LET US HELP YOU FOCUS YOUR INTEREST.

The Interdisciplinary Graduate Admissions Portal (IGP) acts as an entry conduit for PhD programs across diverse areas of biomedical science. The two semester IGP is designed for students with broad interests who have not yet focused their research interests on a single area.

Research Areas on the LSU Health Shreveport Campus

Cardiovascular Disease • Cancer • Immunology
Viral and Bacterial Pathogenesis • Neuroscience • Gene Expression

In the first semester, students complete core courses that provide a broad background in biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, and statistics. Students also do laboratory rotations to decide which laboratory they will work in to carry out their dissertation research. In the second semester, students choose a more individualized course of study based on their research interests and will complete one or two additional laboratory rotations. Before the end of the second semester, students will choose a Department and Faculty Advisor to supervise their research project and dissertation, the most important components of the PhD Training Program. These are completed under the guidance of the student's Faculty Advisor and Thesis Advisory Committee and must represent original and independent scholarly work. 

The full tuition amount is waived and students receive an annual stipend of $28,000.   

* Official transcripts for all course work are required to complete your application. Official transcripts should be uploaded directly to GradCAS. Detailed instructions, including address, can be found under the "Sending Official Transcripts to GradCAS" menu.

** Please note that the GRE is optional for applicants with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited US institution but is mandatory for students with a degree from an international institution. Please arrange for the Educational Testing Service to send an official copy of your GRE scores to GradCAS using code 4202. Detailed instructions can be found under the Sending Official Test Scores to GradCAS menu.

To learn about participating faculty members in the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, please visit the individual department web sites listed below.

In addition to the requirements above, International Applicants also must supply the following information to be considered for admission:

• Transcript Evaluation: Global credential evaluation must be submitted for all foreign transcripts. Recommended companies are ECE, WES, and GCE.
• English Proficiency Examination Results: International students must demonstrate English proficiency with a score of 80 or better on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or with a score of 6.5 or better on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Official TOEFL scores must be submitted directly to GradCAS using code #B886. Detailed instructions can be found under the Sending Official Test Scores to GradCAS menu. IELTS Scores are to be sent directly from IELTS to the Graduate Studies office at the mailing address below: