See More Around Campus Stories

Geisel Welcomes Inaugural MS in Implementation Science Cohort

On September 9, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine marked a historic milestone by welcoming the inaugural class of its Master of Science in Implementation Science program, the first standalone program of its kind in the world. Designed as a fully online degree, the MSIS program prepares leaders to bridge the gap between research and real-world application, equipping students to transform evidence-based innovations into everyday practice.

This fall, 30 students joined the pioneering cohort, coming from diverse international professional backgrounds united by a shared goal: driving meaningful change in healthcare, public health, education, state and social services, and beyond. Over the course of two live online orientation sessions, held Tuesday, September 9 and Wednesday, September 10, students met program directors Jeremiah Brown, PhD, MS, and Gayle Cohen, MEd, who welcomed them to the Geisel community and laid the foundation for the months ahead.

The sessions introduced students to the program’s structure, emphasizing its focus on applied learning, leadership, and systems-level thinking. Attendees also had opportunities to ask questions, connect with peers, and gain insight into how they’ll engage with their coursework.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to launch a first-in-the-world program in implementation science to help train professionals and students in early phases of their careers in medicine, public health, education, and social services, and hope to advance to other sectors including the environment, climate, and energy transitions.  Our students will be applying implementation science approaches to these sectors and shifting the paradigm to have a large and sustained impact in these respective fields.” – Founding Director, Dartmouth Center for Implementation Science, Jeremiah Brown, PhD, MS

Next week, 10 students will also attend Dartmouth’s upcoming Implementation Science Symposium in person, joining faculty and thought leaders for a week of hands-on engagement. A celebratory dinner is planned for Tuesday evening, giving participants the chance to meet face-to-face and deepen the connections begun online.

“We are so excited to have such a strong group of students participating in our inaugural cohort, coming from as close as Hanover local and as far away as Kenya and New Zealand! These 30 students represent pioneers in implementation science training in their respective fields. We are also thrilled that over a third of our cohort, which is fully online, made the choice to travel to Dartmouth to join us for our in-person symposium. We hope to meet more of our students at the Academy Health Dissemination and Implementation conference in December.” –  Program Director Gayle Cohen, MEd

The MS in Implementation Science program offers an accelerated 9-month track or an 18-month part-time option, both rooted in rigorous, practical training and designed to prepare graduates to lead the next generation of implementation science efforts. With robust support from both Geisel and external nationally-renowned faculty in the field, and a flexible online format, students are empowered to apply what they learn in real time within their organizations and communities.

As this trailblazing class begins its journey, the excitement is palpable—not just for what lies ahead this year, but for the impact these graduates will make in their field.

Welcome to our first MSIS cohort, we’re proud to have you at Geisel.

Written by: Mia Soucy

POSTED 10/2/2025 AT 12:59 PM IN #implementationscience #2025