Admission Requirements and Financial Information

• Admission Requirements and Financial Information
  
• Application for Admission to the School of Graduate Studies
  
• Expenses
  
• Financial Assistance
  
• Housing
  
• Employment for Spouses

Admission Requirements and Financial Information

Students who wish to enter a program of graduate study in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at LSUHSC-S are expected to have completed an undergraduate program with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 system. Undergraduate course credits should include:
(1) one year of general biology or biological science,
(2) one year of calculus,
(3) two years of chemistry, including one year of organic chemistry. Physical chemistry is desirable as well.
(4) one year of physics

In some cases, deficiencies in the above requirements may be removed by taking appropriate courses during the first year of graduate study.

The department also requires both the verbal and quantitative parts of the Graduate Record Examination. A composite score of 1000 is normally required. Students should take the Graduate Record Exam in October or December, if possible.

Prior to making formal application for admission to the School of Graduate Studies, the interested student should should complete the online , or mail the printed version of the completed Preliminary Application Form to the Department. In addition, the applicant should arrange to have three letters of reference or Rating Forms (in this folder) mailed directly to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology by faculty members who know the applicant well enough to judge his or her potential as a graduate student. All correspondence with the Department should be addressed to: Dr. Robert E. Rhoads, Professor and Head, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, LSU Medical Center-Shreveport, P.O. Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130.

Application for Admission to the School of Graduate Studies

An application for admission to the School of Graduate Studies may be submitted after the has been received and approved by the Department. The Application for Admission, a $30.00 application fee (non-refundable), and two official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended should be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies. In addition, Graduate Record Examination scores are to be mailed directly to the School of Graduate Studies. To be admitted to the School of Graduate Studies, all foreign students must present scores of 575 or better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination. Documents of personal financial responsibility are also required of all foreign students before a student visa application can be filed with the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service. This process requires a minimum of three months and can be initiated only after acceptance into the graduate program.

Expenses

Tuition is $1,111 per semester and $606 for the summer for in-state residents and $2,361 per semester and $1,231 for the summer for out-of-state residents. Tuition is waived for students who are awarded stipends. Total living expenses for a single person are estimated at $10,000-$15,000 per year, excluding tuition.

Financial Assistance

Full-time graduate students within the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at LSUHSC-S receive financial support in the form of a Research Fellowship Stipend of $22,000. Some graduate students may be supported by funds derived from faculty research grants. In these cases, support is equivalent to the above stipend, including tuition waiver.

Housing

The local community has a wide selection of single-unit, duplex and apartment complex rentals. Shreveport newspapers carry advertisements for room, apartment, and house rentals. A mail subscription to the Shreveport Times (Newspaper Production Co., P.O. Box 222, , Shreveport, LA 71130) may be obtained for $11 per month for Sunday papers only or $14.25 per month for daily plus Sunday papers.

Apartments and condominiums are also available that overlook Cross Lake.

Employment for Spouses

Job opportunities for spouses of graduate students are available. Within the metropolitan area of Shreveport (population 350,000) there is a wide range of private businesses and governmental agencies that form a rich reservoir of positions for potential employment. Information about positions at LSUHSC-S may be obtained from the Personnel Office, LSUHSC-S, P.O. Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130. There are many public and private schools in the area providing opportunity for employment of spouses who hold teaching credentials.