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Admissions

Admission Requirements

  • A bachelor’s degree from one of the institutional accreditors (or international equivalent) found at https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/accreditation (recommended major in the sciences)
  • 3.0 Overall GPA, and 3.0 Upper Division GPA (Rules on calculating GPA)
    • If your GPA is below this requirement but is at least 2.7, we recommend applying for a microbiology graduate certificate program. If you are accepted and maintain a 3.5 GPA, you may become eligible for the master’s degree program.
  • A resume/CV
  • Required undergraduate courses for applicants:
    • General Biology (2 semesters)
    • General Chemistry (2 semesters)
    • Organic Chemistry (1 semester)
  • Recommended undergraduate courses for applicants:
    • Microbiology
    • Biochemistry
    • Students who have not completed a microbiology course or biochemistry course at the undergraduate level are eligible to join the introductory track program, which is 37 credits, and allows students to take GMS5905 Fundamentals of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and MCB6937 Biology of Microorganisms in the first semester.
  • Students without an undergraduate degree in the sciences are welcome to apply as long as the required undergraduate coursework has been completed. Relevant professional experience may substitute for academic coursework on a case-by-case basis.

Pursuant to Florida Statute, your application requires inclusion of all post-high school education and employment, as well as information about ongoing international affiliations and research funding. Please ensure this information is included on your curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé.

The GRE is not required for admission into our master’s degree program.

Admission Requirements

Graduate Certificate in Medical Microbiology:
Graduate Certificate in Environmental Microbiology and Microbiome and Health Online Graduate Certificate:
  • A bachelor’s degree from one of the institutional accreditors (or international equivalent) found at https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/accreditation (recommended major in the sciences)
  • 2.7 overall GPA and 2.7 upper-division GPA (Rules on calculating GPA)
  • Required undergraduate courses for applicants:
    • Biochemistry
    • Organic Chemistry
    • Microbiology
    • Biology
    • General Chemistry
  • Students without a required science background are welcome to apply and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis for admission. Relevant professional experience may substitute for academic coursework.

The GRE is not required for admission into our graduate certificate programs.

International Applicant Transcript Requirement

Transcript Submission and Review

The Office of Admissions will review the transcripts and degrees (if applicable) from every institution listed in the educational history provided on your application. Our review process of all non-U.S. academic credentials (transcripts, mark sheets, degrees/diplomas) ensures that the applicant has been conferred/awarded the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree or will be awarded such a degree by the desired date of enrollment. Academic departments will make the ultimate decision on an application.

For our review, these documents may be unofficial and uploaded in the application or via your Check Status page. These transcripts and degree certificate/diplomas should be scanned copies of the official paper versions issued to you by your previous or current institution. Digitally uploaded academic credentials must include the same information appearing on an official transcript, including biographical information, institution name, signatures, seals and stamps. We will not accept screen shots of your grades from your institution’s student academic portal.

Non-English Transcripts

Transcripts and degree certificates/diplomas not issued in English must be accompanied by a certified, literal line-for-line English translation of the original document. Acceptable certified translations are issued by your institution or a professional translating service.

Credential Evaluations

Submitting a credential evaluation for college coursework outside of the U.S. is optional. Students who choose to submit an evaluation should submit a course-by-course evaluation with credits, grades and grade averages from a NACES member. Unofficial copies of transcripts and degree certificates still must be submitted with a credential evaluation during the application process.

Review of Transcripts

An email notification will be sent approximately 24-48 hours after submission of your UF application with instructions on how to create your MyAdmissions application/Check Status page. Transcripts uploaded or received by mail will display on the Check Status checklist as Transcript – Under Review. As soon as your transcripts are received, the college and department you have applied to will be able to review your transcripts. Due to the high volume of applications, transcripts may not be updated on your checklist until the department has completed an initial review of your application. Once the transcripts are reviewed by Admissions, the checklist will be updated, and the Awaiting Transcript checklist items will be updated accordingly.

Official Transcripts

While not required for the initial admissions review, official transcripts, translations (if applicable) and degree certificates/diplomas are required for enrolling students and must be submitted no later than the end of your first semester of enrollment. Official documents are mailed directly from the institution, including all official stamps and signatures, or presented in-person inside the institution’s sealed and stamped envelope.

Credentials are mailed directly to the UF Office of Admissions at:

Office of Admissions
201 Criser Hall
PO Box 114000
Gainesville, FL 32611-4000
United States of America

Return of credentials

All documents submitted with your application become property of the University of Florida. The Office of Admissions is unable to honor requests to return transcripts or provide transcript copies to you or a third party. Do not mail diplomas or academic credentials that are only issued once. An attested or certified copy (by the institution’s registrar), or originals presented in-person are accepted in such circumstances.

The English Language Skill Requirement

English Proficiency

All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency and meet the minimum score requirements. The university does not accept scores compiled from multiple tests to meet English proficiency requirements. UF’s TOEFL and GRE school code is 5812.

Minimum acceptable scores:

* UF is registered to receive IELTS scores using the IELTS Results Service E-Delivery. Scores should be sent to the University of Florida, which only accepts scores from this E-delivery service. UF does not accept paper Test Report Forms or unofficial copies of IELTS Test Report Forms from students. Applicants should contact the IELTS test center where they took the IELTS to request their official test results be sent to our account name: The University of Florida. An institution code is not required.

The address associated with our IELTS Results Service account is:

The University of Florida
201 Criser Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611
United States

Exemptions are granted if applicants:

  • Have successfully completed one academic year in a degree-seeking program at a recognized/regionally accredited university or college in the United States or a country where English is the official language.
  • Hold an earned equivalent of associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or PhD degree from a recognized/regionally accredited college or university in the United States or country where English is the official language.

Visit our International Admissions page for a list of countries exempt from English proficiency requirements: https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/international

Non-Degree Admissions

For All (Domestic and International) Applicants

Additional Non-degree Minimum Requirements: For International Students Only

  • The English language skill requirements for admission

If your native language is not English, or if you graduated with a bachelor’s degree from a non-English speaking country, you will need to take and submit your TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or other Graduate Council approved English language skills test scores.

Non-English speaking countries are those which are not included in the graduate school’s list of English speaking countries.

To take courses as a non-degree seeking student, the applicant must score the following on the TOEFL:

TOEFL Exam TypeRequired Score
Paper-based550
Computer-based213
Internet80
Restrictions
  • A maximum of 7 credits can be taken as a non-degree seeking student who wishes to apply for the microbiology master’s degree program.
  • A maximum of 6 credits can be taken as a non-degree seeking student who wishes to apply for the environmental microbiology or microbiome and health graduate certificate programs.
  • A maximum of 5 credits can be taken as a non-degree seeking student who wishes to apply for the medical microbiology graduate certificate program.
  • A student who is already admitted to the University of Florida needs to contact us before an application is submitted.

Learn More About the Program

Click for details about the Microbiology & Cell Science online graduate programs.