Courses offered in all programs for each academic term are available on the Graduate School web page. It is important that students consult their Program Advisors and MTA Directors to plan their programs.

All incoming students will receive instruction regarding advisement and the registration process once they accept our offer of admission.

Continuing students can access the Empower student information system for course availability. Students must meet with their advisors with respect to courses covering their specific training needs and timely completion of requirements. All students must be continuously registered each term in order to maintain their matriculation status and eligibility for student and/or financial support.

In some instances, a student may wish to take a course that is not available at ISMMS. Students must receive permission from their dissertation advisor and their MTA Director. Payment of tuition for such courses will be the responsibility of the student or their dissertation advisor. Courses taken at another institution will appear as transfer credits as long as the student provides the Registrar’s Office with an official transcript and submits a Transfer of Credit form.

Students are required to complete on-line course evaluations for each course taken. These evaluations provide valuable feedback to the Course Directors and the Curriculum Committee and are used to improve course offerings. Evaluations must be completed within 4 weeks of the end of a course.

All registration must be completed in a timely manner, on or before the registration deadline for that term. All programs require continual enrollment until the degree is earned. Students not planning to take courses for a subsequent term, due to personal or professional reasons, must register for Maintenance of Matriculation or formally request a leave of absence. Failure to do so jeopardizes a student’s ability to return to the program at a later date. Unregistered students are not eligible to received student services or benefits.

Matriculated students must either register for course(s) or register for “Maintenance of Matriculation” for every term, up until graduation. Maintenance of Matriculation allows students continued access to essential academic and student services, such as access to the ISMMS network and email; however, students on Maintenance of Matriculation status will not be eligible for financial aid. Students with compelling circumstance who wish to maintain their matriculation status but need to discontinue their studies for a period of time can apply for a Leave of Absence from the program (see ).

Students who are pursuing a graduate degree at another institution and have been invited by an ISMMS department or laboratory/center to do research in their field of study may apply for Visiting Scholar status through the host department/lab. International Visiting Scholars must contact the Office for International Personnel to discuss visa and reporting requirements. Visiting Scholars are not hosted by the Graduate School.

Visiting Scholars are expected to follow the same guidelines required for all incoming Mount Sinai employees. Visiting Scholars must (i) complete a physical examination; (ii) take the toxicology- screening test; and (iii) complete HIPAA and safety trainings. All Visiting Scholars will be subject to a criminal background check. Detailed information is available through the host department/lab.

Course Registration: Should a Visiting Scholar wish to take a credit bearing course, he/she/they must fill out a Non-Matriculating Student Application, available online by navigating to and selecting the “Apply Online” tab.

Health Insurance: Visiting Scholars are not eligible for student health insurance through ISMMS and therefore must provide proof of basic health insurance coverage. International students must have insurance that meets all the requirements specified by the federal regulations for J-1 students.

Financial aid: Visiting Scholars are not eligible for financial aid services from ISMMS.

Employment: Visiting Scholars may receive compensation for work done for the host research group. In compliance with federal regulations, international visiting students are not allowed to have any other employment, either on-campus or off campus. Students on a visa must discuss employment regulations with the Office of International Personnel.

Housing: ISMMS does not guarantee housing for Visiting Scholars and their requests are determined based on availability.

ISMMS GRADUATE SCHOOL-CUNY Graduate Center Exchange Program

The course exchange program between CUNY Graduate Center and ISMMS Graduate School is designed to encourage graduate students from each College/University to experience academic courses, not offered at their home institutions. The program is available to All ISMMS Degree seeking Graduate Students

Program Details

• The course exchange program is free of tuition and application fees are waived for full time, matriculated (degree-seeking) graduate students from each Graduate School.

• ISMMS Students may only register for CUNY GC courses in the Exchange program that are not offered by ISMMS during their program.

• If an ISMMS student wishes the CUNY GC course credit to count toward their ISMMS degree, they must submit the course description and in some cases syllabus for review by the ISMMS academic advisor, for course approval.

• CUNY GC courses may not be taken as a substitute for a program’s core course requirements.

ISMMS student process to receive approval to participate in the CUNY-ISMMS Exchange Program

1. ISMMS student completes two CUNY forms: the Exchange Program application and Permit Out Form (POF).

2. CUNY GC Registrar registers the student and informs ISMMS student on how to claim their CUNY Portal account.

3. Student requests the official CUNY GC transcript be sent to the ISMMS Registrar at the end of each term so it is received within 30 days.

ISMMS GRADUATE SCHOOL - COOPER UNION

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Albert Nerken School of Engineering at The Cooper Union partnership enables undergraduate Cooper Union and ISMMS graduate students to engage in joint research projects. More information can be found on the Cooper Union affiliation webpage.

The add/drop period lasts 2 weeks from the beginning of the term. Courses dropped within this period will not appear on the students’ transcript. Students may not withdraw from a course after 2/3 of the course is complete. If the withdrawal occurs after the add/drop period, the course will be listed on the student’s transcript with a “W”. Students are not permitted to change their course registration after the add/drop deadline.

Graduate students who carry 9 or more credits each semester or trimester are considered full-time students. Those students who register for less than 9 credits may, in certain situations, be granted "full-time equivalency" if engaged in full-time educational activities. Typically, full-time equivalency is granted if one of the following applies:

• You are taking 7-8 credits of coursework, and working as a teaching or research assistant for your program

• You are completing or have fulfilled all coursework requirements and are working full time on thesis research or dissertation research.

Students who are granted full-time equivalency will be designated as "full-time" by the Registrar. International graduate students who enroll in less than 9 credits and who are not eligible for full-time equivalency may jeopardize their visa status and should consult with the Office of International Personnel.

Non-Matriculating Status

Non-matriculated students may register for courses in the Graduate School by complete the admission application to the Graduate School as a non-matriculated student. Students will be charged the associated tuition and fees. The number of course credits that a non-matriculated student can take from offerings in the Graduate School will be limited to a total of 12 credits.

Official Audits

A full-time matriculated student may audit a course with the permission of the course director. Students auditing a course do not write examinations or papers and do not necessarily participate in class discussions. However, auditors should clarify expectations at the start of the course with the course director and may be required to fully participate in the class. A completed Course Audit Form, with all required signatures, must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar prior to the end of the add/drop period. An audited course will appear on the student’s transcript with the designation “AU”. Students cannot receive credits for a course being audited.

Non-Matriculating Students and Audits

Non-matriculated students, including employees, who wish to audit a course and have the audited course appear on a transcript as “AU” will be billed at the same rate as for courses taken for credit. All students wishing to take a class must submit complete the admission application to the Graduate School as a non-matriculated students and submit a Course Audit Form to the Office of the Registrar. Employees may petition the Dean of the Graduate School for a waiver of course fees. Decisions are at the discretion of the Dean.

PhD students in Biomedical Sciences or Neuroscience and MD/PhD students must be officially registered for each term, even during the research phase of the program, in order to maintain their matriculation status. PhD students failing to officially register are no longer eligible for student status, including student compensation and support.

PhD students in Biomedical Sciences or Neuroscience and MD/PhD students may register for courses in other graduate programs at ISMMS (e.g. MD, MPH, MS in Clinical Research) with the permission of their dissertation advisor, the course director, and their Program Director. The Graduate School will support the tuition for a maximum 6 credits during the PhD program. Exceptions to this limit require the approval of both the Program Director and research mentor/advisor. Payment of tuition for additional courses will be the responsibility of the student or their dissertation advisor.

ISMMS utilizes a system of holds when students fail to meet administrative, financial, and/or educational obligations. A Registration Hold restricts a student’s ability to register for future terms.