College of Graduate Studies

The excitement and promise of the biomedical sciences has never been greater. We have an outstanding graduate faculty with members who are committed to research and research training and a growing research enterprise. We invite you to share with us the thrill and rewards of making new discoveries and having an impact on the future of health sciences.

College of Graduate Studies Administration

Paula Traktman, Ph.D., Dean
Ed L. Krug, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Postdoctoral Affairs
Cynthia F. Wright, Ph.D., Associate Dean for Admissions and Career Development

Introduction

Graduate instruction in the basic medical sciences with programs in anatomy, chemistry, pathology, pharmacology, and physiology was begun in March 1949 and in microbiology in 1950. The management and administration of the programs leading to the master of science (MS) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees were delegated to the Committee on Graduate Studies. In 1951, the first M.S. degree was conferred; the following year, the Ph.D. degree was awarded for the first time. In August 1965, all educational activities pertaining to graduate instruction were incorporated in a formal organization, the School of Graduate Studies. In 1970, the School of Graduate Studies became the College of Graduate Studies.

In 1971, the Department of Biometry initiated an MS degree program and, in 1976, a Ph.D. program was added. A Ph.D. program in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Pathobiology was approved in December 1976 and, in 1981, a Ph.D. program in Pharmaceutical Sciences was approved.

Since 1951, 837 Ph.D. and 592 MS degrees have been awarded. Since 1982, 209 M.D./Ph.D. degrees have been awarded. The graduate faculty, more than 580 individuals, represents a wide range of research interests and teaching skills. The members are selected mainly from the nine basic disciplines described in the following pages, with the remainder coming from other clinical departments of the medical complex.

Mission and Objectives

The mission of the College of Graduate Studies, as part of the Medical University of South Carolina, is to educate biomedical scientists and to foster the discovery of new knowledge in a premier academic research environment. The college is dedicated to securing and maintaining state-of-the-art facilities, technologies, and scholastic opportunities for the pursuit of graduate degrees at the masters and doctoral levels and for postdoctoral study. In order to fulfill this purpose, the College of Graduate Studies has adopted the following goals: to offer advanced courses, beyond the baccalaureate level, in various disciplines of the biomedical sciences; to give students opportunities to develop and apply research techniques and to utilize the resources appropriate to their graduate programs; to develop informed judgment, independent thought, and impartial inquiry and to foster the spirit of research scholarship through the development of original ideas; and to contribute to the advancement of knowledge for the benefit of a constantly changing society through the efforts of its faculty and students.

Graduate Student Association

The Graduate Student Association allows graduate students to participate in the design of their formal education and provides a forum for students to express opinions about the graduate school to the administration. The executive members of the organization are elected from each of the programs of graduate study. This group meets with the dean of the College of Graduate Studies on a regular basis to discuss pertinent matters pertaining to graduate education and student well-being. These meetings keep the students abreast of the University and its changing policies. Representatives to standing committees of the College are appointed from the Graduate Student Association Executive Committee.