Questions About Admissions
General Questions About Test Scores
Questions About TOEFL Scores
Questions About the Neuroscience Program
Questions About Admissions
What
undergraduate major should I have?
We will consider applicants with any undergraduate major,
as many provide appropriate background for graduate training in neuroscience.
Applicants from biology, neuroscience, psychology (experimental/biological
or cognitive emphasis), physiology, and zoology backgrounds are common.
Regardless of the specific major, it is recommended that applicants
take advanced courses in biology (particularly cellular or molecular courses),
chemistry or biochemistry, and math. (top)
How important
is my personal statement?
The personal statement is an important component of
the application. You should outline your research interest and goals
and how the Neuroscience Program at MSU and our training faculty will
help you to achieve your long term career goals. It is also important
to describe in your statement how you might contribute to a diverse
community here at MSU and any obstacles that you have overcome in gaining
your present level of education. Also describe in detail any prior research
and/or laboratory experience (including a description of the research
question, the methods used, your findings and conclusions). Include
in the statement the names of 2-4 training faculty members
whom you might like to work with and be interviewed by. We strongly
encourage you to contact our training faculty at any stage in the admissions
process, even before you have submitted an application. The identification
of these faculty will not limit your choices of labs once you are here,
but will help us determine whether there is a good match between your
interests and our program. Please limit your personal statement to two
pages. (top)
Should I have
research experience before entering graduate school?
You should have research experience before entering
graduate school, if at all possible. Having research experience will
help you to determine whether a research career is something you will
enjoy, and you will get a better idea of what life in graduate school
will be like. Also, faculty members with whom you do research can write
informative letters of recommendation about your probability of success
in graduate school. (top)
Can I apply to enter
the program in Spring or summer?
Admission to the Neuroscience Program is made only for
Fall Semester. The deadline for receipt of applications is January 5th of
each year. (top)
Do I
need to fill out the "Statement of Financial Proof" form along
with my graduate application?
It is University policy that all international students
complete a statement of financial proof. Please fill out all sections
of the form excluding the "sponsor" section. You do not need
to submit any other documents with the statement of financial proof
form. (top)
Can I apply simultaneously
to the Neuroscience Program and to other departments/programs at MSU?
Applicants can apply to only one MSU department or program at a time.
If the applicant applies to a program, pays the application fee and
is denied admission, then he/she can apply to another department/program.
The application fee may be applied for three consecutive semesters
after the date when the applicant originally applied. (top)
Okay, I've sent in all
my required materials, how long until I find out if I've been admitted?
After the January 5th deadline for application materials and during
the months of January, February and March, the Graduate Affairs Committee
meets to review the applications, decide on nominations for various
internal fellowships, and to plan for the Neuroscience Program Interview
weekend. Then, at the end of March, the Committee makes offers of admission
to qualified applicants. (top)
General Questions About Test Scores
What are the minimum GRE
scores and GPA needed for admission?
We do not have strict admissions criteria for GRE scores
and GPA. The Admissions Committee considers all aspects of the application,
including not only GRE scores and GPA, but also what undergraduate courses
were taken, research experience, letters of recommendation, and the
applicant's personal statement. Strong qualifications in some areas
may offset weaker qualifications in other areas. It is not necessary
to take a GRE Subject exam. Please note that the GRE Exam has changed
as of Fall 2002 semester. The Verbal and Quantitative part of the exam
remains the same, but the analytical portion has been dropped. In its
place is a GRE Writing Assessment Exam. Scores for the Writing Assessment
will be from 0 to 6. (top)
How old can the GRE and
TOEFL scores be in order to be submitted when applying?
GRE scores can be up to 5 years old, TOEFL scores may only be 2 years
old. (top)
What are Institution
and Department Codes to send TOEFL and GRE scores?
To have the TOEFL or GRE score sent to Michigan State
University, please use:
| |
Institution Code |
Department Code |
| TOEFL |
1465 |
30 |
| GRE |
1465 |
0213 |
Questions About TOEFL Scores
Do I need to take the TOEFL?
All international students admitted to MSU must meet
the University and departmental English language proficiency requirement.
You will need to take the TOEFL (Test Of English as a Foreign Language)
and submit an official copy of your scores to us if English is not your
native speaking language and you are not from one of the following countries:
Anguilla, Antigua, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados,
Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Canada (except Quebec),
the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands, Dominica, Greenland, Grenada, Guyana,
Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, New Zealand, St. Kitts & Nevis,
St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Trinidad, Tobago, the Turks & Caicos Islands,
the United Kingdom, the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Applicants from Puerto Rico do not need to submit TOEFL scores. If still unsure about whether you need to submit TOEFL scores, please
contact the Program Office.
(top)
Are any other tests besides TOEFL accepted?
Yes, Michigan
State University Graduate programs now accepts -- MELAB Michigan English Language Assessment Battery. Michigan
State Unversity Graduate programs also accept MSUELT -- MSU English proficiency test. To find when these tests are offered
please visit http://testingoffice.msu.edu and for more information visit http://grad.msu.edu (top)
As an international
student, can the TOEFL be waived if I have already attended an institution/University
in the United States?
Michigan State University requires a TOEFL score for all international
applicants. However, the department may waive the TOEFL if the applicant
is competent in the English Language. Please submit a written request
directly to the Neuroscience Program for review.
(top)
What are MSU/Neuroscience
Program's TOEFL requirements for graduate admission?
For regular University academic admission, your TOEFL
scores must be:
For written-based test, the total score must be 550 with no subscore below 52.
For computer-based test, the total score must be 213 with no subscore below 19.
For internet-based test, the total score must be 80 with no subscores below 19 for reading, listening, and speaking and for writing a subscore of 22.
(top)
What constitutes an "official
copy of scores?"
An official copy of scores, whether they be for the GRE or the TOEFL,
are scores that are sent directly to Michigan State University by the
Educational Testing Service. You can arrange to have these sent using
forms available on the GRE
site or the TOEFL
forms page. (top)
Questions About the Neuroscience Program
Who are the Training Faculty?
The Neuroscience Program's "Training faculty" are a group
of faculty who serve as rotation and thesis advisors. NSP faculty who
are not listed as training faculty serve on thesis guidance committees,
participate in the teaching of core courses, and provide valuable expertise
across a broad spectrum of basic and clinical neuroscience research
areas.
Will I be financially supported
throughout graduate training?
Yes, as long as you are a student in good standing and
continue to make good progress toward your degree. Students are generally
supported during the first year by the Neuroscience Program, and in
subsequent years by research grants or individual fellowships. Regardless
of the source of funding, financial support includes a stipend, full
tuition and fees, and health insurance. There have been no Neuroscience
Program students in good standing who were not supported throughout
graduate training. (top)
Will I have
the opportunity to gain teaching experience during graduate training?
Yes. All Neuroscience Program students serve for at
least one semester as teaching assistants for undergraduate courses
in neuroscience or related disciplines, usually during the second year
of training. (top)
In addition to taking
courses, conducting research, and gaining teaching experience, what else
do students in the Neuroscience Program do?
Students participate in the weekly Neuroscience Program
Seminar Series, and get to meet with the visiting neuroscientists from
around the country. Students, postdocs, and faculty meet in Research
Forum monthly to hear student data presentations and to discuss issues
in career development and scientific ethics. There are also several
"special interest" journal clubs that meet regularly. Students
are encouraged to attend regional, national, and international scientific
meetings, and the Neuroscience Program provides an annual travel allowance
to all students who present their data at professional meetings. Faculty,
students, and postdocs attend the annual Neuroscience Program retreat,
and several social events are scheduled each year. (top)
How long does it
take to complete the Ph.D. in Neuroscience?
Most students complete the Ph.D. requirements in approximately
5 years. (top)
How do I contact faculty
and students in the Program?
Click
here for a list of faculty and students and their email addresses.
We encourage you to contact faculty whose research programs you are
interested in, even before you apply to the Program. You should indicate
that you have been in contact with particular faculty in your personal
statement. Additionally, our current students will be happy to tell
you about their experiences in the Neuroscience Program at Michigan
State University. (top)
I
am interested in behavioral neuroscience, and I noticed that many Neuroscience
Program faculty in this field are members of the Behavioral Neuroscience
interest group in the Psychology Department. The Neuroscience Program
and the Psychology Department offer separate PhD plans, and I can only
apply to one at a time, which should it be?
It depends on what is best for you as an individual,
and it is a good idea to discuss this issue with the person you are
most interested in working with before you apply. However, the following
list may help you in making your decision: 1) In either program, you
can conduct your dissertation research in any of the following labs:
Breedlove, Jordan, Lonstein, A. Nunez, J. Nunez, Sakai, Smale, Sisk
or Wade, and the project you do could be identical. 2)The coursework
in the two programs is different with respect to the numbers of courses
that are elective vs. required. All students in the Neuroscience Program
take a series of required courses that provides a solid foundation in
neuroscience during their first two years. In the Psychology program,
there is somewhat more flexibility with respect to which courses each
student takes and when they are taken. In practice, however, Psychology
students often elect to take many of the same courses as Neuroscience
students. All of the courses are open to graduate students in both programs.
3)The Neuroscience Program requires that students rotate in two labs
during their first year; the Psychology Department does not. 4)The format
of the comprehensive exam differs. Neuroscience students take a sit-down
exam at the end of their second year. Behavioral Neuroscience students
in Psychology develop an upper-level course in their discipline over
the course of a couple of months, usually in their third year (this
course is not taught, just planned)
More details regarding degree requirements from the
two programs are located here: Behavioral Neuroscience Psychology
(see left column for link to degree requirements) and MSU Neuroscience Program Requirements
(top)
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