Dr. Cynthia Wright
Assistant Dean for Admissions
College of Graduate Studies
Medical University of South Carolina
173 Ashley Avenue
Charleston, South Carolina 29425
Telephone: 800-589-2003 (toll-free)
wrightcf@musc.edu
Overview
The Medical University of South Carolina, chartered in 1824, is situated on a 45-acre complex and consists of six colleges and seven hospitals (one of which is the Medical University Hospital). In the Fall of 2007, the medical center completed a 641,000 square feet hospital expansion containing 156 beds. The six colleges include Graduate Studies, Medicine, Nursing, Dental Medicine, Pharmacy, and Health Professions. With over 842,000 square feet of research space, two more research buildings planned and more than $190 million in research funding, the Medical University of South Carolina is one of the leading biomedical research institutions in the Southeast. The College of Graduate Studies is committed to providing state-of-the-art facilities, technologies, and scholastic opportunities for the pursuit of graduate degrees at the master's and doctoral levels. The University's student body is very diverse, with students coming from a wide range of ethnic and racial backgrounds and geographic locations. The students in the College of Graduate Studies mirror the University's demographics.
The Community
Charleston is a rapidly growing coastal city climbing in population to half a million, but it also continues to retain the historic charm that has made it famous. The city is dedicated to the arts. Each year, students may enjoy programs offered by the internationally acclaimed Spoleto Festival, an extraordinary array of artistic events attracting artists and visitors from many parts of the world. Three world-famous gardens are near Charleston. Located on a peninsula formed by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, the city is an active resort area with renowned beaches and many water sports. The near-tropical climate and old-world charm combine to make this city one of the loveliest in America.
Programs of study and degree requirements
The programs of the College of Graduate Studies are organized to train biomedical scientists to make cuttung edge discoveries in a premier academic research environment. The College offers training in the disciplines of biochemistry and molecular biology, biomedical engineering, biostatistics, epidemiology, bioinformatics, cell biology, marine biomedicine and environmental sciences, microbiology and immunology, molecular and cellular biology and pathobiology, pathology, pharmaceutical sciences, cell and molecular pharmacology, and neuroscience. The program leading to the Ph.D. degree in one of these disciplines requires approximately five to six years of study. The college features a first-year curriculum and single entry pathway for incoming students. The first-year curriculum provides a broad interdisciplinary background devoted predominately to the principles of the basic sciences. It exposes students to the latest and cutting-edge areas of science and technology. The first year also is a time for laboratory rotations and provides exposure to all the programs so that the student can make an informed decision about choice of program and mentor. The second year of didactic courses provides the opportunity to develop an in-depth knowledge in one's chosen field of interest. The student, with the cooperation and assistance of an advisory committee, prepares a program of study and a research proposal designed to provide rigorous research training. Degree requirements include completion of all course work, passing the qualifying examinations, and preparation and defense of a dissertation. Combined M.D./Ph.D., D.M.D./Ph.D. and PharmD./Ph.D. programs are available. The College also offers a joint program in bioengineering with Clemson University. The program leading to the M.S. in biomedical sciences degree requires approximately two years of study. Departments that offer the M.S. degree are Cell Biology and Anatomy, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, Neurosciences and Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Degree requirements include completion of all course work, submission of an approved research proposal, and preparation and defense of a thesis. Some programs offer a nonthesis track.
Facilities & Resources
A large number of state-of-the-art specialized shared facilities support research at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). These include the Biomolecular Computing Resource, which is a collection of sequence databases, sequence analysis software, and the TRIPOS SYBYL molecular graphics and modeling software. Proteomics and genomics research is supported by separate DNA extraction, DNA synthesis, and protein chemistry facilities. Also included are a flow cytometry facility for fluorescence-activated cell sorting and associated techniques; a spectroscopy facility equipped with Fourier transform infrared, photon counting, UV-VIS spectrophotometers, gene chip readers, Biacore, and x-ray crystallography; and a nuclear magnetic resonance facility. The mass spectrometry facility contains four gas chromatograph mass spectrometers, a triple quadruple tandem mass spectrometer, laser desorption time of flight mass spectrometer, and a high-mass high-performance tandem mass spectrometer. Many departments also operate shared research equipment facilities. These include DNA sequencing, transmission and scanning electron microscopy, image analysis/computer graphics, histology and immunocytochemistry, and photography.
Expenses and Aid
Tuition is paid by a Dean's Scholarship for Ph.D. students on stipends. Ph.D. students also receive paid health insurance. Tuition for M.S. in biomedical sciences programs in 2007-08 is $13,917 for in-state and $18,479 for out-of-state students per year.
Financial Aid:
Stipend support is $22,000-$24,000 per year. Other financial aid information can be found at http://www.musc.edu/em/financialmanagement
Housing/Living Expenses:
Off-campus rooms and apartments are available at various costs. Information is available through the Office of Student Housing (telephone: 843-792-0394; Web site: http://www.musc.edu/housing/index.html ).
How to Apply
The College of Graduate Studies accepts online applications only http://www.musc.edu/em/admissions/apply.html.The online application fee is waived for U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents applying to Ph.D. programs. A strong undergraduate background in basic science with some research experience is recommended. Official scores on the GRE General Test are required. GRE scores must be less than five years old. The TOEFL is required for international applicants. Students are encouraged to visit the web site at http://www.musc.edu/grad . The College and University bulletin may also be downloaded at http://www.musc.edu/bulletin. Applications may be submitted at any time, but priority consideration is given to applications that are received by January 15 for fall admission in the same year.
Who to Contact
Dr. Cynthia Wright
Assistant Dean for Admissions
College of Graduate Studies
Medical University of South Carolina
173 Ashley Avenue
Charleston, South Carolina 29425
Telephone: 800-589-2003 (toll-free)
wrightcf@musc.edu
THE FACULTY AND THEIR RESEARCH
• BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY.
Faculty list: http://www.musc.edu/BCMB/faculty.htm
Gene structure and function; gene regulation; molecular evolution; molecular basis of cancer chemotherapy; the kinin system and vascular pathophysiology; RNA structure and function; molecular toxicology; signal transduction; lipid second messengers; lipid synthesis; lipid biochemistry and metabolism; hormone structure-function; molecular spectroscopy and enzyme dynamics; biochemical genetics; development and evolution of the immune response; structure of glycoproteins and the biochemistry of reproduction; vision and aging.
• BIOSTATISTICS, BIOINFORMATICS AND EPIDEMIOLOGY.
Faculty list: http://www.musc.edu/dbbe/people/list.php?type=faculty
• Biostatistics; bioinformatics; systems biology; biomathematics; epidemiology; medical computer science; pattern recognition; signal and image processing; experimental design; risk assessment; reliability theory; survival analysis; stochastic processes; artificial intelligence; modeling and simulation; clinical trials; health outcome study; health services research.
• CELL AND MOLECULAR PHARMACOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL THERAPEUTICS.
Faculty list: http://www2.musc.edu/pharm/faculty
• Anticancer drug discovery and new drug development; proteomics; cancer biology; cellular and molecular basis of drug action; prostaglandins; chemoprevention; GTP binding proteins; protein kinases; neuropeptide and growth factor receptors; signal transduction; hypertension and antihypertensive agents; adverse drug reactions; environmental toxins; drug metabolism; regulation of eukaryotic gene expression; cardiac remodeling after infarction; structure and dynamics of receptor proteins; organoanalytical and synthetic chemistry.
• CELL BIOLOGY AND ANATOMY.
Faculty list: http://cba.musc.edu/faculty/faculty.htm
• Cardiac development; cushion formation and valve morphogenesis; conduction system development and gene expression; gap junctions; genetic circuitry of transcription factors and signaling molecules; outflow tract morphogenesis; epicardium development and contribution to valves and coronary vasculature; endocardiogenesis; angiogenesis; signaling pathways and morphogenesis; endocrine gene expression; extracellular matrix biology; intracellular vesicle trafficking; stem cell biology; atherosclerosis; cell membrane transporters; marine biology.
MARINE BIOMEDICINE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Faculty list: http://www.musc.edu/mbes
• Marine genomics, ecotoxicology, proteomics, bioinformatics, environmental carcinogenesis, marine natural products chemistry, marine biotoxins, marine mammal immunology, structural biology (X-ray crystallography and nuclear magnetic resonance).
• MICROBIOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGY.
Faculty list: http:www2.musc.edu/MIC/micro4803/frame_faculty.html
• Molecular studies of lymphocyte activation and signal transduction; molecular genetics of plasma proteins; immunology of CNS diseases; regulation of immune mechanisms; immune mechanisms involved in atherosclerosis; autoimmunity; immunoglobulin structure and genetics; genetic control of immune response; transplantation immunobiology; complement chemistry; recombinant DNA vaccines; tumor immunology; oncogenes; neutrophil function; lipid metabolism; microbial physiology; retrovirology, including HIV; pathogenic microbiology; immunology of enteric diseases; gene therapy of genetic disease and cancer, including vector development; molecular biology of bacteriophages; yeast molecular genetics.
• MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR BIOLOGY and PATHOBIOLOGY PROGRAM
Faculty list: http://www.musc.edu/mcbp
• Cancer biology, cardiovascular biology, cell regulation, genetics and development, marine biomedicine and environmental science, structural biology.
• PATHOLOGY AND LABORATORY MEDICINE.
Faculty list :http://www.musc.edu/pathology/respath.htm
• Progression and treatment of cancer; gene expression in cancer and disease; pathogenesis, pathophysiology, and molecular biology of hearing loss; visual excitation and neuron loss; pathological processes in nephrotoxicity; molecular mechanisms of bacterial toxins; gestational pathology.
•NEUROSCIENCES.
Faculty list: http://neurosciences.musc.edu/faculty/faculty.html
• Cell and membrane physiology; drug-induced neural plasticity; molecular biology and function of membrane proteins; neurobiology of drug addiction; basal ganglia neurochemistry; trophic factor regulation of the development and aging of the nervous system; molecular biology of sensory processing; pathophysiology of septic shock; cardiology; cellular and molecular function of cardiac myocytes.
• PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES.
Faculty list: http://www.musc.edu/psci/faculty/faculty.html
• Identification of new drug targets; rational and computer-aided drug design, synthesis, and analysis; mechanisms of drug-induced cell injury, death, and regeneration; molecular and cellular toxicology; nephrotoxicity; neurotoxicity; pharmacokinetics and clinical pharmaceutics; development of novel delivery systems; drug metabolism; characterization of barrier transport mechanisms; bioorganic and molecular immunology.
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