Interdisciplinary Admissions Portal

Overview. The interdisciplinary Graduate Admission Portal (IGP) allows matriculating students to explore different PhD programs prior to choosing a Departmental Program. Students take a common set of classes in the fall semester, as background to a more specialized course of study beginning in the spring semester. In addition to coursework, seminars and journal clubs, IGP students participate in up to five lab rotations in any of the five basic science programs (three in the fall and two in the spring). Upon completion of the lab rotations, students choose a research mentor and matriculate into the department of the chosen mentor. By the summer term, each IGP student will be a full member of one the five basic science programs. 

IGP Administration. The IGP graduate portal is administered by a director and project coordinator in the School of Graduate Studies. A five-member admissions/advisory committee, made up of one member from each basic science Program, will act as voting members for admissions and other advisory roles. The Director will not have voting privileges with respect to admissions. The director and project coordinator will oversee student affairs until IGP students enter graduate programs.

IGP academic policies. The IGP accepts students for matriculation in the fall term. All IGP students will take the following courses in the fall term:

• IDSP 110 - Basic Biochemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology  3 Credits
• IDSP 118 - Cell and Signaling  3 Credits
• IDSP 116 - Methods in Biomedical Sciences: Biochemical & Molecular Methods  1 Credit
• IDSP 117 - Methods in Biomedical Sciences: Recombinant DNA and Cell Biology  1 Credit
• IDSP 226 - Basic Biostatistics  1 Credit
• IDSP 227 - Advanced Biostatistics  1 Credit
• IDSP 240 - Philosophical and Ethical Issues in Science  0.5 Credit S/U
• Journal Club 1 Credit S/U
• Seminar 1 Credit S/U

To introduce IGP students to the different research programs and scientific disciplines at LSUHSC-Shreveport, IGP students will attend afternoon seminars by graduate faculty during the first week of the term. After this orientation period, students will choose lab rotations and submit their requests to the advisory committee. The advisory committee is responsible for all rotation assignments. Each rotation is ~six weeks long. IGP students will participate in the Journal Club and Seminar of the department of the rotation lab. If scheduled courses preclude attending seminars in the Department of the rotation lab, IGP students are required to attend at least one weekly seminar in another Department.

IGP students will meet with the advisory committee in November to discuss spring rotations and their spring term curriculum. This is an important meeting, because course selection will greatly influence the departmental options open to a student. The lab rotations in the spring are not mandatory, as students may join a laboratory after the third rotation if this is agreed upon by the advisory committee and the faculty member. Following the fifth rotation, all students must have identified a lab and joined a department.