Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS)

Admissions Requirements

Applications to the IBMS Graduate Program are reviewed and evaluated by the IBMS Admissions Committee. Recommendations for admission are submitted to the Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

The decision to admit an applicant is based on several criteria:

Grade Point Average (GPA).  Applicants to the Integrated Biomedical Sciences (IBMS) Graduate Program must have, or be in the process of completing, a bachelor's degree with a final GPA of 3.0 or above. The average GPA of students entering the IBMS Graduate Program over the last several years was 3.4 on a 4.0 point scale. Transcripts from all colleges and universities attended must be provided, indicating grades and GPAs. International transcripts must be appropriately translated by a NACES member (http://www.naces.org).

Course Requirements. Although there are no specific course requirements for admission into the IBMS Graduate Program, past experience has shown that undergraduates entering this interdisciplinary program benefit from having completed upper-division courses in cell or molecular biology, biochemistry, and genetics. In addition, successful applicants often have evidence of previous research experience.

Personal Statement. The applicant must submit two essays that describe professional goals and reasons for wishing to pursue graduate education, and particularly in the IBMS Graduate Program. In addition, descriptions of past research and/or teaching activities should be included (as an undergraduate, master’s student, summer intern, and/or as an employee at a research facility). 

Letters of Recommendation. Three letters of recommendation are required. Letters should be from individuals who have information regarding academic, research, and personal accomplishments of the applicant that are predictive of success in graduate school. Letter writers should be chosen to enhance, not duplicate, information found in academic transcripts.

TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo. International students are required to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing Systems (IELTS) or the Duolingo English Test. The minimum required score for the TOEFL is 84 (for the internet-based test). A minimum band score for the Academic version of the IELTS is 7.0 and 115 for the Duolingo. Tests must have been taken less than two years of applying for admission.

Interviews. Top domestic candidates are invited for on-campus interviews. Interviews of applicants are conducted in January/February. Virtual interviews are conducted for top international applicants (also in January/February).

International applicants who have completed or will complete their degree prior to matriculation at an accredited U.S. Institution may be exempted from the TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo requirement. 

Background Checks. UT Health San Antonio requires that applicants to all graduate programs clear a security and criminal background check prior to matriculation.

Commitment to Students from Groups Underrepresented in the Biomedical Sciences:

UT Health San Antonio is designated as a U.S. Department of Education designated Hispanic-Serving Institution and the IBMS Graduate Program has a long history of recruiting, and retaining and graduating students from groups underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.

Start Term: Fall

Degree Requirements

It is the responsibility of each IBMS student to: 1) Successfully complete all coursework required by the IBMS Graduate Program and the specific Plan of Study of the student’s IBMS discipline; 2) Maintain a grade point average of 3.0 or greater; 3) Carry out independent and original investigation; and 4) Demonstrate an intellectual command of the subject area of the student’s research project. It is also the responsibility of each IBMS student to complete all administrative and academic milestones of the IBMS Graduate Program and adhere to the required timeline for completing those milestones (including the submission of all paperwork required to verify appropriate academic progress in the IBMS Graduate Program).

Full-time student status requires enrollment for a minimum of 12.0 semester credit hours per semester. Prior to graduation, every Ph.D. student must have enrolled for a minimum of 72.0 total semester credit hours. Note: Depending on the extent of classroom contact necessary to adequately prepare students for their research activities, or intrinsic differences in the time required to complete different research projects, actual total semester credit hours in the Plans of Study provided by the 7 disciplines may vary, although total semester credit hours typically will exceed the 72 semester credit hours minimum.

Expected Academic Progression of IBMS Students:

In any Plan of Study, there are three types of courses: i) Required IBMS courses taken by all graduate students in the IBMS Graduate Program; ii) Required discipline-specific courses taken by students who choose a particular Discipline; and iii) Advanced elective courses that may be selected, with approval of the student’s Discipline leadership, from the curricula of any IBMS discipline.

Typical Academic Timeline (see IBMS Handbook of Policies and Procedures for more exact details): Discipline-specific Plans of Study are shown in subsequent sections of this catalog. In general, during the IBMS Graduate Program Year 1 Fall semester, all students will complete the common core courses (IBMS 5000 Fundamentals of Biomedical Sciences; TSCI 5070 Responsible Conduct Of Patient-Oriented Clinical Research; and IBMS 5008 Laboratory Rotations). By the end of the Fall semester of Year 1, each student is expected to identify a permanent dissertation research mentor (supervising professor), and in consultation with the research mentor will select a particular IBMS discipline and its Plan of Study. Beginning in the Year 1 Spring semester, the typical Plan of Study prescribes required discipline-specific courses combined with certain IBMS common courses such as Experimental Design and Analysis, Seminar, Journal Club/Student Presentations and Research. Years 2-5 will include a mixture of recurring IBMS courses and discipline-specific courses, with the Qualifying Examination (IBMS 7001) administered in the Spring semester Year 2, followed by Admission to Candidacy. In Year 3, each student will seek approval for the membership of a Dissertation Supervising Committee, and the official proposal that describes the student’s dissertation research project, and will commence meetings with the Dissertation Supervising Committee a minimum of once per semester. Each student must begin enrolling in the two semesters of Dissertation credit (IBMS 7099) required for graduation.

Objectives/Program Outcomes

  1. The student will be able to conduct independent scientific research.
  2. The student will be able to critically evaluate scientific literature.
  3. The student will be able to demonstrate effective written communication skills.
  4. The student will be able to demonstrate effective oral communication skills.
  5. The student will be able to demonstrate professional and ethical behavior.
  6. The student will be able to demonstrate mastery of core biomedical science principles.