Admission Requirements

Application Process

Admission Requirements

Our application deadline for Fall Admissions is December 1.

FSU offers a limited number of prestigious University Fellowships. Students wishing to be considered for these fellowships must complete additional application materials for those mechanisms by January 15. Please note that these are not required for admission to the program. Please click on "Request More Info" on the left of your screen to discuss your competitiveness or these University Fellowships with a representative of our program.

Admission will be based on an evaluation by a departmental committee. The admissions committee will weight many factors including the applicant's scholastic record, prior performance in laboratory research, letters of recommendation, statement of purpose, GRE scores (or GRE waiver), and in many instances, personal interviews.

The College of Medicine
Biomedical Sciences Application Materials

The application process consists of the University application with supporting materials. You will be required to submit the following to Office of Admission using their electronic application:

  • University application
  • Resume/Curriculum Vitae
  • Statement of Purpose (Helpful Suggestions for Writing a Statement of Purpose) to include:
    • Research Statement
    • Research Experience
    • Teaching Experience
    • Faculty of Interest (please include at least three faculty)
    • Any other information not found on the Curriculum Vitae
  • GRE Scores (or approved waiver)
  • Transcripts from all previous institutions
  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • Unofficial Transcripts and Score Report
  • The application fee is 30.00USD. You will be able to pay by credit card, debit card, or e-check. Unfortunately, the Office of Graduate Admissions is unable to waive the application fee payment for graduate applicants.  

Minimum University Admission Requirements

In order to meet minimum University admission requirements, an applicant must have:

  • A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution.
  • A minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in all coursework attempted while registered as an upper-division undergraduate student working towards a bachelor's degree; or
  • A graduate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution; and
  • Test scores from a nationally standardized graduate admission test that are acceptable for the academic program to which the applicant is applying, or successful application for a GRE Waiver.
  • In addition to the above, all students must be in good academic standing at the last institution in order to be considered for graduate study.

Transcripts

Applicants must submit an official transcript from each college and/or university attended to the Office of Admissions. Transfer credit posted on the records of other institutions is not accepted in lieu of transcripts from the original institutions. Official transcripts for these credits must also be submitted. Transcripts are considered official when they bear an official seal and signature and are sent from the issuing college or university directly to Florida State. FSU transcripts or official transcripts already on file will be obtained by the Office of Admissions.

Original documents or signed, officially certified photocopies of original documents may be submitted by the student only when institutions outside the United States will not send academic records to other institutions. The verifying signature should be that of an officer of the institution attended. All academic records that are not in English must be accompanied by certified English translations. Certified documents should be true copies that are signed and dated by an educational official familiar with academic records. Documents signed by a notary or other public official with no educational affiliation will not be accepted.

Transcript evaluations completed by an independent foreign credential evaluation agency are required for all non-U.S. records. The evaluation must include degree equivalency, course by course evaluation, and U.S. equivalent grade point average. This evaluation must be completed by a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES). All academic records must be issued in the native language and be accompanied by a certified English translation. The evaluation must be sent directly from the agency to Florida State University.

Electronic delivery of transcripts is preferred, if possible. Please have the issuing college or university send transcripts directly to graduateadmissions@fsu.edu. Transcripts sent directly from an applicant rather than the institution will not be accepted. 

If electronic submission is not available, the physical address for submitting transcripts is:

Office of Graduate Admissions

222 South Copeland St

Westcott Building Room 314

Tallahassee, FL 32306-1410

 
Please do not send transcripts to the Department of Biomedical Sciences or College of Medicine address. All transcripts must be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.

Unofficial Transcripts and Score Reports

To expedite the admissions process, please upload a copy of your unofficial transcripts and score reports

Statement of Purpose

The Statement of Purpose is an important part of our application process. In addition to providing information about yourself that highlights your qualification and skills, it gives you an opportunity to provide details about your training, academic background, and educational trajectory that may not be fully reflected in your CV. Some elements that should be in your Statement of Purpose include:
 
Research Experience and Interests: It is very important to us that there is an ideal match between the research interests of our faculty and those of the graduate students in our program. For this reason, all applicants should include in their Statement of Purpose information about their past research experiences, how these and other experiences have shaped their current research interests and longer-term goals. Please be specific in describing the aims of the work, types of data you collected and analyzed, research outcomes, research presentations or publications, techniques you utilized and learned, length of time you participated in the research, and names and institutions where you conducted research.
 
Faculty of Interest: New students are required to perform at least three laboratory rotations in the fist year. These rotations are meant to provide students with scientific training and opportunities to become familiar with faculty research projects, new techniques, specific lab environments, and lab personnel. Students match to their thesis lab after the final rotation. Your Statement of Purpose should therefore include the names of at least three faculty with whom you would be interested in working and specific information about why you are interested in their work. This information does not mean that your research interests cannot change as you rotate through labs, but describing your current interests in the context of our departmental foci is important.

Teaching Experience: Applicants with teaching experience are encouraged to discuss their experience, training, and the degree to which teaching, training, or outreach is part of their career goals.

Diversity: The Florida State University Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences is committed to supporting the diversity of the graduate student body and promoting equal opportunity in higher education. Because our graduate students contribute to the global strength of future scholars and scientific leaders, we have a strong commitment to providing an environment that promotes a variety of ideas and perspectives essential to advancing a robust intellectual exchange imperative to scientific training. If an applicant feels that they would enrich the academic or cultural diversity of our program, they are welcome to highlight this in their Statement of Purpose.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required for those seeking admission to the doctoral program in Biomedical Sciences. Ideally, these letters will be from faculty who can assess your scholarly potential. These letters will be submitted electronically through the university application. You must enter the names and email addresses of each letter writer in the appropriate place in the university application.

Publications:

Obtain the PubMed ID of any publications on which you are an author. The PubMed ID will allow the admissions committee to rapidly identify and obtain these publications. Any publications in press or in preparation should be included in an additional document uploaded with your application in a standard format including the title.

Test Requirements

Official test results are required from a nationally standardized graduate admission test, such as the Graduate Record Examination revised General Test (GRE) or an equivalent test (e.g. MCAT). These scores are considered official only when they are sent directly to the Office of Admissions from the testing agency. Examinee copies are not considered official. 

The Educational Testing Service (ETS), Graduate Management Admissions Council (GMAC), and the Psychological Corporation do not retain scores longer than five years. If your test scores are older than five years, you must retake the test to have official scores sent directly to FSU from the testing agency.

GRE Waiver:

Applicants to the Biomedical Sciences PhD program who meet the following academic AND research background criteria will have the option to request a waiver of the FSU requirement to provide GRE scores. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply for this waiver:

Academic Credentials:

  • Upper-division undergraduate GPA of 3.2 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher from an accredited national or international college or university, OR
  • Graduate GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) or higher from an accredited national or international college or university.

Research Experience:

  • Undergraduate research-based thesis in a relevant field, OR
  • Post-graduate research experience in a relevant field. This would include both graduate school and formal post-baccalaureate programs, OR
  • Extensive (at least 1 year) relevant research experience. This includes both paid and unpaid work, but must reflect significant engagement, commitment, and an understanding of the research process.

Examples of relevant research fields include (but are not limited to): biology, biochemistry, biomedical sciences, chemistry, genetics, engineering, medicine, neuroscience, and pharmacology/pharmaceutical sciences.

 

Extenuating Circumstances:

  • Students may also apply for the GRE waiver on the basis of extenuating circumstances.

Prospective students must present supportive evidence that they meet the selected waiver criteria (e.g., authorship on a peer reviewed scientific publication, statement from a former advisor or mentor, etc). All applicants will have the option to report their GRE test scores. Applicants should explain within the waiver request how they meet the criteria. Approval of a GRE Waiver Request does not guarantee admission to the program or university. Prospective students must still submit and complete a Graduate Application and meet all university and department admissions requirements to be considered for admission.

 

Applicants can access the GRE Waiver Request here.

 

English Language Proficiency

 

The department values the enrichment provided by international students in the program and understand when international students are not fluent in English upon their arrival at FSU. However, as English language proficiency is essential for the student's full participation and ultimate success, those accepting admission must be willing, if necessary, to undertake the additional expense and effort required to achieve a sufficient level of competence. There are various resources available at FSU for improving English language proficiency. Classes taken to improve English competency cannot be counted toward degree requirements. Spoken English proficiency is required for funded students beyond the first year and they may be asked to demonstrate their abilities in that area. 

 

Official English Language Proficiency results are required of all international applicants whose native language is not English by the application deadline. The English Language Proficiency requirement can be waived, at the university level, for applicants who have earned a minimum of a BA or higher in the US or in an English-Speaking Country. Please note, students from countries with English as the official language are not required to complete the English Language Proficiency requirement.

Information on University Graduate Requirements:

Admission to graduate study is a two-fold evaluation process. The Office of Admissions determines eligibility for admission to the University, and the academic department or college determines admissibility to the degree program.

Final admission to the University is subject to approval by the Office of Admissions.

     

    Biomedical Sciences PhD Program Requirements
     

    Florida State University Online Application