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FAQ

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Email: natasha_dillon@ncsu.edu

• Admissions General
• Admissions Physiology
• Acceptability by the Admissions Committee
• Research Degrees
• Master of Physiology Program
• MOP Acceptability
• Veterinary Degree (DVM, VMD, or equivalent) Applicants
• Financial Aid Considerations
• Eligibility for Assistantship, Fellowship or Traineeship
• Physiology program course requirement
• Graduate School policies pertaining to 400-level courses
• PBS credit for 500-level or higher courses
• Termination
• Plan of Work
• PBS (from 2009 Graduate School Catalog)

Admissions General

1. Details and pertinent information on application to the Graduate School can be found on the Graduate School website.
2. You must apply online.
3. Check regularly on your application status (i.e., submission of those items requested externally, GRE, transcript, and three reference letters). Be prepared to send reminders.
4. GPA should be at least 3.0 for Graduate School Admission.
5. International applicants must demonstrate proficiency in English that may include Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a total score of at least 80 on the Internet-based Test (IBT). Individual minimums for each of the sections can be found on the Graduate School web site. Test dates no older than two years (24 months) prior to the beginning of the requested entry form.

Admissions Physiology

1. Your application must be completed before the Physiology Graduate Program Admissions Committee (PGPAC) will review the package.
2. PGPAC will review the complete application packages on a rolling basis and at the latest shortly after the early admission and regular admission deadlines to determine whether a candidate is acceptable for admission to the Physiology Program subject to identifying an advisor.
3. It is recommended that the GRE scores are in or above the 50th Percentile for the verbal and quantitative sections combined.
4. The analytical writing (An Writ) score should be as high as possible on the weighted scale.
5. Retake the GRE if the combined verbal and quantitative score is inadequate, or the analytic writing score is low.
6. The PGPAC will review applications from candidates with an undergraduate GPA below 3.0 provided there is evidence that higher level grades have been achieved subsequently in appropriate (equivalent) 400-level or graduate level courses.
7. The statement of purpose must indicate your commitment to the discipline of Physiology, and if seeking a research degree, you should articulate and substantiate a specific area of interest and experience in Physiology.
8. During the admissions process you are encouraged to communicate with potential advisors to determine mutual interests and their willingness to recruit a graduate student with the likelihood of financial support.

Acceptability by the Admissions Committee

1. A recommendation of a candidate's acceptability by the PGPAC neither indicates nor implies admission to the program.
2. An applicant will not be accepted formally for a degree program unless a member of the Physiology Graduate Faculty has agreed to serve as the student's advisor or mentor.

Research Degrees

1. Applicants admitted with a Baccalaureate degree will enter the Master of Science program requiring 30 hours of course credit, no more than six hours of thesis research, a thesis and a comprehensive oral examination.
2. Progress to a Doctoral program can be a seamless transition after completing the MS degree with the same or a different advisor in the Physiology program.
3. The major advisor may recommend pursuit of the Doctoral program (without first completing the MS) Based on excellent progress in coursework and the research project; the recommendation must be approved by the Director of the Physiology Graduate Program (DGP).

Master of Physiology (MOP) Program

1. The MOP non-thesis program requires 36 hours of graduate course credit.
2. Financial support is NOT provided for students in the MOP non-thesis program.
3. The objective is to provide a program for students to enhance their academic credentials and competitiveness for admission to a professional school or graduate school, and for individuals seeking to improve their knowledge of modern physiology without the requirement to perform research or prepare a formal presentation of their own research project.
4. The primary objective demands the commitment of a highly motivated individual to show that they can achieve a competitive GPA at the graduate level.
5. This is not a research degree; however, students can perform research if they so choose.
6. This degree is a great option for those students who want to improve their credentials before applying to professional school.

MOP Acceptability

1. If the MOP application is deemed acceptable by the PGPAC, the Director of the Physiology Graduate (DGP) Program will attempt to identify an advisor for the applicant from among the graduate faculty.
2. Each MOP has an advisor (mentor). There is not an advisory committee.
3. An applicant may seek to contact a potential advisor (listed on the web site) at any stage during the admissions process.
4. A recommendation of conditional acceptability indicates that the PGPAC has concern over the strength of the application. The committee may suggest that specific courses should be taken in the first or in the first and second semesters with a minimum GPA 3.0 to be maintained prior to the advisor submitting a request to the DGP for a change to full admission.
5. The degree program status can be changed from the MOP to the Master of Science research program upon recommendation of the advisor based on progress made in the second or subsequent semester. The student may be eligible for stipend support arranged by the advisor. Alternatively, the student may support their own stipend, or obtain funds from other sources.
6. MOP students will be recommended for termination if on academic probation after the first semester and the GPA does not improve to at least 3.0 by the end of the second semester.

Veterinary Graduate (DVM, VMD, or equivalent) Applicants

1. A veterinary graduate may be accepted directly into a doctoral level physiology program or may be required to first pursue a Master of Science degree program followed by the doctoral program depending upon academic and research progress.
2. A veterinary graduate accepted into the Doctoral level Physiology program may be granted a waiver of the two Physiology capstone courses (PHY 503 and PHY 504) subject to a written request from the major advisor to the Director of the Graduate Program. This will be dependent upon the rigor and substantiation of the Physiology courses taken during the veterinary program.
3. Applicants likely to be supported and trained by a Physiology faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) may be eligible for competitive CVM stipend support for at least 12 months.

Financial Aid Considerations

1. The complete application package should be submitted by January 15th each year by U.S. citizens and international applicants for financial aid consideration.
2. Applicants likely to arrange an advisor in CALS and who seek stipend support from a faculty member as a teaching assistant or on a grant are strongly encouraged to apply early, preferably by January 15th each year.
3. No funding is available to, nor is provided by, the Physiology Graduate Program.
4. Financial support is NOT provided for students in the MOP non-thesis program.

Eligibility for Assistantships, Fellowships or Traineeships

1. A graduate student must be in good academic standing (3.0 GPA or higher) to be eligible for appointment to an assistantship, fellowship or traineeship and must be registered in each semester in which the appointment is in effect.

Physiology Program Course Requirements

1. Core courses are required, which include PHY 503, Graduate Physiology I and PHY 504, Graduate Physiology II.
2. Other appropriate courses will be selected with input from the major advisor (the advisor in the case of MOP students) and the advisory committee in preparing the Plan of Work.
3. Required core courses include:
   • PHY 503, General Physiology I (3 credits, fall);
   • PHY 504, General Physiology II (3 credits, spring);
   • BCH 553, Biochemistry of Gene Expression (3 credits, fall or spring semester)
   • A one-credit ethics course chosen from: GS 850, Professionalism and Ethics; PHI 816, Introduction to Research Ethics; CBS 662, Professional Conduct in Biomedical Research; or BIT 501, Ethical Issues in Biotechnology, for all graduate students.
4. For the PhD program both BCH 553 and BCH 700-800 level courses are required. However, an alternative 700-800 level course may be substituted on the Director of the Physiology Graduate Program's approval of a recommendation from the graduate student's advisor.

Graduate School policies pertaining to 400-level courses

1. 400-level courses in the credit hour requirement for Master's degrees
   • No more than six hours of 400-level courses may be counted toward the minimal 30-hour requirement, and they may not come from the major field. (NOTE: 36-hour requirement for MOP).
2. Post-Baccalaureate Studies (PBS) credit
   • 400-level courses taken in PBS status are not transferable into a graduate degree program.

Post-Baccalaureate Studies (PBS) credit for 500-level or higher courses

1. If a student is admitted to a graduate program, a maximum of 12-credit hours of 500-level or higher courses only may be applied toward the minimum university requirement of the degree for which the student is enrolled.

Termination

1. If a student's graduate degree program is terminated, he/she cannot use courses taken in PBS after termination for credit toward the same graduate degree program

Plan of Work

1. A completed patent form must be on record before the Plan of Work is approved by the Graduate School.

Post-Baccalaurate Studies (PBS)

The Post-Baccalaureate Studies (PBS) classification is designed for U. S. citizens or permanent residents who wish to undertake academic work beyond the Bachelor's degree but who are not currently admitted to a degree program. This classification is not open to international students with the exception of the spouse of a regularly enrolled NC State student. In special cases where students are sponsored by an agency of the U.S. government for specialized, non-degree study, approval may be given by the Graduate School for registration in the PBS classification. The following rules apply to students who wish to register for PBS.

Please note that the following are university minimum requirements. Some departments may have more restrictive requirements.

1. All must have Bachelor's degrees from accredited institutions of higher education. Registration is through the Division of Continuing Studies.
2. All classes taken for credit by PBS students will be graded in the usual manner that applies for the particular course (A+ through F or S/U). All courses taken at NC State will appear on the student's transcript.
3. If the student is admitted as a graduate student, a maximum of twelve (12) hours may apply toward the minimum university requirement of the Master's degree (i.e., 30 credit hours) for which the student is enrolled, including hours approved for graduate credit while classified as a senior or unclassified graduate. The first twelve (12) hours of course work taken at the graduate level in the PBS category will be accepted toward degree requirements unless a request for some other combination of twelve (12) hours is made by the student's advisory committee and approved by the Graduate Dean. PBS credits cannot be transferred into a doctoral program.
4. If a student's graduate degree is terminated, he/she cannot use courses taken in PBS status after termination for credit toward the same graduate degree program.
5. The grade point average (GPA) of a graduate student who has credits in the PBS category will be based on all courses taken at the 500-800 level. However, no course taken six (6) years prior to graduation from a program can be used to meet the requirements for a later graduate degree at NC State.
6. Registration is limited to a maximum of two courses per semester. Individuals who are employed full-time should limit their PBS registrations to one course per semester.
7. The PBS classification carries with it no implication that the student will be admitted to the Graduate School in any degree classification.
8. All course work accepted for degree credit must be approved by the student's advisory committee as being germane to the program. Requests for degree credit for courses completed in the PBS classification are considered after admission to a graduate degree program when the student's Plan of Graduate Work is filed with the Graduate School.
9. PBS students are expected to familiarize themselves with Graduate School and departmental policies and to seek further advice or clarification as needed.