Master’s Application Process

Application Process

  • Know Before you Apply
    • Acceptance into the research in person MS in Medical Sciences (Neuroscience) program is conditional. On top of meeting graduate school requirements, accepted candidates MUST identify a research mentor with funding and space in order to matriculate in the Fall semester. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the program and areas of neuroscience of most interest to them. We encourage potentially contacting faculty in these areas beforehand to determine if faculty are recruiting students as funding/space situations change often. We will work with accepted candidates to try and find a mentor and home for their research thesis, but we cannot guarantee their availability or enrollment.
    • Prerequisite Courses: Candidates should have taken undergraduate courses in general biology, chemistry and biochemistry. Applicants with undergraduate academic performance that does not meet these requirements are encouraged to consider pursuing a year of post-baccalaureate studies with the goal of demonstrating an ability to achieve satisfactory academic progress in graduate level courses.
    • GRE: We do not require or review GRE scores.

Due to the large number of inquiries we receive, we cannot offer an indication of how competitive your application will be before you apply. If you are confident that a completed application will demonstrate exceptional strength, we encourage you to submit your application.

(Before beginning your application, read all of the information and instructions on the web pages of the UF Graduate School and the UF Office of Admissions.)

(International applicants: Make sure to read all of the information for Prospective International Students on the Office of Admissions website.)


How to Apply

1) Graduate School Application

  • Create and Verify CollegeNET Account
  • Complete all requested information on each page of the online application
    • Program of Study: Select ‘College of Medicine’ followed by ‘Medical Sciences – Degree Name – ‘Master of Science’.
    • Additional Information: Select Concentration – ‘Neuroscience’ .
    • Leave Program Specialization and Department Contact blank
    • It is very important that you calculate your undergraduate upper-division GPA and enter it in the application.
      • The minimum requirements for graduate admission at the University of Florida include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for all upper division (junior/senior) undergraduate work, though stronger applicants will have a GPA of 3.5

2) Personal Statement

Explain your purpose for graduate study, including your career goals and how an M.S. in Medical Sciences with a concentration in Neuroscience is important to achieving those goals. Discuss areas of neuroscience research of interest and highlight any previous research experience(s). Please be sure to identify your college major in your personal statement. Your statement should be approximately 500-600 words or approximately 1 single-spaced page.

3) Resume/CV

Pertinent work history and/or research experience, publications, honors, etc. Prior research experience is not required.

Please be sure to include information about ongoing international affiliations and research funding in your resume/CV.

4) Three Letters of Recommendation

Requests for letters of recommendation from UF faculty and staff should be accompanied by the UF Release for Letter of Recommendation form. Applicants are strongly encouraged to include at least one letter from a research mentor. Letters can be submitted by your recommenders through the online application or emailed by the recommender directly to the Academic Coordinator, Melissa Naidu.

5) Transcripts

You should upload to your application, unofficial transcripts from ALL institutions attended, which will be used for the initial review. Official transcripts from ALL institutions attended are required if admitted to the program.

If sending official transcripts (electronic or post), order them as soon as possible. It may take several weeks for the transcript to be matched to your application once it is received by the Admissions Office and be available to the Department.

If ordering electronic transcripts, please be aware that the Office of Admissions only accepts PDF transcripts from Parchment, National Clearing House, and eScript. The email address for receipt of these transcripts is TE@admissions.ufl.edu

Posted physical transcripts can be sent to:

University of Florida Office of Admissions
ATTN: Graduate Admissions
201 Criser Hall
P.O. Box 114000
Gainesville, FL 32611-4000

International Applicants

If the language of instruction at the institution(s) you attended was not English, you must also provide an official literal (exact) English translation of your native language transcripts.

International students whose native language is not English and who have not studied at an institution in the United States or other English-speaking country for one year or longer must have a score of at least 550 on the written version of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or 80 on the internet-based TOEFL. The TOEFL exam must have been taken within the past two (2) years. Exemptions to the TOEFL score requirement are granted per University of Florida policy for English proficiency. The university’s TOEFL code is 5812.

Notify us that you have submitted your application by filling out the form below:

Education and Application Questions