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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 via our
on-line application process.
The same form may be used to make an initial application. When
complete, this form will be sent to the Graduate Office at the
Integrated Biomedical Science Graduate Program and will be reviewed by the Graduate Directors Committee.
You should complete the entire form
before finally submitting your application (unless it is marked
initial inquiry. Do not forget to send us
letters of recommendation, transcripts and a copy of your GRE scores.
If the Graduate Directors decide to proceed with
your application, you must make an
official application to the Graduate
School
which will cost you $40. We will forward your letters of
recommendation and transcripts to the Graduate School. They will also require GRE scores
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. The Graduate School will require
official TOEFL scores if you make a formal application. Please read
the information for foreign students pages.
Do I have to pay a fee to apply?
No. When you make an initial
application on our web site as described below, you do not
need to send any money. If you are admitted, you will then
have to apply to the Graduate School and pay a fee
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). Please ask three people who
know you well academically to write letters on your behalf
on 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 or better
- 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.
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 I
am a foreign student. Do I need to take the TOEFL examination?
Yes, unless your native language is
English.
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 230 (computer-based) or 570
(paper-based). 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.
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 the end of April. However, screening of applications
starts in mid December and thus early application is advised since the number
of stipends is limited.
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
To what
address should my application materials be sent?
You can make your initial application on
line
here and send a personal statement via this
link. Please send all of your other materials (GRE score
copy, TOEFL score copy, transcripts and letters of
recommendation) 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
How do I get started
on my application?
- Read all about our program to determine if it is
right for you
- Make an unofficial application on this web site at
our
application page. Do not forget to list the names of
four faculty members with whom you would like to work if
admitted.
- Write your personal statement using a word processor
and submit it by pasting it into our
statement form
- Send us three letters of recommendation in sealed
envelopes along with official copies of your transcripts
and a 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
You do not need to send any application fee and you do
not need to apply officially to the Graduate School at this
stage. If we admit you, it will be necessary to apply
officially to the Graduate School and at this time a fee
will be payable.
Please address other
questions to Dr Richard
Hunt |
