University of Oklahoma
Health Sciences Center
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Overview
The OUHSC is one of only four comprehensive health centers in the nation. With six health professional Colleges and the Graduate College, it is Oklahoma's major health professions educational institution, training physicians, dentists, nurses, pharmacists, public health specialists, biomedical researchers, and allied health personnel. The University's mission is to educate students at the professional, graduate, and undergraduate levels to become highly qualified health services practitioners, educators, and research scientists; to conduct research and creative activities for the advancement of knowledge through teaching and development of skills; and to provide continuing education, public service, and clinical care of exemplary quality. OUHSC employs over 800 full-time faculty and 2,400 staff members. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in more than seventy undergraduate, professional, and graduate degree programs. OUHSC is accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; most programs hold specialized accreditation.
The Graduate College is a center of advanced study, research, and creative activity. The College strives to develop in each student a firm grasp of a chosen field; the philosophical principles, skills, and methods of research; and the ability to think independently. The Graduate College awarded its first M.S. degree in 1921 and offered its first Ph.D. program in the medical sciences in 1951. Since 1951, enrollment in the Graduate College has grown from 20 to 546; 73 percent are women, and 26 percent are members of ethnic minority groups and international students.
Of approximately 3,145 students enrolled at the Health Sciences Center in 2003-04, 546 were graduate students in the Colleges of Nursing, Medicine, Public Health, Allied Health, Pharmacy, and Dentistry and 1,867 were professional students in dentistry, pharmacy, medicine, and allied health.
Recent graduates from the Health Sciences Center have secured employment in health departments, hospitals and clinics, managed-care organizations, consulting firms, and nonprofit organizations. Most doctoral graduates continue as postdoctoral fellows at major comprehensive universities across the country. Others are employed at pharmaceutical companies and private biotechnology research companies and in academic positions at institutions of higher learning.
The Location and Community
The OUHSC is minutes by car from downtown Oklahoma City. As the nation's twenty-ninth-largest city, OKC covers approximately 608 square miles and is located in the center of the state. Its metropolitan population numbers more than 1 million, and the cost of living is low, with a safe living environment and a wealth of recreational activities and cultural events, including an abundance of the arts, quality health care, excellence in education, a minor-league ballpark, restaurants, shops, and cafés. In the downtown area are Myriad Botanical Gardens, OKC National Memorial, the new OKC Museum of Art, the ballet and philharmonic, sports events, and outdoor recreation. The Norman campus is 30 minutes away; Tulsa and Dallas are about 2 and 3 hours away, respectively.
Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (OUHSC) Graduate College is a center of advanced study, research, and creative activity that offers master's and doctoral degrees in the areas of allied health, biomedical sciences, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, and public health. The M.S. is offered in allied health sciences, biochemistry and molecular biology, biostatistics and epidemiology, cell biology, communication sciences and disorders, genetic counseling, health promotion sciences, microbiology and immunology, neuroscience, nursing, nutritional sciences, occupational and environmental health, orthodontics, pathology, periodontics, pharmaceutical sciences, physiology, radiological sciences, and rehabilitation sciences. The Ph.D. is available in allied health sciences, biochemistry and molecular biology, biostatistics and epidemiology, cell biology, communication sciences and disorders, health administration and policy, health promotion sciences, microbiology and immunology, neuroscience, occupational and environmental health, pathology, pharmaceutical sciences, physiology, and radiological sciences. Applicants who wish to combine studies for a dual degree must be accepted into both degree-granting programs. The dual-degree programs are designed individually for each student. The following dual degrees are available through the OUHSC Graduate College: J.D./M.S. (occupational and environmental health); M.S. (nursing)/M.B.A.; M.S. (pharmaceutical sciences)/M.B.A.; Pharm.D./M.S. (pharmaceutical sciences); M.D. (medicine)/Ph.D. (biochemistry and molecular biology, cell biology, microbiology and immunology, neuroscience, pathology, physiology). Certificate programs are available in nursing.
Students interested in a Ph.D. in biomedical science usually enter through the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences (GPiBS). GPiBS represents a collaborative effort on behalf of the basic science departments and programs at OUHSC. Students admitted to GPiBS enroll in the uniform fall curriculum, which includes four sequential courses that cover basic protein, nucleic acid, and cell biology. During the spring semester, students enroll in a number of modular courses offered by the departments and programs and choose from a variety of different specialty areas. During both semesters, students also participate in lab rotations with faculty mentors of their choice. At the end of the spring semester, students have selected a mentor and a program in which to pursue the doctoral degree, at which point they transition from GPiBS to that program. The interdisciplinary nature of this program combines the expertise of more than 120 participating faculty members from different departments and programs, providing students with the breadth of knowledge and technical acumen that is highly sought in today's competitive job market. Students graduate with a Ph.D. from one of the participating departments/programs to prepare them for careers in academic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical industry, health management, or teaching.
Facilities & Resources
Faculty members and students use clinical, laboratory, and teaching facilities of the 200-acre campus of the Oklahoma Health Center, including University Hospital, Children's Hospital of Oklahoma, and Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. Modern facilities are available in the Biomedical Sciences building; the Colleges of Nursing, Dentistry, and Pharmacy buildings; and the College of Health building, which houses research facilities for the Colleges of Allied Health and Public Health, the John W. Keys Speech and Hearing Center, Biomedical Research Center, and Child Study Center. The Health Sciences Center Library houses a collection of 288,446 volumes. Students have access to resources in the Dean E. McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Oklahoma State Department of Health, Veterans' Affairs Medical Center, other affiliated hospitals in Oklahoma City, centralized lab-animal facilities, and research activities in Oklahoma Health Center Research Park.
Expenses and Aid
For 2004-05, tuition was $122.50 per semester hour for residents of Oklahoma and $308.70 per semester hour for nonresidents. The $167.60 differential is waived for nonresident graduate assistants. Fees are subject to change.
Financial Aid:
Fellowships and graduate teaching and research assistantships are available in many programs. For further financial aid information, students should contact the Director of Student Financial Aid at the University.
Housing/Living Expenses:
Housing is available at the University at rents ranging from $450 to $700 per month, effective July 2004. Studio and two-bedroom units are available at the University Village Apartments, located on campus.
How to Apply
Admission deadlines and requirements vary for each program. Some departments require letters of recommendation, GRE scores, and supplemental applications.
International Applicants
International applicants whose native language is not English must have a minimum score of 550 (213 on the computer-based exam) on the TOEFL. Some programs require a higher TOEFL score.
Who to Contact
OUHSC Graduate College
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73190
405-271-2085
E-mail: graduate-college@ouhsc.edu
Faculty Program Heads and Research
• Allied Health Sciences. Jan George Womack, Ph.D., Professor and Chairperson. Areas of research include protein-energy malnutrition, obesity, nutrition in women's health, nutrition and people with disabilities, dietetic education, intervention with children with severe disabilities, augmentative and alternative communication, seating and positioning, effects of training on clients with physical disabilities, neurophysiological modulation of pain, neural plasticity, physical therapy administration, eccentric exercise, physiology of exercise, and diagnostic imaging.
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Paul H. Weigel, Ph.D., Professor and Chairperson. Faculty research includes cell adhesion, glycobiology, cell trafficking and signal transduction, structural biology, transcriptional regulation, vascular biochemistry, molecular virology and parasitology, molecular genetics of human disease, DNA recombination, and repair mechanisms.
• Biological Psychology Program. Larry Gonzalez, Ph.D., Director (program offered by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences). The behavioral neuroscience-based curriculum stresses the interrelationship of biology and psychology, with special emphasis on biobehavioral processes in health-related conditions.
• Biostatistics and Epidemiology. Willis Owen, Ph.D., Chairperson. Epidemiologic studies of risk factors for selected cancers, cardiovascular diseases, thromboembolic disease, infectious diseases, international health, neurologic diseases in children, factors influencing reproductive outcome, and the role of genetic factors in lipoproteins and heart disease. Research in biostatistics includes survival data analysis, statistical genetics, nonparametric statistics, experimental design, survey sampling methodology, outcomes research, multiple linear regression, and evaluation methods.
• Cell Biology. Robert E. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Chairperson. Cell biology of connective tissue; neuroprotection; neuromodulation of sensory systems; developmental processes related to regeneration and determinants of cell growth and differentiation; cell and molecular biology of the visual system; pharmacology of the nervous system; mechanisms of cell signaling; mechanisms of membrane and vesicular trafficking; light-dependent translocation of retinal proteins; cancer-associated neuropathy; cell-cycle checkpoints, mitosis, and chromosome instability in cancer; store-operated calcium entry; molecular and cellular biology of TRP channels and polycystins.
• Communication Sciences and Disorders. Stephen Painten, Ph.D., Chairperson. Ongoing psychoacoustic, electrophysiological, and physiological research in audiology and speech-language pathology. Up-to-date and comprehensive instrumentation is available for air pressure and flow measurements, event-related potentials, neuroimaging, physiological analysis of phonation and resonance, language acquisition and use, stimulus programming, signal conditioning and calibration, electroacoustic measurement and analysis, data acquisition, recording, retrieval, and readout. Statistical consultation and both digital and analog computer services are available in the Health Sciences Center.
• Genetic Counseling. John Mulvihill, M.D., Chair. Medical genetics; psychosocial theory; counseling techniques; applied clinical and molecular genetics; cytogenetics.
• Health Administration and Policy. Peter Buteci, Ph.D., Chair. Management of health services organizations; health program design; state health policy; planning and evaluation; management; leadership and health-care strategy.
• Health Promotion Sciences. Robert John, Ph.D., Professor and Chairperson. Social and behavioral sciences and community approaches to health promotion; strengthening community and organization approaches to health; health of school-age children and adolescents; health of Native Americans; health of the elderly and special populations, such as persons with disabilities and minority groups.
• Microbiology and Immunology. John Iandolo, Ph.D., Professor and Chairperson. Molecular pathogenesis of staphylococci and streptococci; genetics and regulation of extracellular virulence factor genes; host resistance mechanisms and molecular pathogenesis of Cryptococcus; murine and human hybridoma technology; viral pathogenesis; molecular biology of microbial toxins; bacterial iron acquisition mechanisms; role of complement receptors in autoimmune and immunodeficiency diseases; molecular basis of MHC class I polymorphisms; HIV-infected cell at molecular and immunological levels; nonhuman primate models for vaccination studies with bacterial, viral, and tumor vaccines; molecular biology of Lyme disease pathogenesis; viral oncogenes and gene regulation; molecular mechanisms of Toxoplasma gondii infection.
• Neurosciences. Beverly Greenwood, Ph.D., Director. The Graduate Program in Neuroscience emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to understand the structure and function of the normal and diseased nervous system. The diversity of research represented in this program spans three areas: molecular neuroscience, systems neurobiology, and functional neuroscience.
• Nursing. Francene Weatherby, Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Student and Alumni Affairs; Dr. Mary Allen-Carey, Assistant Dean for Instruction. Tracks are offered in administration/management, clinical nurse specialist, education, and nurse practitioner, as well as post-master's family nurse practitioner certification. Areas of specialization include adult acute care, parent-child nursing, community health, gerontological nursing, psychiatric-mental health, primary health care, nursing education, and management in health-care systems. A special accelerated master's track is available for individuals with non-nursing baccalaureate degrees.
• Nutritional Sciences. Karen Funderburg, Ph.D., Chairperson. Protein-energy malnutrition; nutrition and growth; obesity; low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets; nutrition in women's health; nutrition and the physically disabled; nutrition and cancer; computer software and dietary assessment; nutrition and cardiovascular disease; dietetic education; sports nutrition; food science.
• Occupational and Environmental Health. Margaret Phillips, Ph.D., Chairperson. Industrial hygiene; environmental management and industrial hygiene; occupational health.
• Orthodontics. Rom Nada, D.D.S., Ph.D., Director of Graduate Orthodontics. Growth and development; diagnosis and treatment planning; dental occlusion and the face; biologic responses from orthodontic force systems; psychosocial factors in orthodontic treatment.
• Pathology. Ann Thor, M.D., Chairperson. Immunopathology; molecular pathology; vascular pathobiology; gene expression; hemostasis; human and experimental renal pathology; neutrophil function; lymphoproliferative diseases; blood-brain barrier systems; endotoxic shock; wound healing; biochemistry; development; tumor biology; neuropathology.
• Periodontics. Robert Carson, D.M.D., Chairperson. Systemic and local etiologic factors in the development of periodontal diseases, prevention and treatment of these diseases, guided bone regenerations, and implantology.
• Pharmaceutical Sciences. Lester Reinke, Ph.D., Chairperson. Pharmaceutics; medicinal chemistry; nuclear pharmacy; pharmacology; toxicology; pharmacy administration.
• Physiology. Robert D. Foreman, Ph.D., Chairperson. Neuronal control of cardiopulmonary function and pain transmission; fetal/maternal physiology; cellular and molecular physiology; ion channels; inflammation. There is a specialty nonthesis M.S. program in exercise physiology.
• Radiological Sciences. Dee H. Wu, Ph.D., Associate Professor and Director of the Graduate Program. Applied physics in diagnostic radiology, therapeutic radiology, nuclear medicine, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound. Current emphasis is on pattern recognition, observer performance, medical decision making, radiation therapy treatment planning, image processing, computer applications in the radiological sciences, dosimetry with thermoluminescent materials, radioactive isotopes, diagnostic ultrasound, roentgen diagnosis, computed tomography, quality control in radiology, and radiobiology.
• Rehabilitation Sciences. Irene McEwen, Ph.D., Director of Graduate Studies. Musculoskeletal/sports physical therapy rehabilitation; effects of fitness training on people with physical disabilities; classifications of people with low back disorders; orthopedic physical therapy outcomes; physical therapy administration; neuroregulation of somatic and visceral pain; newborn infants with special health-care needs; children with autism and their families; early intervention and school-based practice; assistive technology; clinical education; balance and falling in older adults; occupational adaptation for people with low vision.