Admissions FAQ

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology graduate students enter the Ph.D. program in one of two ways; directly into the department's graduate program, or through the School of Graduate Studies Interdisciplinary Program.  Simply specify your choice on the standard graduate application form at the School of Graduate Studies.

Why choose admission directly to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology?

First, we offer training in all aspects of professional life in academic science including, for example, teaching experience and scientific communication skills.  Second, our graduates have an excellent track record in competing for postdoctoral positions at the finest institutions and laboratories in the country.  Finally, while the academic focus of the Ph.D. program rests on biochemistry, we strongly encourage graduate thesis work to include multi-disciplinary approaches to attack scientific questions.  Our faculty frequently have overlapping interests and tend to be highly collaborative.  Students can expect mentoring and training from faculty in addition to their adviser.

Why choose admission to the department via the Interdisciplinary Program?

This program mandates a broad interdisciplinary classroom curriculum for students in their first year, including human genetics, physiology, and cell biology, in addition to biochemistry.  Students are permitted to rotate in any department and choose a thesis mentor in any field.  While this may be attractive to students who cannot decide where their major interest lies, students with a clear interest in biochemistry may find this program initially offers less relevant content and training for them.

What are the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology admission requirements?

The Department normally admits students during the fall semester, but exceptions may be made allowing for admission during the spring or summer semester. Admission is based on an applicants potential to make an important contribution to biomedical research. Required undergraduate courses include general, organic, and physical chemistry; mathematics through calculus; and one year of biology.

Applicants should have a combined GRE score for verbal and quantitative that is higher than 300.  However, when reviewing applications, we consider the entire application package, including previous research experience.

TOEFL scores are required for international applicants. There is not a minimum TOEFL score requirement; however, the TOEFL scores of recently admitted students were near or above 100 (iBT). If you attended an English-speaking university, you will still be required to submit a TOEFL score.

 

We receive applications from October through our deadline of April 1.  Early submission is encouraged.

Apply for admission to our program through our School of Graduate Studies portal.  Enter ‘LSUHSC-Biochemistry' in the Application for Admission form to have your application forwarded to the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular biology. Only complete applications will be reviewed for admission.

To obtain information by e-mail, write to:

Biochemistry@lsuhsc.edu