Admission Requirements and Types of Admission
The School of Graduate Studies is dedicated to developing a culture that fosters the recruitment, nurturing and retention of a diverse student body that is reflective of our larger community. Thus, students of all racial and ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to apply to our programs. Applicatons are considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, veterans status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, or other non-merit factor.
Unconditional Admission
The requirements for unconditional admission to the School of Graduate Studies are:
- A baccalaureate degree from a college or university approved by a regional accrediting agency.
- A grade point average of at least 2.5 for undergraduate work, and 3.0 for graduate work, on a 4 point scale and based upon all work for which a grade is given.
- Satisfactory scores on the Graduate Record Examination, the exam must be taken within five years of application to the program
- Satisfactory standing at the most recent educational institution attended.
- Acceptance in a departmental program.
- It should be noted that individual departments may establish requirements more rigid than the minimal standards of the School of Graduate Studies so that a student meeting minimal school requirements may not be adequately prepared to enter graduate study in a particular program.
In addition, international applicants must present acceptable scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination before they will be accepted as graduate students.
Transcripts from all international applicants must be evaluated by a global credentialing service (such as World Education Services or Educational Credential Evaluators) at the expense of the applicant.
Acceptance is contingent upon recommendation by one of the Departments offering graduate instruction leading to advanced degrees and co-current by the Dean, School of Graduate Studies.
International applicants, once accepted, must provide a copy of their passport page that inclues the student photograph to the Department of application. This document will be included with the visa application form.
Graduate students, who apply for admission to the LSUHSC School of Medicine, or any other LSU professional school, shall not be enrolled in the professional school until they have completed the graduate degree toward which they are working.
Provisional Admission
Applicants who appear to be admissible but who are unable, for good reason, to supply the required credentials prior to the stated deadline may request provisional admission. In such cases complete credentials must be received no later than sixty days after the first day of classes (forty-five days in the summer term).
Probationary Admission
Applicants, who fail to meet all qualifications but who are nevertheless judged by the Departments concerned and by the Dean to show promise for successful graduate work, may be considered for probationary admission on the merits of their individual cases. Such applicants will be required to meet specific Departmental or Graduate School requirements prior to admission.
Special Status Students
An applicant may seek to enroll in Graduate School courses as a non-matriculating Special Status student. The applicant must have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university. An official transcript must be sent from the college or university to the School of Graduate Studies. A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 and 3.0 for graduate work is required. The applicant must submit a letter signed by the director of the course in which the applicant wishes to enroll, to the School of Graduate Studies. The letter must state the course number, title and number of credit hours, as listed in this publication. The applicant letter must arrive in the Graduate School Dean’s office for approval at least two weeks before registration. If approved, the applicant must fill out an application form and pay the application fee at least one week before registration. This procedure applies for each term in which the student wishes to enroll in a course. At registration, the student will pay the registration fees according to the Graduate School fee schedule. A maximum of 12 credit hours of graduate credit earned as a Special Status student will be considered for meeting a graduate degree requirement in the School of Graduate Studies. Credit hours earned as a Special Status student may not be used to meet degree requirements in the School of Medicine or the School of Allied Health Professions.
Application Process
Instructions for Making Application to the LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport School of Graduate Studies
Completion of the application process requires the following:
- The application form must be completed and sent to the School of Graduate Studies at the address shown below.
- The official report of the Graduate Record Exam scores must be sent from the ETS to the School of Graduate Studies. To expedite the application process, a copy of the GRE scores may be submitted. These will be verified from ETS, but will not substitute for the official report.
- International Students must submit scores for both the Graduate Record Exam and either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The TOEFL or IELTS must be taken unless the applicant has received at least a Bachelor’s degree from a University in the United States.
- One (1) copy of the official transcript must be sent to the Office of the Registrar directly from each college or university attended. Transcripts which show transfer credit from other colleges attended are not acceptable. International students, please note that transcripts must be sent directly from the Registrar’s (or equivalent) Office on official letterhead stationary of the University to the LSUHSC-S, Office of the Registrar. Transcripts issued to students are not considered official.
- Two (2) letters of recommendation, preferably from professors who have taught the applicant in the basic sciences, must be sent to the School of Graduate Studies. The “Recommendation of Applicant” forms provided by the Graduate Office should be used.
All of the above should be sent to:
LSU Health Sciences Center at Shreveport
School of Graduate Studies
1501 Kings Highway
P.O. Box 33932
Shreveport, LA 71130
The application is the responsibility of the students. There will be no notification of incomplete applications. Inquiries about the application may be made to 318-675-7674. No collect calls will be accepted.
FINAL DEADLINES FOR APPLICATION: Each department has its own deadline for receiving new applications. The departments may be contacted individually, or a call can be transferred from the Graduate Office (318-675-7674) to the department.
GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS: Graduate stipends are available each year in each department. They are awarded by the department head. The department may be contacted for information regarding consideration for a stipend.
Re-Application
Students once registered in the School of Graduate Studies who wish to resume work after an absence of more than one semester will be required to submit an application for re-admission at least ten davs before registration. Supplementary transcripts must be submitted if any work has been taken at another institution during the interim. Exceptions to this requirement must be by successful petition to the Dean.
Experiential Credit
The School of Graduate Studies does not award credit or advanced placement for any previous work experience or professional work certificate obtained by a student prior to admission. All required course work for each individual program must be completed. At the recommendation of a Department, and approval by the Dean of the Graduate School, some coursework may be exempted for students who enter a Ph.D. program after having completed an advanced degree program such as M.S., M.D. or D.V.M.
Academic Progression Requirement
To receive a graduate degree, a student must maintain an average grade of at least a B (3.0) on all work taken as a graduate student. Credits received in thesis or dissertation research, seminar, journal club or other “S/U” courses are not used in computing the grade point average. A summer term is counted as a semester. Students in serious scholastic difficulties may be dropped from the rolls at the end of any semester if the Department and Dean feel that the student is not qualified to continue.
A student will be placed on academic probation if his/her grade point average drops below a 3.0 in any semester. The student will then be allowed one calendar year (three consecutive semesters) to raise the GPA to 3.0 or above. The student will be dropped from the rolls of the School of Graduate Studies if at least a 3.0 GPA is not achieved in this time period.
Grading System
In the School of Graduate Studies, a grade of A has the value of 4 qulaity points per semester hour. A grade of B has the value of 3 quality points per semester hour. C has the value of 2 quality points per semester hour and in some Departments a course with a grade of C or less may not be accepted for credit toward a degree and must be remediated. D has one quality point value. F grades carry no quality points; “I” grade indicate unfinished work. Consistent grades below A in the major field may be considered evidence of unsatisfactory performance by some Departments.
No regular letter grades will be given for research, journal club, or seminar courses, but they will be allowed for special topics or methods courses. Methods courses given for letter grades must be approved in advance by the Graduate Advisory Council and by the Dean.
For research, seminar or journal club courses, grades of “Satisfactory” will be indicated by “S” and “Unsatisfactory” by “U”.
Incomplete grade (I) is given for work that is of passing quality but, which because of circumstances beyond the student’s control, is not complete. An instructor may consider an “I” only with the written authorization from the Dean. It is the responsibility of the student to request and justify the “I” grade.
All course requirements must be completed by the 7th day of Summer semester or 14th day of the Fall/Spring semester. If the requirements are not met by this deadline, the “I” will convert to a failing (F) grade or unsatisfactory (U) grade. If the student’s circumstances preclude removal of the “I” by the deadline, the student or instructor may, before the deadline, petition the Dean for an extension.
Examination Only Status
Student who have successfully completed all the degree requirements except for the final dissertation/thesis defense and submission of the final dissertation/thesis, may register for “examination only”. A student is only eligible for this status if they will be defending their dissertation/thesis in the semester in which they have registered. Exam only status students are enrolled for zero credit hours and their enrollment status is reported as less than half time. Students will be assessed a graduation fee.
Diploma Only Status
A student is only eligible for this status if they have successfully defended their dissertation/thesis, resolved any “I” Incomplete grades in their final semester, and met all degree requirements prior to the last day to add classes (14th day of classes during Fall/Spring semeters; 7th day of classes during a Summer term) for the semester of graduation. Diploma only status students are enrolled for zero hours and their enrollment status is reported as less than half time. Students may be assessed a graduation fee.
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