Applications and Admissions

When to Apply

• We accept applications year-round and review them within a month after the CVM receives the complete application packet from the UF Graduate School.
• We encourage you to apply at least one to two months before the registration deadline for the semester in which you would like to begin the program. Please allow longer for international students.
• You can check the completion status of your UF application on the UF Admissions website.

Major determinants for admission include identifying a faculty member who agrees to mentor a new graduate student for a thesis or dissertation with your interests and credentials, and identifying a source of continual financial support for tuition, living and research expenses for the duration of the training. Admissions consideration for an applicant can proceed once an applicant has a faculty mentor and funding confirmed.

The UF College of Veterinary Medicine offers graduate assistantships that cover stipend and/or tuition expenses. Graduate assistants are engaged in teaching and/or research tasks; the stipend is $31,000 to $45,000 per year, depending on available funding. Designated mentors can offer additional funding to students with exceptional credentials.

Health insurance and tuition waivers are available for students on assistantships. All students are required to pay nonacademic fees. For new students who may need a cash advance when arriving on campus, there is a graduate student revolving loan fund at the college.

Application Deadlines

• Spring semester: August 1st
• Summer semester: December 1st
• Fall semester: March 15th (December 15th for Fall PhD Block Grant Applicants)
• International applicants must submit applications 30-days prior to posted deadlines to ensure time to properly process your application. Please contact an advisor at UFIC for any questions.

How to Apply

• You will need to prepare and upload your CV, a statement of purpose, and identify three references. In addition, please arrange to have your official test scores, and both unofficial/official transcripts sent to the UF Office of Admissions. Please request transcripts be sent directly from the respective institution electronically or mail them to:

The UF Office of Admissions
P. O. Box 114000
Gainesville, FL 32611-4000

• 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 resume.

If you need guidance and assistance, please contact Dr. Jorge Hernandez via email at hernandezja@ufl.edu.

International Applicants

The Office of Admissions requires both unofficial and official copies of transcripts and diplomas in both native language and English. The student can upload copies of these documents online in their application for initial review, but once admitted into the college they are required to provide physical copies of these documents to the Office of Admissions. Official transcripts can be sent to UF in two ways: [1] Paper transcript received by UF in a sealed envelope or electronic transcripts sent from your institution directly to UF. [2] Electronic transcripts through FASTER, Parchment, National Student Clearing House, ScribbleSoft, e-Scrip Safe, Credential Solutions, SCOIR or Transcripts Plus. The email address for electronic transcripts is te@admissions.ufl.edu.

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

Applicants with coursework taken outside the United States should apply far in advance of the stated deadlines of your intended program of study due to the time it will take to process international credentials. If your post-secondary educational history includes coursework from outside the United States, you must submit the following documentation:

• A course-by-course credential evaluation, with grade point average (GPA) calculation included, for all non-U.S. coursework. UF accepts an evaluation from any member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services. This is a REQUIREMENT for any student seeking to transfer credits. The applicant is solely responsible for evaluation-related fees that may apply.  A transfer of credit requires approval at several levels with the final determination made by the UF Graduate School.
  • An alternate possibility when hoping to transfer credits is for selected applicants who are admitted to UF to submit copies of term-specific course syllabi to UF CVM Office of Research and Graduate Studies (ORGS)a.dickinson@ufl.edu within the first term of enrollment. CVM ORGS will assess if selected courses and credits  might be transferable in terms of level, content, comparability, and degree program relevance.
    
    
• All transcripts and examination certificates of non-U.S. secondary and/or post-secondary coursework in the native language of instruction and a word-for-word certified, literal (exact) English translation (if applicable). Unofficial transcripts are accepted electronically for the review process, while official transcripts and translations are required upon enrollment.

Important
Applicants with a veterinary degree obtained at an institution outside of the United States should list their degree as professional (not bachelors) in their online application.

English Proficiency

UF requires proficiency in spoken and written academic English. Proficiency can be shown through one of two ways: 1.) Coursework done in the United States or a country with English is the official language; or 2.) Examination.

Countries exempt from English Proficiency

College Coursework

• Must have successfully completed one full-time 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
• Student holds an earned equivalent of an associate degree from a recognized/regionally accredited college or university in the United States or country where English is the official language.

Minimum Admission Criteria for Degree-Seeking Students

Acceptance into the graduate degree programs is competitive and meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee acceptance.

Minimum requirements for acceptance to the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Graduate Studies Program include (individual departments might have higher criteria):

• GRE scores are no longer required for the application as of Fall 2020
• GPA: 3.0 or above, with particular attention paid to the grades in upper division science and math courses (usually taken in the last 60 hours).
• International Applicants: Satisfactory Scores on one English Language Exams:
• IELTS (The International English Language Testing System): Minimum score required = 6
• TOEFL (Internet-Based): Minimum score required = 80
• TOEFL (Paper-Based): Minimum score required = 550

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.

Score reports are valid for two years from the date of testing and must be reported electronically to the University of Florida. UF’s TOEFL school code is 5812.

For more information about UF CVM MS and PhD programs’ application and admission, please contact Dr. Jorge Hernandez via email at hernandezja@ufl.edu.

A Information about the UF Graduate School and its programs is available at the school’s website

FAQs- Admissions

Q1:        Is admissions on a rolling basis?

A1:         We admit for Fall, Spring, and Summer.  Generally, PhD applicants will apply for Fall to align with funding opportunities.

Q2:        I was a previous student, who became inactive.  In need to get back in to complete the degree.  What should I do?

A2:         You need to complete a re-admit application.

Q3:        Is there a list of faculty in the college?

A3:         Yes.  The College of Veterinary Medicine has five academic departments.  You may explore the departments and their faculty at this site.

Q4:        Is it necessary to secure a faculty advisor prior to submitting my application?  Or, is the advisor match made after admission?

A4:         Yes.  It is necessary for you to identify a faculty adviser and source(s) of funding (stipend, student fees, tuition) for your studies.  This must be completed before applying for admissions.  The advisor will have to submit a letter of recommendation and indicate a funding source.  Funds may come from the advisor, or the student can pledge to self-fund.

Q5:        Outside of funding opportunities from a faculty member, is college funding available?

A5:         Yes.  In each admissions cycle for the fall term, The Office of the Dean will offer a limited number of 4-yr Block Grants to our most competitive PhD applicants.  This funding is in the form of a teaching assistantship with an annual stipend of $35,000 and a tuition waiver.

Q6:        If a student is willing to self-fund his/her studies, may an advisor be determined later?

A6:         No.  An advisor needs to be identified before applying to the program.  Identifying an advisor and a funding source is part of the admissions review process.

Q7:        May international students apply for the MS or PhD program?

A7:         Yes.  International students can seek admissions into our degree programs.

Q8:        Do you offer online and face-to-face degree programs?

A8:         Yes.  We have the traditional, face-to-face program, which is fully completed on campus and applies to our MS and PhD programs in Veterinary Medical Sciences (VMS) and Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBS).  Separately, we offer an online MS in VMS.  Students are not permitted to go between the online and face-to-face version.  Additionally, the online program is self-funded by students.  Students may apply to the online program without identifying a faculty advisor.

Q9:        What degrees are offered by the College of Veterinary Medicine?

A9:         We offer several Master’s and PhD degree programs:

                Online Program(s)

                MS in Veterinary Medical Sciences – thesis and non-thesis options (only available in the online program)

                On-campus Program(s)

Master’s in Preventative Veterinary Medicine (MPVM) – non-thesis based

MS in Veterinary Medical Sciences – thesis based

MS in Comparative Biomedical Sciences – thesis based

PhD in Veterinary Medical Sciences

PhD in Comparative Biomedical Sciences

Q10:      Must I have a veterinary degree (DVM, VMD) to apply to the graduate programs?

A10:      Except for the MPVM, which is limited to students with a veterinary degree, students from various academic disciplines may apply to our graduate programs.

Q11:      I have earned a professional Veterinary Medicine degree from an international institution.  I do not have a typical bachelor’s degree.  How do I report this on the application?

A11:      You should report it as a Professional degree.  Do not list it as a Bachelor’s degree.

Q12:      Is the GRE required?

A12:      No.

Q13:      Is an English proficiency exam required of international applicants?

A13:      Yes.  The minimum scores acceptable for graduate admissions are set by the university.  Additionally, students seeking teaching assistantships and those entering through the MS Residency program must prove a mastery of Spoken English by achieving minimal score levels in the speaking sections of the TOEFL iBT or IELTS or SPEAK Test.  More information is found at the UF English Language Institute.

Q14:      I’m admitted.  Is there an orientation?  What else should I do?

A14:      We hold a Fall Orientation in mid-Aug for all newly admitted students.  If you were admitted for the spring or summer terms, then you would participate in the Fall Orientation.  Also, be sure to complete the next steps for all newly admitted on-campus students.

CONTACT US

In-Residence graduate programs

Application and Admissions

Jimmy Pastrano, Academic Programs Specialist I

E-mail:  jpastrano@ufl.edu

Distance Education graduate programs

Application and Admissions

E-mail:  masters@dce.ufl.edu