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What is the Integrated Biomedical
Sciences Graduate Program?
The Integrated Biomedical
Sciences Graduate Program is a combined program extending
across the University of South Carolina campus. The students
take core courses in the first year, choose a mentor and
then carry out research in their mentor's department. The
participating departments or colleges are:
- The School of Medicine
- The Department of
Biology
- The Department of
Chemistry - Biochemistry Division
- The College of Pharmacy
- Program in Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences
- The School of Public
Health - Exercise Science
- The Department of
Psychology
How should I apply for admission?
Applicants from the United States
After you have learned all that you wish about
our programs,
you may make further inquiries by
e-mail and apply via our
on-line application process
using Applyweb. When
complete, this form will be reviewed by the Graduate Directors Committee.
You should complete the entire form
before finally submitting your application.
You should also send us:
- Three letters of recommendation.
Recommendation letters may be submitted on-line via the Applyweb
system or by letter on either the referee's letterhead or a form
that may be obtained from the Graduate School
- Copies of transcripts
- A copy of your GRE and, if
necessary, TOEFL (or IELTS) scores. You do not need to
send original GRE or TOEFL scores at the time of application.
If the Graduate Directors decide to
proceed with your application, the Graduate School will require original GRE scores
(and TOEFL, where applicable) be
sent directly from ETS.
Applicants from foreign countries
You should follow the same procedure as above
but should include your TOEFL scores on the application form if your
native language is not English. Please read
the information for foreign students pages.
Do I have to pay a fee to apply?
No, if you are applying for
the Integrated Biomedical Science PhD program. When you get to a
certain stage of the Applyweb application, you will be asked
to pay a fee. For the PhD program, you may request a fee
waiver code from
this address.
Is there a form for my letters
of recommendation?
The Graduate School has a
form for letters of recommendation but you do NOT need to
use it (you may, if you wish). Your referees may also
submit their letters on-line via Applyweb.
Please ask three people who
know you well academically to write letters on your behalf.
If they submit paper letters, they should use their own stationery and put them in sealed envelopes.
They can either send them directly to us or you can add
those envelopes to your other application materials such as
transcripts and a copy of your GRE score and send them us
yourself. Most foreign applicants collect their application
material together including recommendation letters and send
them as one package. Please use a courier service or express
mail. The Graduate School recommendation letter form can be
found
here (pdf form) but please DO NOT send it to the
Graduate School. Please send it directly to us.
What is the stipend
and what are the fees that must be paid by a Ph.D. Student?
At present the stipend is $21,000 per
year. It should be noted that Columbia has a low cost of living compared
to many other American cities. The program will pay your tuition in
full. In
addition, we pay for health insurance.
There is a
stipend supplement from the Graduate School for particularly highly qualified
students.
What are the minimum
qualifications that I must have to be considered for admission to the
Biomedical Sciences program?
For admission to The Graduate School, a baccalaureate or higher degree from a college or university accredited by a regional accrediting agency is normally required.
Applications from students holding a baccalaureate from established
foreign universities are also accepted. Applicants’ academic records should demonstrate adequate preparation in the field in which graduate work is to be undertaken.
For the Integrated Biomedical Science Graduate Program, undergraduate
education should include the major sciences, especially chemistry and
biology.
Also required are standardized test scores, letters of recommendation and
transcripts. The Dean of The Graduate School admits applicants on the recommendation of the
program and after an appraisal of the credentials submitted.
The Ph.D. program at the School of
Medicine requires:
- A Grade Point Average (GPA) B
average (3.0 on a 4 point scale) or better. Some universities use
a percentage system. Your overall percentage should be entered on
the application where the GPA is requested.
- A GRE score in the quantitative,
verbal and analytical sections at the 50th percentile or better. Good scores in the subject sections (such as biology or
chemistry) will enhance your application; however, subject scores,
while welcomed, are not mandatory. The preceding are the minimum
acceptable GRE scores but students with such scores are
unlikely to be admitted. Recently, students admitted to the
biomedical science graduate programs have quantitative and verbal
scores above the 75th percentile.
An MS or MA degree from an accredited
institution will improve your chances of being accepted
Research experience at the
undergraduate or preferably the MS level will also improve the
chances of admission. Such experience should be described in your
personal statement.
Should I indicate my interests on the application?
Should I list faculty whose research interests me?
Yes. Please tell us about
what interests you and with whom you might like to work.
This will allow us to select students who will fit into a
number of laboratories across the departments. It is
especially necessary that students who are invited to come
to Columbia for a personal interview list four professors
with whom they would like to work since we shall try to
involve those professors in the interview process. Stating a
research area or a specific professor whose research
interests you in no way commits you to working in that area
or with a specific person after you join the program.
Do I have to decide on my area of research before I
apply to your program or am admitted to your program?
No. The Integrated Biomedical
Science Graduate Program allows our students to learn about
research on the USC campus before deciding on a mentor. In
this way, we are an "umbrella" program that feeds into
departmental program after the first year. All students take
core courses and rotations and learn about our research. You
select a mentor before the end of the first year.
Should I speak
to one (or more) of the program faculty prior to final
submission of my application? Do you encourage students to
establish contacts with a potential supervisor, prior to
submitting application?
You are welcome to contact
any professor that you might want to work with (see list on
the web site). Usually, however, if
you e-mail them, they will forward the message to the
graduate office. We do not require that you make up
your mind concerning with whom you might want to work before
coming to USC. In the first year of the program, you will
learn about research across the university and do rotations.
At any time in the first year, you can choose a mentor and
work with that mentor if he/she will take you into their
lab. On your application form you should tell us the sort of
research you have done and what you would like to do. After
looking at the list of professors, you should indicate on
the application form with whom you might like to work and
you should tell us the area of research that interests you.
But if there is someone with
whom you would like to work, feel free to contact that
person.
I live in the United States. Will
I get an interview if I make the short list of potential
students?
Yes. We try to interview all
potential students who make our short list. We shall try to
help with expenses in visiting Columbia but cannot guarantee
this. You can expect the interview to last a full day in
which you will meet with members of the selection committee
and the professors with whom you have expressed interest in
working. You will also meet current graduate students and
see some of the facilities of the University of South
Carolina
When is the deadline
for applications to the MBS and PhD programs at the University of South
Carolina?
The deadline for applications for
admission in the Fall semester is April 15. However, screening of applications
starts in mid December and thus early application is advised since the number
of stipends is limited. If possible, please apply before the end of
January.
Can I be admitted so that I start in
the spring semester? Usually students are admitted for the
Fall semester beginning in August. Only under exceptional circumstances
will applications be considered from students wishing to start at
the beginning of the Spring semester, that is commencing studies in January.
I have taken an
examination similar to the GRE. May I use this instead of the GRE
requirement?
Normally, a satisfactory score in the GRE
is required but a satisfactory score in the Medical
College Admission Test (MCAT) is acceptable. In addition, a similar
score in the Dental Admission Test (DAT) will be considered. In either
case, it will be necessary for the Graduate Office to petition the
Graduate School on behalf of a student who wishes to use the MCAT or DAT
for acceptance of these examinations.
What are the
codes that I need so that my GRE scores are sent to the Biomedical
Sciences program?
GRE Institution Code - University of South Carolina - Code 5818
Department Code - Biomedical Science is not listed as such - use 4
"0's" - 0000 or 0699 (Health and Medical Sciences -
Other).
This information is available on www.GRE.org
under Institution Codes and the Department and Major Field Code List.
For a complete list of codes, go
here (pdf file)
I would like to be considered for
the MD-PhD program. How do I go about this?
If you want to be considered for the
MD-PhD program, you must apply to both programs separately.
For admission to the PhD part of the joint program, please
follow the steps outlined on this page and indicate on the
form that you are applying for the MD-PhD program. To apply
for the MD part of the program, please make a normal
application to enter the medical school. More information is
on our MD-PhD program pages.
Please note that for the MD-PhD program:
- You must be a United States citizen
or permanent resident
- You must carry out your research with
a member of the faculty of the School of Medicine
Shall I have to teach if I become a student in the
Integrated Biomedical Science Graduate Program?
Yes. All of the first year students in the
Integrated Biomedical Program are teaching assistants. When
you come to Columbia, you will receive a short course to
prepare you to teach undergraduate students. Students in the
Integrated Program usually do about half the teaching that
other USC graduate students in the sciences do. Most of our
graduate students enjoy this teaching experience.
To what
address should my application materials be sent?
You can make your application on
line
here. Please send all of your other materials (GRE score
copy, TOEFL score copy, transcripts and letters of
recommendation, if not using Applyweb for these letters) to one of the following addresses:
- For post office mail:
Ms Ansley Roberts
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program
University of South Carolina School of Medicine
Building 3, room 226
Columbia
SC29208
- For courier (Federal Express, DHL,
Airborne etc):
Ms Ansley Roberts
Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program
University of South Carolina School of Medicine - VA
Campus
Building 3, room 226
6439 Garner's Ferry Road
Columbia
SC29209
OVERSEAS APPLICANTS
I
am a foreign student. Do I need to take the TOEFL examination?
Yes, unless your native language is
English. The exception to this is if you are in the United States taking
a university course (e.g. an MS degree). In this case, we will accept
the TOEFL/IELTS that you used to apply for your current position.
International applicants whose native language is not English are
required to submit a satisfactory score on the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the University of Cambridge's IELTS Academic Course Type 2 exam. The minimum acceptable score on the TOEFL
is 80 out of 120 (Internet-based test); however, almost all
of our recent successful applicants from overseas have had a
TOEFL score of 100 or above. The minimum acceptable overall band score on the IELTS Academic Course Type 2 exam is 6.5.
Applications for the GRE can be obtained from the Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08540. Applicants from western states should write the Educational Testing Service, 1947 Center Street, Berkeley, CA 94704.
I am a foreign student, will I have to
take an English test when I arrive in Columbia?
Yes. All students must take
an English exam within the first few days after arrival at
the University of South Carolina. This is to identify any
students who may be recommended for a remedial English
course.
I am a foreign student. Will
I have an interview?
We cannot interview foreign
students face to face but if you are selected as a potential
student (i.e. if you are on our short list), you will be
contacted by us by telephone and will be interviewed in
English. This is to ascertain that you have a degree of
English proficiency that will ensure your success as a
student in the United States. Please make sure that you keep
us up-to-date with your current e-mail address. We shall
e-mail you to confirm your interview time and current
telephone number.
I am a foreign
student. How many students from overseas do you expect to
admit? Do you give precedence to American students in the
application process?
Although we do give
preference to US applicants (as all US schools do), we
usually admit about half domestic and half overseas
students. Because of the budget, we do not know how many
students we shall take next year but it is expected to be
about 20-25. About half of these will be from India or China
How do I get started
on my application?
- Read all about our program to determine if it is
right for you
- Make an application via Applyweb at
our
application page.
- Write your personal statement using a word processor
and paste it into your application on Applyweb
- Send us three letters of recommendation which can
either be sent via mail/courier or via Applyweb
- Send us official university transcripts
- Send us copy of your GRE and, if necessary, TOEFL scores
- Send an e-mail to
Ms
Ansley Roberts telling us that you have made an
application in case anything goes wrong with the
electronic admission form
Please address other
questions to Dr Richard
Hunt |
