General Information

Degrees Conferred

Through June 2014, a total of 36,792 LSU System degrees and certificates in the health sciences have been conferred on students completing academic programs included in the LSU Health Sciences Center’s professional schools, dating from the initial academic convocation of the LSU Medical Center, October 1, 1931. Approximately 70 percent of these graduates are now actively involved in practice, teaching, research and service in the health sciences within the State of Louisiana. They are also located throughout the United States of America, as well as in many foreign countries.

Academic Credit

LSU Health Sciences Center does not award academic credit for course work taken on a non-credit basis.

Student Identification Cards

Student identification cards are issued upon matriculation by the Office of the Registrar, and are electronically validated each subsequent semester of enrollment.. Students must present their cards for identification to authorized University authorities, for building access, for access to library services, and for use with the campus wide Pay-Paw system. The identification card must be worn at all times while on campus. Replacement identification cards are available from the Office of the Registrar. A fee of $10 will be charged for each replacement of a lost card.

Registration

Registration in any program of study is valid only when all appropriate fees have been paid and the conditions of enrollment have been fully satisfied.

The dates for registration are determined by the individual schools and are listed in the calendars throughout this publication. Registration after the designated dates incurs the assessment of the Special Registration Fee.

Any person who is eligible to register for the federal draft and has not done so will be denied permission to register as a student in LSU Health Sciences Center. A statement of Selective Service status is required at the time of applying for admission.

Auditing Courses

The auditing of courses is permitted only by authorization from the student’s advisor and dean. Regular fees apply to audited courses, and are the same as fees assessed for courses taken for credit. The intent to audit must be noted on the Schedule of Courses at the time of registration.

Adding and Dropping Courses

The adding and dropping of courses may be accomplished only in accordance with the dates specified in the school calendars. The effective dates of drops and the applicable grades are determined when the Request for Course Change form is received in the Registrar’s Office and validated with the imprint of the date/time stamp. Courses scheduled as “audit” at registration, may be changed to “for credit” only up to the final date for adding courses for credit as specified in the calendar of the school in which the course is offered.

Termination of Enrollment

The Registrar is the designated institutional official for the notification of termination of enrollment. Termination of Enrollment Forms are available in the Office of Student Affairs in each school.

Effective Date of Change of Status

The official date-of-record for all changes in student status shall be determined by the last date of class attendance, last exam taken or the date on which other actions were last initiated and approved by the respective schools.

Leave of Absence

A school may authorize a student leave of absence, which like the Termination of Enrollment, requires authorization from the dean or other school official, and clearance by certain campus departments.

Student Academic Appeals

Each of the professional schools of the Health Sciences Center has a procedure for the implementation of student academic appeals of final grades. Detailed information concerning same may be obtained from the Office of the Dean of the school concerned.

Student Enrollment

Professional education is a continuum that extends from undergraduate school through internship and residency. Students at all of these levels of training are included within the mission of the LSU Health Sciences Center and its individual Schools.

More than 2,800 individuals are now enrolled in educational and training programs operating within the professional schools of the LSU Health Sciences Center, including undergraduate students, graduate and professional students, post-graduate students, residents, and persons undergoing special fellowship training.

Academic Common Market

LSU Health Sciences Center is a participant in the Southern Regional Education Board’s Academic Common Market (www.sreb.org). Students interested in enrolling in a degree program offered through this initiative should contact the institutional coordinator in the Office of the Registrar (registrar@lsuhsc.edu or 504-568-4829).