PhD Admissions

To be considered for the University of South Florida's PhD Program in Integrated Biomedical Sciences, all applicants must have:

• A Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from a regionally accredited university
• 3.0 cumulative undergraduate GPA
• 3.0 GPA in science courses*
• General Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
• Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• Personal Statement
• 3 Letters of Recommendation
  • Letters must be signed and on letterhead
     
    

*Students must have a minimum of 40 science credits, including 1 year of general biology and 1 year of general chemistry. General physics, biochemistry, organic chemistry, and mathematics (including integral and differential calculus) are strongly recommended.

International applicants have additional requirements. Please scroll down to see “Additional Requirements for International Students.”

Students seeking a PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of South Florida are selected by an admissions committee that considers the overall qualities of the applicant. Areas of consideration include academic achievement, GRE scores, research experience and interests, and letters of recommendation. All selected candidates will be required to have personal interviews with members of the PhD admissions committee.

The PhD Program typically receives more than 100 applications each year, and fewer than 30% of applicants are admitted.

The academic profile of the middle 50% of students admitted for Fall 2019 was:

• 3.24-3.79 undergraduate GPA
• 308-316 total GRE score 
  
  • Verbal: 152-158
  • Quantitative: 153-159

Application

Students should aim to apply by December 1 and submit all application materials no later than December 10, or as early as possible, for the best chance of consideration for admission and additional funding. 

However, the priority deadline for a complete application is February 1, and the final application deadline for the program is February 15.

Recruitment Visits

Well-qualified applicants will be invited to attend an in-person Recruitment Visit prior to final admissions decisions being made. Applicants who are invited, but unable to attend the in-person visit may request to be interviewed via Skype. An interview is required to be eligible for admission into the program. 

Recruitment Visits for the Fall 2020 cohort are tentatively scheduled for:

January 30 - February 1
February 27 - 29

The schedule of Recruitment Visits is subject to change, but typically includes a welcome reception on Thursday evening; interviews, lab tours, and dinner on Friday; and a chance to explore Tampa on Saturday.

Review & Notification

We will begin inviting selected students to Recruitment Visits in mid-December.

Students who attend a Recruitment Visit are typically notified of the committee’s admission decision via e-mail within 7-10 business days after the visit.

1. Submit an online application.
   Select the Medical Sciences program. 
   
   
2. Pay the $30 application fee.
   You will be prompted to pay as soon as you submit your application. If you are unable to pay when you submit, you can do so within 30 days by logging into your OASIS account at my.usf.edu. 
   
   
3. Submit transcripts and GRE scores.
   To upload documents to your application, log into the application website, then navigate to My Workspace > My Documents.
   
   Unofficial copies can be uploaded directly to your application and can be used for our admissions review. If you are offered admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions you have attended (undergraduate and graduate), along with official GRE scores. The University of South Florida's GRE code is 5828.
   
   
4. Submit supplemental information.* 

• Curriculum Vitae or Resume 
  
• Personal Statement addressing:
  • Research background
  • Reasons for selecting the Morsani College of Medicine to pursue a PhD
  • Future career goals following graduation from the PhD Program in Integrated Biomedical Sciences
• Three letters of recommendation
  • Recommendations should come from faculty or other professionals familiar with applicant's academic performance and/or research potential 
    
    

* If you are applying to more than one program at USF, it is imperative that your supplemental information clearly indicate that it should be used for your application to the PhD Program in Integrated Biomedical Sciences. This is especially important for letters of recommendation. Failure to appropriately indicate the PhD program may prevent your application from being reviewed.

In addition to the requirements listed above, international students must also submit the documents listed below. Unofficial copies can be used for admissions review, but final admission will not be granted until official documents are received and processed by the Office of Admissions.

1. A course-by-course foreign credential evaluation from a NACES accredited evaluation service. 
   • Accepted evaluation services include, but are not limited to: 
     • World Education Services
     • Josef Silny & Associates, Inc.
     • Academic Evaluation Services
     • Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
   • A copy of the original document that was evaluated and an English translation (if applicable) must be included with the evaluation.
     
     
2. Proof of English language proficiency. Unless a student is from an English speaking country (list of countries available on the Office of Admissions website), proficiency must be demonstrated in one of the following ways:
   • IELTS score of 6.5 or higher (taken within 2 years of desired term of entry)
   • PTE-A score of 53 or higher
   • TOEFL score of: 
     • 79 (internet-based test)
     • 213 (computer-based test) 
     • 550 (written test)

The requirement for proof of English language proficiency can be waived if: 

• A student earns 153 or higher on GRE Verbal
• A student has earned a college degree at a regionally accredited U.S. institution of higher learning
   

Please review the Office of Admissions website for full details of specific requirements for international students.