1.   Interim Advisor 

The Director of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program will serve as Interim Advisor to MBS students until they have selected a major professor.  The interim advisor will assist the student in the selection of a beginning course of study and in the selection of laboratory rotations and a thesis advisor where applicable.  The interim advisor will also ensure that all early requirements are met.  At all stages in the student’s participation in the graduate program, the interim advisor will try to ensure the smooth progress of the student through the program.  A permanent graduate faculty advisor should be appointed as soon as an area of laboratory or library research is identified.

 

2.   Transfer Credits and Course Substitution for Advanced Standing 

Courses cannot be transferred to the MBS program

 

3.   Academic Regulations 

a. Grades and Academic Progress 

Graduate courses may be passed for degree credit with a grade as low as C, but the student’s average on all courses attempted for graduate credit must be at least B (3.0 on a 4 point system).  Graduate students whose cumulative grade point average drops below B (3.00) will be placed on academic probation and allowed one calendar year in which to raise the grade point average to at least 3.00. Students who do not reach a cumulative 3.00 grade point average during the grace period will not be permitted to enroll for further graduate course work in that degree program.  Appeals for reinstatement to degree candidacy may be made first to the Biomedical Science Graduate Program and then forwarded to the Dean of the Graduate School.  

b. Graduate Assistantships

MBS students are not provided stipend support in the first year. Moreover, it should be noted that tuition is charged by the Graduate School. Since foreign students must have evidence of support throughout their time in the United States, such students cannot be admitted to the MBS program unless they are able to demonstrate access to enough funds to maintain themselves throughout their studies.  

Once an advisor is chosen, mentors may elect to provide stipend support in the second year to MBS students doing research in their labs in which case the student may be considered to be a Graduate Assistant. No such support is available for the other options. 

Whereas the Graduate Office coordinates administrative processing of appointment forms at the start of each fiscal year, supervision of graduate assistants is delegated to the major professor or to an appointed advisor prior to selection of the major professor.  Graduate assistants are not normally expected to work during examination periods and school holidays; students on 12 month appointment may also take additional vacation at a time approved by the supervisor.  It is the responsibility of the supervisor to discuss the period of appointment, work schedule, specific duties, manner, method, and schedule of evaluation with the graduate assistant.  Regular reviews should give feedback to the graduate assistant about areas of excellent performance and substandard performance which are detailed enough to make clear what results are desired.

c. Pass-Fail Option 

This option is available for courses whose content is related to the Program of Study, but in an area requiring a different training or background.  The past-fail option permits enrichment of a student’s experience without affecting the grade point average.  Courses required by the program may not be taken on a pass-fail basis. 

 

4.   YEAR ONE 

a.   Curriculum

b.   Discussing the Research Interests of the Faculty 

In the first semester, students are expected to meet the faculty to familiarize themselves with the ongoing research in the Biomedical Science Graduate Program.  To help the student, symposia with potential mentors will be scheduled at the beginning of the first semester.  Students are also encouraged to meet with potential mentors individually. 

c.   Laboratory Rotations (students in the laboratory research track) 

A laboratory rotation will usually consist of 2-8 weeks of research experience working with a faculty member; this may consist of a small independent project or of a component of an on-going project.  A student who undertakes a laboratory rotation with a faculty member is under no obligation whatsoever to continue thesis research with that professor.  A student will usually start rotations in his/her first semester.  

To ensure the smooth progression of the student through the program, it is a program requirement that students must do one or more for-credit rotations in the spring semester of the first year.  To identify the mentor for this required rotation so that a corresponding section of a research course can be set for registration, students must complete Form 1 (see Appendix) and return to the Graduate Office prior to registration for the spring semester. MBS students in the laboratory research option should have designated a mentor by the end of the second semester of their first year. 

d.   Students in the non-laboratory research option 

Students who wish to write a thesis using library research must also select a major professor who will advise on the topic of research. The topic will be decided jointly by the student and the professor. The student and the professor will hold monthly meetings to assess the progress of the research. It is expected that the thesis will consist of a major review of the literature of a topic of interest to both the student and the professor. It is expected that the thesis project will be pursued concurrently with courses in year 1 and as a major project in year 2. 

e. Students in the biotechnology option 

Students in the biotechnology option will pursue courses in the molecular and cellular biology or the neuroscience track according to their interests during the first year. These students do not select a major professor. In year one, their advisor is the Director of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program. In the summer of years one and two, the student will complete a thesis under the direction of the Director of the USC School of Medicine Instrumentation Resource Facility (Dr Robert Price) and the Director of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (Dr Richard Hunt). This thesis is not expected to be as extensive as that in the library research option.  

f.    Selection of Major Professor 

The selection of major professor by students in the laboratory or library research options is by mutual agreement and is formalized by submission to the Office of Graduate Studies of a completed “Selection of Major Professor” form (Form 2, see Appendix). 

It is important that the selection of a major professor be an informed decision by student and advisor. The symposia in the first semester by potential advisors to showcase their research interests will give students the opportunity to select faculty with whom they share an interest.  Rotations, in the case of laboratory research students, allow the student and faculty to determine on a trial basis whether they can act productively in a student/mentor relationship and whether the student can commit to a specific area of research.

The choice of a major professor by a graduate student and the acceptance of the role of major professor by a faculty member, are important decisions which imply a certain sense of obligation on both sides.  The choice of a major professor is normally made with every intention of that being a final decision.  However, it is appreciated that a student may decide that the choice was inappropriate for that student; therefore a mechanism exists for changing the major professor.  It is pointed out to the student that this is not a decision to be taken lightly.  It will almost certainly delay completion of his/her degree program as it will be necessary to develop a new thesis research program and have it approved.  

In the event that a graduate student deems a change of major professor necessary, the following procedures will apply: 

1)   The student and the advisor should attempt to reconcile their misunderstandings and differences, or, if they mutually agree that a change is advisable, they should arrange for a mutually satisfactory transition. 

2)   If initial attempts at reconciling differences are unsuccessful, the student and faculty member should confer with the student’s Advisory Committee and attempt to reconcile their differences. 

3)   In the event that no solutions emerge from these deliberations, the Director of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program will serve as an intermediary to arrange for a mutually satisfactory transition. 

 

g.   Qualifying and Comprehensive Examinations 

There is no qualifying or comprehensive exam in the MBS program 

 

h.   Advisory Committee 

At the end of the first year, the advisor and the student should provide Ms Roberts in the Office of Graduate Studies with a list of suggested committee members with appropriate expertise for their research area.  Including the mentor, the advisory committee must consist of at least three members of the USC graduate faculty (readers), with at least one outside the student’s research area but within the Biomedical Science Graduate Program.   

The Advisory Committee shall be responsible for approval of the student’s program of study and the approval of a thesis research project and thesis.  The Advisory Committee should discourage research by students on projects with no assurances of the free exchange of ideas and scientific information.  In addition, the Advisory Committee is responsible for monitoring the student’s research progress through conferences (approximately three times a year).  The Committee Chair will be responsible for notifying the Director of the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, in writing (with a copy to the Office of Graduate Studies), of all official actions of the Committee.                    

It is anticipated that the composition of the Advisory Committee will change only if there is a change in direction of research by the student, in which case an additional member with expertise in that area may be requested to join the committee, and a member who was appointed because of an area of expertise which is no longer relevant may volunteer to resign.  If a student changes his major advisor, a new Advisory Committee will be appointed.

 

g.   Program of Study

Every student must submit a Program of Study to the Graduate School that specifies all required courses. In addition to the first year core curricula, MBS students are required to take a minimum of one elective course of at least three credit hours each at the 700 or 800 level that is approved by the student’s advisory committee. This form with current Biomedical Science requirements may be accessed in Microsoft Word format from the Biomedical Science program requirements and curriculum website for enrolled students. The program is determined with the research mentor and advisory committee and should be submitted by the end of the first year.  

The program of study must total at least 32 graduate credits with at least 1 credit of BMSC 799 Thesis Preparation. As many as 12 graduate credits may be taken in USC schools and colleges other than the School of Medicine. This option provides great flexibility to tailor programs individually and draw on the wider resources of a comprehensive university. At least 50% of graduate credits, exclusive of thesis, must be at the 700 level. Up to 6 credits may be taken as thesis preparation and up to 6 credits may be taken as research or independent study.