Admissions
All applications to the College of Graduate Studies must be submitted online. If you are unable to apply online you must petition the office of the Dean for special accommodation explaining why you are unable to apply online. Applicants should apply online at http://www.musc.edu/em/admisions/apply.html. Domestic applicants to the Ph.D. program in the College of Graduate Studies are exempt from the online application fee. All masters level and international students MUST pay a $75 online application fee without exception, and this fee must accompany the application when filed. (For details concerning specific and required fees, please refer to the General Information section of this Bulletin.) Applications may be submitted at any time, but to ensure consideration for fall admission and also consideration for a stipend, applications for the Ph.D. program should be submitted by January 15. Applications received beyond that date will be individually considered for admission and stipend if openings are available. There is no official deadline for applicants to the M.S. program. In general, applicants are expected to have a mark index of at least 3.0, a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) V + Q score of 1100 and a significant research experience for admission.

The applicant must possess a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from a recognized institution of higher learning or a doctorate from a professional school. For admission as a regular student, the transcript must show sufficient and satisfactory undergraduate preparation in the sciences and a satisfactory score on the GRE. Letters of appraisal from three instructors are required. Final and official transcripts of all undergraduate and any graduate credits must be submitted. Completed applications are forwarded to the college’s admissions committee which examines the transcripts, GRE scores, research experiences, and letters of appraisal in determining whether the applicant meets admission requirements.

At the time of acceptance for admission to the College of Graduate Studies, the applicant must submit a matriculation fee.

All graduate students are required to subscribe to the Honor Code and the Code of Conduct at the time of initial registration. Students in the First Year Curriculum are required to have a computer for coursework. Though the library has computers suitable for most course assignments, having your own computer would be optimal. Any relatively late-model computer/software you used for undergraduate course work is likely to be suitable for the First Year Curriculum.

Applicants to graduate school choose a department or program after completion of the first year interdisciplinary core curriculum, which includes exposure to all the programs and four laboratory rotations.

Any student currently enrolled in a degree program at the master or doctoral level may apply to the College of Medicine, but if accepted, is required to finish his/her degree program before matriculating. In unusual circumstances, completion of the prior degree may be waived at the time of matriculation, but in every case the prior degree must be obtained before the student may register for clinical rotations (i.e., by the end of the sophomore year). This rule does not apply to students in the Medical Scientist Training Program.

International Students
Exceptional international applicants may be considered for a stipend. Because several months may be required for securing needed information and for processing an application from abroad, foreign nationals are urged to submit complete information as early as possible. In addition to other official entrance credentials, those applicants whose native language is not English must submit the official results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) in addition to the official results of the GRE. The TOEFL score must not be more than two years old. The GRE score must not be more than five years old. Final consideration cannot be granted to an international student’s application for admission until these official scores are received by the Office of Enrollment Services. Matriculating international applicants may be required to take remedial English courses.

If an international applicant has graduated or will graduate from an institution which uses English as the language of instruction, the TOEFL is not required.

Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Each applicant for admission must submit scores on the Aptitude Test of the GRE and is encouraged to submit scores on an Advanced Test, depending on the choice of field for graduate study. Scores more than five years old are not acceptable.

Please visit www.gre.org for more information.

Classification of Students
At the time of acceptance, each student is classified in one of the following categories and designated as full-time (if at least nine credit hours are carried in courses or research) or part-time (if fewer than nine credit hours are carried).

1. Regular – Students who have met all requirements for admission and will be working toward a degree.
2. Visiting – Students in good standing in another school who wish to enroll for a course and who plan to return thereafter to their former college. Visiting students will not be required to submit transcripts, etc., but must submit at least two weeks before registration a statement from their dean that they are in good standing in their school. An official transcript of their work at MUSC will be sent to their dean. This admission does not require approval of the Graduate Admissions Committee.
3. Non-Degree – Students are allowed to take courses subject to approval by the Dean and course director.