FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions about Graduate Student Enrollment in the Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry Program. 

1.    When should I apply?
       Students are enrolled only once per year.  Applications for the Fall semester
       should be submitted as early as possible (preferably by the middle of January,
       but no later than the end of March).  Personal interviews begin in late January-
       early February.  The class is usually filled by April or May.   

2.    When do classes start? 
       Courses begin in the first week of August.  There is a two-day orientation prior
       to the start of classes.

 3.   Do I have to take the GRE?
       GRE scores, obtained within the last four years, are required.  A GRE Subject
        Exam score is helpful, but not required.  Occasionally, MCAT scores are
       accepted in lieu of the GRE’s.   These test scores are considered as one
       component of the entire application.  GRE cutoffs are not predetermined.

4.    Do you accept foreign students?
       Yes.  A TOEFL score of 250 or better is required.  Applicants educated in
       India must have an M.Sc. degree to be accepted into either the M.S. or Ph.D.
       program.    

5.    Will you provide me with a preliminary evaluation of my scores and
       transcripts before I apply?
       It is our policy not to evaluate an applicant prior to receiving all required
       application materials.

6.    Do graduate students receive financial support?
       All Ph.D. students are admitted tuition-free and are awarded a stipend to cover
       living expenses throughout their training period (if the duration is reasonable). 
       M.S. students must pay tuition and are not given a stipend.

7.    How many students are in your program?
       Our program is relatively small, and our students receive personal attention. 
       Currently there are 18 students in our program, 14 Ph.D., 2 M.S., and 2
       M.D./Ph.D.  There are about 120 students in all seven of the graduate
       programs at the Loyola University Medical Center.

8.    How long does it take to receive a degree?
       A Ph.D. degree typically takes about 5.5 years to complete.  Much of this time
       is spent doing laboratory research.  An M.S. degree takes 2-2.5 years.

9.    Can I do my Ph.D. dissertation research with any one of the faculty members in your program?
Theoretically, yes.  Since a stipend is paid to the student, a faculty member must have funds available to cover the expenses of a new student.  This limits the number of labs that are available to a student at any given time.  Occasionally, students are allowed to work in the lab of a professor in another graduate program.     

10.  Can I work towards both a Ph.D. and M.D. degree at the same time?
        Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine has an M.D./Ph.D.
        program.  A prospective student can apply to the Molecular and Cellular
        Biochemistry Program as part of the M.D./Ph.D. application process.  Please
        see www.meddean.luc.edu/prospective/mdphd/.