Frequently Asked Questions

Master’s degree students are eligible for federal financial aid. Students seeking federal student loans must complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as early as possible. UF’s Federal School Code is 001535. Graduate certificate students and non-degree seeking students are not eligible for federal financial aid but may be eligible for private loans. Please contact our financial aid advisor about possible private student loan eligibility.

Students are accepted in the fall, spring and summer semesters. Courses are offered year-round as well.

All courses are a full semester long, although credit hours may vary by course.

No. Our master’s degree and graduate certificate programs are open to anyone with a science background and a bachelor’s degree from one of the institutional accreditors (or international equivalent) found in the “Accreditation” section at https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/. These programs can prove beneficial for many different medical professionals and professional school applicants (i.e., medical, dental, nursing and physician assistant).

No. All courses are asynchronous and can be completed at students’ convenience, though there are deadlines to ensure course completion in the semester.

No. You can complete these programs entirely online with no campus visits required.

On the left-hand menu of the e-Learning login page (http://elearning.ufl.edu/) there are links to tutorials to get you familiar with the Canvas course management system which houses all the content for our online courses. If you need technical assistance during the course, please contact the UF Computing Help Desk. You will need your Gator Link ID. You can access the UF Help Desk when you log into the e-learning website. You can reach them seven days a week (hours vary and they are closed on holidays).

If you are a student with a disability and would like to request disability-related accommodations, please contact the instructor and the Disability Resource Center as soon as possible. The Disability Resource Center is located in 001 Building 0020 (Reid Hall). Their phone number is 352-392-8565, (711 TTY/FRS). For more information, see the Disability Resource Center website at https://disability.ufl.edu/. The Disability Resource Center will begin the process to assist you.

All course communication is done through your UF webmail account, powered by Office 365.

To check your UF webmail account, go to www.outlook.com/ufl.edu and use your GatorLink Username and Password to log on.
Please make sure you are checking your email regularly for course updates and messages.

After you complete the application and course registration process, you can access online courses by logging into UF’s e-Learning website at any time. Go to http://elearning.ufl.edu/ and select “e-Learning Login” to enter your Gatorlink username and password. You will not be able to access your course until the start date listed in the course registration materials. Some course content will not be immediately available to you. Instructors may open and close access to lessons according to the schedule posted in the course syllabus.

If you are a master’s degree student and you have graduate credit from another institution, you may transfer up to, but no more than, 9 credits to fulfill credit at the University of Florida within your master’s program. Only master’s students are eligible to transfer credits into their program at the University of Florida from another institution and the coursework must meet the following criteria:

The course(s) must be graduate-level
The course(s) cannot have contributed to a bachelor’s degree in any way
The course grade(s) must be B or higher (B- grades or lower and Pass/Fail coursework are not eligible for transfer of credit)
The course(s) must be completed at a regionally accredited US college or its international equivalent
The course(s) must be no older than seven years by the term of your anticipated date of graduation from the University of Florida

If you meet these criteria, and would like to request a transfer of credit from another institution, email COM-graduateeducation@ufl.edu with the following information:

The name of your previous institution
The course name/number from your previous institution
The term/year the course was completed
The course in our program for which you think the credits will satisfy
A copy of your transcripts (unofficial is fine); or a notification that we already have them on file
A syllabus for the course that you would like to transfer from

No. The BCPM GPA pertains to the biology, chemistry, physics and math courses a student took as part of their undergraduate degree. This degree is graduate coursework and is not factored into a BCPM GPA. The courses completed in the master’s degree in medical physiology and pharmacology are “BCPM relevant” as it is all biology-related coursework.

Our online students have access to many of the same resources that are available to students who attend on campus. These include:

These programs work on a rolling admissions basis, so there is no set date by which applicants are notified of their acceptance. How long it takes depends in part upon the volume of applications being processed at any given point during the cycle. Applications are not usually reviewed until the semester prior, as high numbers of applications require that those for the upcoming semester are prioritized over those applying further in advance. For example, a student applying for a fall semester would be reviewed the previous May/June at the earliest. You can choose to accept or decline admission through the Check Status page.

You can check the status of your application materials by following these instructions:

Step 1: Visit the page titled Our Decision Process.
Step 2: Select “Check Status”.
Step 3: Log in with your Coalition/CollegeNet credentials or your UF GatorLink username and password.

The programs are designed to be completed at your own pace. While each program takes a different amount of time to complete based on the number of credits required, you have seven years to complete each program after being admitted.

Our suite of online medical sciences programs offers an excellent foundation for those planning to attend a professional school after earning their credential. These programs are also ideal for professionals already working in healthcare or education who want to advance their skills and enhance their expertise in their current roles.

For more information on potential career options, please check out this page.

Multiple choice question (MCQ) exams are administered via the online proctoring service: ProctorU.

Most, but not all, courses will have weekly assignments due. We provide ‘suggested timelines’ that are intended to be guides for our students to follow. The guidelines ensure that students do not fall too far behind on their coursework.

You will have access to all faculty associated with the program via telephone, email, discussion chats and/or Zoom. Affiliated faculty and the program directors are happy to write letters of recommendation for students who perform in the top 25% of the program.

There are no standardized test scores (including the GRE) required for admission. For more information, please review the admissions page.

Our master’s degree in anatomical sciences education requires three letters of reference and a statement of purpose. Letters of recommendation and personal statements are not required for our other programs. However, master’s degree applicants are required to submit a current CV or resume. Please see our admissions page for more information.

Our programs use a blend of eBooks and physical textbooks. You’ll have free access to the eBooks through a VPN connection with the UF Health Sciences Library. For those who prefer physical textbooks, the total cost is typically a few hundred dollars for the entire program.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR GRADUATING STUDENTS
Please read this ENTIRE page and contact us at COM-graduateeducation@ufl.edu if you have any questions. Failure to do so could result in not graduating or receiving your diploma.

Applying to graduate: In order to graduate, you MUST apply to graduate in One.UF by the deadline posted in Critical Dates.

How to submit the degree application: Please click on the following link to submit your graduation application in One.UF: https://one.uf.edu. Click on “My Record” on the left side of the page, click on “degree application,” and provide the requested information. You need to pick “Master of Science.”

Graduate Degree Application Instructions

Qualifying to graduate: In order to graduate, you must meet the following conditions:

Completion of all required courses and necessary electives
- Only courses completed with a grade of C or higher can be counted toward a degree or graduate certificate
An overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
A major GPA of 3.0 or higher
If you have an Incomplete in any course, please contact your instructor immediately to ensure completion of the coursework on time.
If you are not sure if you meet the above qualifications, email COM-graduateeducation@ufl.edu.

Make sure you do not owe the university any money! Satisfy all financial obligations (fines, tickets, fees, etc.) with the University Bursar. Your final grades, transcripts, and diploma will not be released until all debt are paid. All emergency or short-term loans from the college and university must also be paid before graduation. You can view and pay any current charges due on One.UF under University Bursar.

Did you receive financial aid? If you received financial aid, you will need to complete an exit interview. Your final grades, transcripts, and diploma will not be released until this is done.

Follow these instructions to complete an exit interview

Go to One.UF
Click on “Financial Services” from the Online Services menu on the left
Click on “Exit Counseling Student Loan”
If you don’t remember your pin, call loan services at 352-392-0737

The commencement ceremony: Check the Registrar’s website (https://commencement.ufl.edu/) for important information regarding the commencement ceremony, including the schedule, information for graduates, information for guests, and more. You do not have to attend the graduation ceremony in order to graduate.
Graduates attending commencement need to order and pick up their caps, gowns and hoods from the University of Florida Visitor Center/Bookstore. Information regarding cap, gown and hood rental can be found here: http://www.bsd.ufl.edu/G1C/bookstore/graduation.asp.

When picking up your regalia from the Bookstore, make sure you receive a gown, cap, tassel and hood.
Please be sure to return your gown and hood to the bookstore at the UF Welcome Center after graduation. The cap and tassel are yours to keep. Do not leave your gown or hood on a chair or table somewhere without checking it in. Failure to turn in your gown or hood will result in the withholding of your diploma and transcripts by the university.

Diplomas: Diplomas will not be handed out at graduation. The Office of the University Registrar will mail diplomas to your permanent address on file with the University of Florida approximately 8 to 10 weeks after graduation. Diplomas measure 11 ¾” high by 16” wide.

Make sure your permanent address is correct in the UF Directory by following these steps:

Log into MyUFL
Under Main Menu, My Account,
Select Update Directory Information

Announcements: Graduation announcements can be purchased from the following website: http://colleges.herffjones.com/college/_uf/

The course delivery system currently used is known as Canvas. Students can access assignments, readings, quizzes and tests, and pre-recorded content using this system. Interactive discussion boards are available 24 hours per day for students to engage in scholarly discussions with classmates and instructors. Students can monitor their progress in a given course using an interactive gradebook tool.

During the registration process you will be asked to create a GatorLink account. The GatorLink login and password you create is what you will use to access e-Learning. A couple of weeks before classes start, detailed instructions will be sent out to assist you with accessing your classes.

Dropping a Course

If it is before the drop/add deadline, students may drop their course without fee liability. The fees will be refunded and the course will not appear on the student’s transcript. If it is after the drop/add deadline, students may still drop their course(s), but the fees will not be refunded and the student will be assigned a W for each course on their transcript.

Check the critical dates for the drop/add deadline and contact COM-graduateeducation@ufl.edu with any questions.

Complete the Course Drop Form.

Notes

You cannot drop your course in One.UF. If you drop your course in One.UF you will still be liable for tuition.
You cannot drop your course by contacting your course instructor.

Withdrawing From a Course

If it is after the drop/add deadline and a student requests to drop their course it will be considered a withdrawal.

The student will be liable for all course tuition and a “W” will appear on his or her transcripts.

You must email a request to the registratio

Every semester a Registration Preparation Hold, Local Address Information Hold, and Emergency Contact Hold are placed on all University of Florida student accounts. These holds need to be cleared by the student before the student can have access to his or her course(s).

Please follow these instructions to clear the hold(s):

Go to One.UF.
Click onto the “Holds” tab under Action Items on the left of the One.UF screen.
Click on “Holds.”
Follow the directions to clear the Registration Preparation and Emergency Contact Hold.
Log out of One.UF completely, close your browser, and then log back in to One.UF to verify that the hold was successfully removed.

If you have an Immunization Hold, it does not apply to you. You do not need to have your immunization records sent to the University of Florida. The College of Medicine registration team will ask the University of Florida registrar to have this hold removed for you internally. If you have any additional holds please contact us at COM-graduateeducation@ufl.edu.

All master’s degree, graduate certificate and non-degree students can receive benefits from the G.I. Bill or V.A. Tuition Assistance.

Active duty military interested in using Tuition Assistance benefits should contact their base education office and coordinate payment by emailing COM-graduateeducation@ufl.edu.
The UF V.A. office must also be involved to coordinate the benefits and payment. Please contact them at VAcounselor@ufl.edu or 352-294-2948.