Graduate Degrees Offered

1. Doctor of Philosophy, Ph.D. (coursework & dissertation required)

2. Master of Science, M.Sc.

     a. M.Sc. (coursework & thesis required)
     b. M.Sc. (non-thesis, coursework only)

Thesis and dissertation degrees (1 & 2a) are research degrees requiring dedication to training as a scientist, and typically students are hired as Graduate Assistants and paid a modest stipend with tuition included to conduct their research and earn their degrees. Non-thesis degrees, in contrast, typically do not involve research, only courses, and students taking these degrees must pay all associated costs.

Funding is fundamental to support our research graduate students.  Graduate students in ANS are funded primarily by faculty grants for competitive projects, with supplements from the university, to provide graduate assistantships and tuition waivers. Many of our PhD students also compete for and receive Fellowships. Therefore, admission to a faculty member’s lab requires faculty review of your qualifications, your own candid assessment of the lab as a training ground for your needs and goals, and a funding package. Often, faculty you would like to work with are fully financially committed to other students, or may be in between funding cycles. Finding a place in ANS as one of our graduate students is about presenting yourself well, being prepared for the rigors of graduate training in science, but it is also about money. Faculty will know about resources they have, or that you both can apply for within the university (UF Graduate Fellowships, for example).  However, you should consider external funding that you can apply for yourself.  

To enter the program, our process requires that an ANS faculty member has funding, desire, and has explicitly agreed to take you as a student. Applying to the department without contacting faculty will get no response. Sending generic emails to faculty seeking funding and a position will likely get no response.

• In graduate school, you become a collaborator and research partner in pursuing new knowledge and in using science to solve real-world problems. As such, faculty seek students with talent, drive, commitment to self-improvement, a love of scholarship, and high standards of performance and ethics.
• In order to attract the interest of potential advisors with similar interests to your own, you must be able to convey a thoughtful, clear vision of how graduate training will serve your future goals. Be ready to explain why each lab you contact is the right place for you to train to reach your goals.

Graduate Admission Requirements

The University of Florida does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national or ethnic origin, religious preference, disability or sex in any aspects of its operations.

The admission requirements of the Department of Animal Sciences are as follows:  Note that you can submit your application even if one of the items below is missing, provided the missing item is submitted before the application deadline. *As of 2020, the GRE is no longer required. 

1. An average grade of "B" (GPA of 3.0) for all Master of Science or upper-division undergraduate studies.
2. International and Puerto Rican applicants are required to have a TOEFL score by internet-based 80, by paper 550, by computer 213 or IELTS -6.0. In addition, international and Puerto Rican applicants must meet the required minimum on one of the following English language tests:
   i. Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores
   of at least 550 on the PBT version or 80 on the iBT version.
   ii. Michigan English Language Assessment Battery
   (MELAB) score of at least 77
   iii. International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of at least 6.0 overall.
   Exemptions from these requirements are described here.
3. Evidence of financial support to cover all fees.  Students may be financially supported by themselves, their governments, funding agencies or by a UF or departmental assistantship or minority assistantships. 
4. Confirmation that an Animal Sciences faculty member has agreed to be the major adviser of the applicant. Applicants should contact faculty directly to discuss their application, prior to or after submission of the application. 

Application Deadlines

Fall: February 28
Spring: June 30
Summer A/C: September 30
Summer B: November 30 

1. Visit UF Graduate Admissions. Follow the guidelines to complete and submit your application.
2. Test scores for the TOEFL exam should be sent to School Code 5812

How to Apply

Visit UF Graduate Admissions and follow the step-by-step guide. 

Note: All newly admitted or re-admitted students who are not on assistantships, but are enrolled at least half time in a degree-seeking program and are attending any campus of the University of Florida will be required to show proof of adequate health insurance as a condition of enrollment. More information can be found at:http://studentinsurance.shcc.ufl.edu. Please note that students admitted with an assistantship will have health insurance as one of the benefits.

For further questions, Contact: