the development of new treatments or preventive strategies for human health conditions. Research will focus on medical problems that are relevant to the Central Asian region.

On successful completion of the program, graduates will be able to:

1) Demonstrate, in both oral and written form, specialized knowledge of core subjects in the Molecular Medicine program.

2) Apply intellectual critical thinking and problem solving and analytical skills to research in molecular medicine.

3) Perform technical scientific experiments with precision and accuracy.

4) Exhibit written and oral communication skills that enable the clear dissemination of complex scientific information.

5) Carry out research and scientific responsibilities in accordance with ethical and professional standards.

6) Demonstrate the knowledge and skills to translate laboratory findings into medical treatments.

Program aims are:

• To transfer competence and knowledge in the rapidly advancing field of molecular medicine
• To find innovative ways of preventing, treating and diagnosing diseases
• To provide students with specialased research skills that enable them to translate laboratory discoveries into medical treatments
• To attain marketable skills in biomedicine
• To form a brand new generation of professionals capable of contributing to the technological innovation and growth of Kazakhstan

Our program provides the graduates with many options either to continue their education both locally and internationally or get employed at different biomedical institutions:

• Research – Work in international laboratories and translational research centers studying molecular medicine.
• Health Service – Work in diagnostic laboratories and research units in hospitals or work as research associates developing biomedical innovations.
• Education – enter relevant PhD programs both at local universities in Kazakhstan and worldwide.

For example, graduates of the MMM program historically are very successful in entering PhD programs at various universities in Germany, Switzerland, the UK, Australia, South Korea, Japan, Canada, and the US.

Possible future employers are:

• Universities and Research Institutes around the world
• Pharmaceutical and Biomedical industry (Pfizer, Merck, Sanofi, Roche, etc.)
• Translational centres
• Government
• Diagnostic laboratories

• To provide graduates with the specialized knowledge of core subjects in Molecular Medicine to allow them to continue their advanced education both nationally and internationally;
• To provide graduates with the knowledge and skills necessary for successful employment in research, healthcare, and industry in the biomedical field;
• To provide graduates with competencies to carry out research and scientific responsibilities in accordance with ethical and professional standards;
• To teach graduates to apply intellectual critical thinking and problem solving and analytical skills to translate laboratory findings into medical treatments efficiently;

STEP 1. Create your personal account

Register on www.admissions.nu.edu.kz portal to create a Personal Account. Please select the «Master's degree/Residency» program during choosing the Academic level.

After completing the application, confirm it by clicking on the link sent to your email.

Be sure to read the Instructions about the application procedure given in your Personal account.

STEP 2. Complete your Application Form and attach the required documents

Fill out the application form and attach the required documents:

1. Scanned copy of a National ID card or passport;
2. Scanned copy of secondary school or higher education institution certificate (attestat/diploma) with final academic performance or certificate from the school (spravka) according to the sample in the personal account;
3. Motivation letter in English;
4. Valid copies of certificates. The results of standardized tests must be sent directly to the University through test administrators.

STEP 3. Pay an application fee and finish the registration process

To finalize the application process, please click on the "PAY AND SUBMIT APPLICATION" button on your Personal account under the "My Application Forms" section. The application fee shall be paid online through the payment options available in the Personal account. The use of other payment methods for the application fee is not acceptable.

Applicants can apply for no more than 2 Master's / PhD programs at NU. In case of admission to both programs, the applicant must choose only one.

The application fee is 15 000 tenge. The application fee is increased 3 times when paid within the last two weeks before the first approved deadline and during the extension period for accepting applications for participation in the admission process (except for the Graduate School of Business). The application fee is non-refundable, irrespective of the application outcome or payment errors.

After submitting the online application, an applicant will not be able to make changes in the actions described in Step 2.

Step 4. Provide results of IELTS/TOEFL/GRE/GMAT

In order to provide IELTS/TOEFL/GRE/GMAT certificates, applicants should fulfill the following requirements:

• Send the electronic results of valid IELTS/TOEFL/GRE/GMAT certificate via the Test Administrator directly to NU;
• Upload a scanned copy of the IELTS/TOEFL certificate to the «Upload IELTS/TOEFL results» section of a Personal account and indicate its unique number. Applicants can submit any number of certificates for the competition, but the last certificate uploaded to the Personal account will be considered.
• Upload a scanned copy of the GRE/GMAT certificate in the «My Application Forms» section (Step 2) when uploading the required documents (if available or as required by the program).

Please pay attention to important information regarding the codes for providing test results through the Test Administrator:

• Code for IELTS: NU
• Code for TOEFL iBT: 6762
• Code for GRE: 6496
• Code for GMAT: H6m-R7-93

Please note that issuance and submission of IELTS/TOEFL/GRE/GMAT results in the electronic database of NU is not within the competence of the University. You should independently contact the Test Administrator (Test Center) and make sure that your certificate has been sent. Please note that this action takes at least 7-10 working days. If the certificate is received after the deadline specified by the Admissions Department, results will not be considered in the competition

All certificates provided must be valid at the time of submission of application.

Detailed Instruction on the provision of IELTS/TOEFL certificates is available in the applicant's Personal account. IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition and TOEFL PDT results are not considered in the competition and selection process.

Applicants, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report in one of the following documented cases:

• an academic degree was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication and academic instruction;
• an undergraduate and/or graduate degree was earned in a program which was officially taught in English;
• if an applicant is a graduate of NU.

Further steps

After submission of the online Application Form, an automatic email notification will be sent to your referees with a request to submit a recommendation letter to NU in accordance with the provided online form. Detailed Instruction on providing recommendation letters is available in the Personal account.

Check your email for notifications from NU and your Personal account to stay informed about the status of your application. ​​Please keep in mind that sometimes letters from the University may go to the spam box.

Participate in the interview with the Admissions Committee in case of being invited. Interviews are conducted in English.

If you experience any difficulties with the registration or online application, please contact info_admissions@nu.edu.kz. Refer to your IIN and/or Applicant ID while sending us your requests.

Candidates applying to the Master of Molecular Medicine program are expected to have:

• an undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s degree or equivalent) and a/or graduate degree (if applicable) in a relevant discipline. During the application period, final year students may submit official current transcripts for consideration. Applicants recommended for admission must provide final transcripts and diplomas before the end of the Programs’ enrollment term. Graduates of the University are enrolled based on the evidence of the final transcript confirming the degree completion followed by diploma submission within a month;
• Applicants may be enrolled conditionally based on evidence from graduating university that the applicants have completed the educational program and the applicant expects formal issuance of final transcript and/or diploma by a certain date. In that case, the decision on enrollment shall prescribe the period of time within which the applicant shall provide the necessary documents to the University;
• a minimum CGPA of 2.5 out of 4.0 or equivalent on the applicant’s degree (bachelor's, master or Ph.D. (if masters and Ph.D. have adopted a GPA approach);
• the required level of English language proficiency;
• strong reading, analytical and mathematical skills as demonstrated by GRE or GMAT test (optional). Although an official GRE/GMAT score is not an essential requirement, an applicant can enhance his/her application with a competitive GRE/GMAT score;
• high level of motivation and a strong interest in the Program outlined in the statement of purpose;
• 2 (two) confidential letters of recommendation;
• For Master of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Master in Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation programs only: Evidence of any professional and/or voluntary experiences related to biological and/or medical research (optional). Although this is not an essential requirement, an applicant can enhance his/her application with such evidence.

The required level of English proficiency:

1. The absolute minimum requirement for English language proficiency test reports for admission to the Program is an Academic IELTS – overall 6.0 (writing 6.0, reading 5.5, listening 5.5, speaking 5.5) or the equivalent TOEFL score (except Home edition) as posted on the ETS website;

2. Applicants to the Program, at the discretion of the Admissions Committee, can be exempted from submitting the language proficiency test report if:

• one of their earlier academic degrees was earned in a country with English as the language of official communication, academic instruction, and daily life;
• an undergraduate or graduate degree was earned in a program that was officially taught in English;
• the applicant is a graduate of NU.

All submitted documents shall be in English or with notarized English translation:

• Complete application form;
• National ID or passport;
• Official document confirming name changes (if applicable);
• Degree diplomas with transcripts;
• An official electronic IELTS/TOEFL certificate (except Home edition) (valid at the time of document submission) sent to the University through IELTS/TOEFL VERIFICATION SERVICES. Code for IELTS: NU. Code for TOEFL: 6762
• Document confirming English as the language of instruction (only for applicants who earned their degree in a program which was taught in English and request an exemption from submitting IELTS or TOEFL);
• GRE/GMAT test certificates valid as of the date of online documents submission (optional);
• Two confidential letters of recommendation written within the last 12 month (to be provided by referees electronically or in hard copy). You can find the Instruction for submission of recommendation letters here;
• Statement of purpose of 500 words or less;
• 075у medical certificate (for Kazakhstani applicants) or a similar medical certificate with indication of general health (for international applicants);
• A document stating the presence or absence of a criminal record;
• Consent of the applicant/student to the processing of personal data;
• For Master of Pharmacology and Toxicology program only: Evidence of any professional and/or voluntary experiences related to biological and/or medical research shown in a CV, recommendation letter or in any other document (optional).
• The Admissions Committee and/or Admissions Department may request additional documents when necessary.

Online application deadlines for Masters programs:

For all types of grants: the application deadline is December 23, 2024, 14:00 (Astana time) for international applicants and citizens of Kazakhstan.

For full tuition fee-paying category:

• International applicants: available until March 17, 2025, 14:00 (Astana time).
• Citizens of Kazakhstan: available until June 25, 2025, 14:00 (Astana time).

Deadline for submission of IELTS/TOEFL, GRE/GMAT certificates:

For all types of grants: the application deadline is January 5, 2025 for international applicants and citizens of Kazakhstan.

For full tuition fee-paying category:

• International applicants: available until April 30, 2025.
• Citizens of Kazakhstan: available until July 31, 2025.

The start of orientation week (for newly enrolled students): August 2025

First day of classes: August 2025

All registered candidates can check the status of their application in the Personal account. Description of the status below is presented in the order of assignment to the candidate in the Personal account.

Application in processing. This is interim status, which means that the application is being processed. Admissions Committee will evaluate the application and inform the candidate on further steps/stages. Notification on final results will be sent to your email address.

Does not meet entry requirements. The status is assigned to the candidates who do not meet the minimum entry requirements. It is given after checking the application forms and the documents by the Admissions Department.

Disqualified. The status is assigned to candidates who are disqualified for gross violations of the conditions of the competition. For example, provided deliberately false information.

Rejected by Admissions Committee. At one of the competition stages, the Admissions Committee decided to reject the candidate’s application.

Transfer to another program. At the stage of an application screening the Admissions Committee has decided to recommend the candidate for consideration by the Admissions Committee of another program within the same School.

Pending. Candidate’s application is pending.

Waiting list. The Admissions Committee has finished reviewing the candidate’s application and made a decision to put you on a waiting list. Such candidates should expect notification from the University, as there is a possibility that if other candidates reject to study, they may be sent an invitation letter to study.

Recommended for admission to Zero Year of Graduate programs. The Admissions Committee has decided to recommend the candidate for the Zero Year of Graduate program. “Zero Year of Graduate programs” is a two-semester full-time program for candidates, who do not meet the language requirements for direct admission to Master’s programs, with intensive language, academic and research preparation for Master’s programs.

Recommended for admission to program. Admissions Committee has decided to recommend candidate for the program without going through the Zero Year of Graduate programs.

Recommended for conditional admission. The Admissions Committee has decided to recommend a candidate for the conditional admission with a requirement to fulfill the condition by the deadline specified in the notification.

Withdrawn. Candidate decided to withdraw from the competition.

Accepted Program admission offer. The status is assigned to candidates who received offer letter, signed Enrollment confirmation form and fulfilled all the сonditions of the University indicated in the offer letter.

Accepted Zero Year of Graduate programs admission offer. The status is assigned to candidates who received offer letter to Zero Year of Graduate program, signed Enrollment confirmation form and fulfilled all the сonditions of the University indicated in the offer letter.

Refused admission offer. The candidate was recommended for admission, but refused to study.

Refused in favor of another NU program. The status is applicable for those candidates, who applied for several graduate programs at NU. The status is assigned when the candidate chooses another program.

Deferred. The status is assigned to candidates who were accepted for the program, but decided to postpone their studies until the next year.

Did not submit the documents/Refused. The status assigned to candidates who did not provide originals of the documents by the stated deadline, which means that the candidate refuses to study at University.

Did not come to Orientation week/Refused. The status is assigned to candidates who accepted the offer letter, provided hard copies of documents, but did not participate in Orientation week. The vacant place, if available, can be offered to the candidates in the Waiting list.

Enrolled to program. The status is assigned to candidates who enrolled to the main program by the Decision of the Provost. Candidate officially became a student.

Enrolled to Zero Year of Graduate programs. The status is assigned to candidates who enrolled to the Zero Year of Graduate program by the Decision of the Provost. Candidate officially became a student.

The curriculum comprises 15 required courses, two electives and a Master Research Project.

There are 120 required credit points for the completion of the Program divided over 4 semesters of 30 credits each.

The first year consists of 12 core courses, 6 core courses in the fall semester and 6 core courses in the spring semester. In the second year, students take 3 core courses and 2 elective courses in the fall semester and conduct their research project in the spring semester.

Year 1: Semester 1

Year 1: Semester 2

Year 2: Semester 1

Year 2: Semester 2

MMMM 501 Molecular Basis of Infection.

This is probably the most intense course of Year 1, with the exposure of the students to the world of microorganisms and their interaction and effects on human physiology and pathology. Taking advantage of NU SOM Faculty members with expertise in infectious diseases, lectures are delivered with focus on major infectious diseases. Through a challenging series of in-class presentations, students are introduced to the comprehension of the fine details of protein-protein interactions and encouraged to refine their oral communication skills. Specific and general feedback is given to students during and after their presentation. During the course, students have to prepare and deliver a workshop on influenza prior to the corresponding lecture delivered by the Course Lead (the lecture is modulated complementarily to the aspects covered by the students). The workshop is an innovative experimental teaching and learning format. Remote guest lectures are delivered by prominent scientists in the field of infectious diseases, a format highly appreciated by the students.

MMMM 502 Molecular Basis of Cancer.

The course focuses on the molecular mechanisms of cancer initiation and progression, cell signaling and mechanisms of metastasis.

MMMM 504 Molecular Basis of Genetic Disease.

The course examines and discusses the application of molecular genetics in the understanding of human health and diseases. The application of this genetics knowledge to develop interventions and new therapies to treat and prevent diseases is also discussed. This course is of primary importance as it presents connections to different MMM courses. The course utilized the classical teaching approaches, including lectures, discussions, quizzes and student presentations.

PUBH 511 Inferential Biostatistics.

This course introduces the major concepts of modern statistics as applied to a broad range of problems in the field of Medicine. The Inferential Biostatistics course is adopted from the MPH course for the MMM, with MMM students joining MPH students.

MMMM 601 Entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship represents one of the key business disciplines. The Entrepreneurship course is a diverse component of the MMM as it provides students a flavor of what it takes to enter business with an enterprise (e.g., a startup company) related to biomedicine. The course includes a simulation which helps the students to gain immersive experience with entrepreneurship.

MMMM 506 Biocomputing and Bioinformatics.

The Biocomputing course is an intense hands-on (Computer Lab) short course which exposes students to several bioinformatics tools in order to familiarize them with handling nucleotide and amino acid sequences and protein 3D structures. Students can understand, by hands-on in silico experience, the architecture of proteins and have a hint on the molecular basis of disease, the hardcore of the MMM. In the last session students present different protein-related scenarios in small group activity, thus implementing the experience and knowledge acquired in a perfect learning outcome format for this course.

MMMM 507 Critical Analysis of Contemporary Concepts in Molecular Medicine.

The course is conceptualized as an exercise in critical analysis of ongoing molecular research in the area of Molecular Medicine (with a focus on cell and molecular biology approaches) and is delivered in a Journal Club format. Contemporary research publications are covered through pre-class readings (individual and collaborative reading assignments) and critical discussion of the selected scientific literature.

MMMM 508 Molecular Immunology.

This course allows students to acquire in-depth knowledge of the molecular mechanisms involved in the interactions of cells of the immune system. In order to develop new treatments it is essential to have a thorough knowledge of the molecular mechanism leading to the different forms of inflammation. The molecular mechanisms involved in the development and/or progression of chronic inflammatory diseases are analyzed and possible new treatments discussed. Up-to-date research information is used throughout the course. Paper discussions, student presentations and essays encourage inquiry-based learning. The course is a blended online course with more concise information and a focus on novel immunotherapies.

MMMM 509 From Bench to Bedside: Drug Development and Clinical Trials.

Bench-to-bedside in pharmaceutical research refers to the process of translating basic science discoveries into clinical applications. It is a complex process which begins with basic observations in the laboratory and with preclinical studies and ends with success or failure in clinical trials. The goal of the course is to provide a broad overview of topics related to drug development and clinical trials. Emphasis on understanding clinical trial methods, statistics used in clinical trials and the connection of clinical research to drug marketing are all areas considered valuable.

MMMM 510 Natural Medicines.

This course provides information on the therapeutic properties of natural products and their mechanisms of action, including drug repurposing program. Students are engaged in reading current research papers during the course and presentations.

MMMM 511 Research Methods in Molecular Biosciences.

Understanding the molecular aspects and getting hands-on experience in modern biomedical methods is a critical element in the education of a new generation of research scientists. Since this is a practical laboratory-based course, the goal is to introduce students to the modern molecular biological techniques used in the field of biomedicine, and to help obtain laboratory skills and knowledge. The preparation for this course involves detailed planning of the experiments, most of which are real life, complex biomedical experiments performed for the first time for this class. Each experiment requires a specific set of reagents and equipment (purchased/prepared in advance) and follows a dedicated protocol. While the laboratory manual contains all the necessary information for class preparation, additional reading materials are provided, such as research articles as well as web based resources. The course is also supplemented with the short lecture/discussion component, related to the laboratory exercises.

MMMM 503 Bioethics in research, Principles and Practice.

The course is focused on theoretical concepts of bioethics in biomedical research and the application of these concepts in research, innovations and future perspectives.

MMMM 513 Molecular Basis of Neurological Disorders.

Neurological disorders remain among the most devastating diseases affecting mankind for several reasons, including the unavailability of effective treatment. In the last decades, molecular genetics approaches have greatly advanced our understanding of the pathological processes operating in many of these diseases. The main aspect of the course is to demonstrate how defects at cellular and molecular levels will give rise to the features of the disorders, as we know them from clinical presentation. The disorders that will be covered in this course include inherited and acquired conditions affecting neurons as well as glial cells. The course covers the most recent advances in diagnosing and treating the diseases, as well as the research required to further deepen our understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. The grant writing exercise within the course is a highly valuable activity, significantly forging MMM students scientific mindset.

MMMM 603 Recombinant Drugs.

This course exposes students to the power of recombinant DNA technology and sheds light on how humanity can act to continuously set new paradigms for the pharmaceutical world. Biologicals largely dominate the drug market nowadays, a phenomenon barely detectable 15 years ago. Protein drugs, gene therapy, vaccine development and synthetic biology are the arms of the therapeutic and prophylactic intervention based on genetic engineering. Students enjoy this memorization-free course (there are no exams in this course) to free their minds and focus on the most challenging essay of the MMM, the presentation (at the end of the course) of a novel therapeutic/preventative/diagnostic strategy based on their creativity. This essay incorporates most learning processes of the MMM, such as grant writing, drug development, paper review and criticism, presentation skills and much more. Given the difficulty the students encounter in formulating the final essay, intermediate formative sessions are dedicated to the discussion of the progress made in developing the essay and direct the students on a scientifically sound basis. An advanced level therapeutic genetic engineering paper presentation is another active component of the course. Lectures by the Course Lead and colleagues, including remote guest lectures given by prominent scientists on their work on therapeutic genetic engineering, serve to expose students to state of the art molecular medicine and illuminate their creativity.

MMMM 690 Master Research Project.

The MMM Master Research Project is a laboratory-based semester (Spring of Year 2) that ends in close proximity to MMM graduation. Students-Projects (PIs) pairing is organized in Spring of Year 1. Project reagent lists are provided to NU SOM administration by the end of Year 1 Spring, in order to warrant sufficient time for the reagents to go through the lengthy and complex NU procurement and have the necessary material in place at least at the time of start (Spring of Year 2). Despite the usual enormous difficulties inherent to procurement, and thanks to a coordinated effort from MMM PI Faculty, MMM Program Director and NU SOM Administration, students manage to have their reagents in place at the latest in January of Year 2. This educational session is a very valuable part of the MMM, it introduces students to real life biomedical research organization, troubleshooting, conduct and interpretation of results. Supervised by their respective PIs, students are engaged in all aspects of a research project planning, from the assembly of the necessary reagent list and ordering to the acquaintance with a laboratory research life and organization. Thesis writing starts early with some portions (Introduction and Aims definitive and Bibliography and Methods partially completed) to be ready before the end of Fall semester of Year 2 (with a concomitant submission of this part to ensure proper timing and MMM Director monitoring of the Thesis), in order to free more time for students to work in the lab at time of research semester (Spring of Year 2). All the complex steps leading to the successful conduct of the Master Research Projects is coordinated by the MMM Director through a number of check points: the MMM Program Committee, the NU SOM Teaching and Learning Committee and constant refinements operated by the MMM Director in concert with the Head of the Biomedical Department & Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, NU SOM Administration staff and NU SOM Dean. Students’ research is been supported by Lab Meetings, in which all MMM students and PIs (and any other interested NU SOM Faculty) could gather together to discuss ideas, experimental methods, planning and results, taking advantage of different research experiences by various NU SOM Faculty to refine students’ projects and face troubleshooting more efficiently. Students enjoy and benefit enormously from this educational experience. During this period (Spring of Year 2), the MMM Director gradually increases the mentoring of all students for their perspective career development (a process the starts from Year 1). Students are then ready to graduate and enter the job market. The MMM is a good example of the educational process for the formation of a scientific mindset, with MMM graduates aligned to state-of-the-art knowledge of molecular medicine, a ~100% employment with a >10% entering highly competitive PhD programs abroad.