APK GRADUATE PROGRAMS ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Step 1. Apply to our program through the UF graduate school here:

https://www.applyweb.com/uflgrad/index.ftl

Guidelines that walk you through the UF application system can be found in the next section below. Once UF has received your application, you will receive a follow-up e-mail that will include a survey so we can find out: 1) which faculty/labs you are interested in and 2) funding options and instructions on how to apply. We have a competitive process for fellowships and teaching assistantships. For 12-month support, students should expect ~$30,000 in living expenses and full tuition support depending on the type of stipend. After submitting your application, look out for an e-mail from apkgrad@hhp.ufl.edu 

Personal Info: Complete all required information.

Conduct Disclosure and Application Information:
Complete requested information.

Application Information
Complete requested information.

Program of Study
Select “College of Health and Human Performance” and then “Health and Human Performance – Degree Name – Doctor of Philosophy” and then select the “appropriate” term. Finally, select “Save and Confirm Program.”

Additional Information
For concentration Select “Biobehavioral Science” or “Exercise Physiology”

Note: You can leave “program specialization” and “department contact name” blank.

Academic Background
Select your undergraduate major and specialization (if applicable). Use the “Select a College” feature to complete your current institutions information. All applicants should upload their unofficial transcript(s) (official transcripts will only be required if admission is offered and you accept the offer). Finally, insert the total number of junior and senior-level semester/quarter hours earned for each letter grade in the appropriate box.

If an international student, check the box under “Self-Reported GPA Calculation.” If domestic, calculate your GPA by following the instructions (this expedites applicant reviews).

Activities
Complete as outlined. The site will require you to enter at least one activity. This section is not critical, as your resume can outline your activities.

Test Score Information
The GRE is no longer required for admission to our graduate programs. For international applicants, UF requires proficiency in spoken and written English and accepts the results of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). The university’s TOEFL code is 5812. (See potential exclusions to this policy).

Note: International applicants are exempt from the English proficiency requirement if enrolled for one academic year in a degree-seeking program at a recognized/regionally accredited university or college in a country where English is the official language prior to your anticipated term of enrollment at UF, or if you are from one of the following countries.

Additional Questions
The more information the applicant can provide within this section of the Application, the easier it can be for the review committee to holistically review the student.

Statement of Purpose

The Applied Physiology and Kinesiology Department values a holistic graduate application review process. Accordingly, please address the following questions in your statement of purpose. Statements are limited to 1.5 – 2 single-spaced pages in length.

Required:

• Describe how your individual background and life experiences influenced your desire to pursue graduate education, and how UF APK will help you achieve your professional goals. Include specific details pertaining to faculty, research foci in our department, and outreach interests.
• Describe your philosophy and/or strategy for overcoming challenges. If possible, provide specific examples how you persisted through a difficult life experience, and how that might translate to difficult situations in graduate school.

Optional:

•  Describe any challenges you may have faced during your undergraduate or prior graduate program that is not reflected in your written academic record (e.g., research opportunities; grades; personal).
•  Upload a technical writing sample to the miscellaneous section of the online application (e.g., journal article; lab report; senior design report; white paper; conference abstract).

Resume/Other
This section provides a means to upload additional documents.

All applicants must:

• upload a resume in the resume section to summarize their academic experience.

All Ph.D. applicants must:

• Upload a completed Graduate Application Checklist in the resume section under the “Other Upload” tab.

Special Program Section
Complete the requested information as directed. Note that this section serves only to gather information regarding fellowships the applicant has applied to at the time of the application. Selecting a fellowship option in the UF Application System will not start the selected fellowship application process for the student. The student must independently apply for any fellowships via the organization’s specific process. Note: If you selected “applied to”, you must provide some form of documentation of this application to proceed to the next step. This would include any submission documents (the actual grant application is not required). If you are planning to apply for fellowships, but have not done so at this time, do not select any options or your application will remain incomplete. You are free to mention fellowships you are going to apply to in your Statement of Purpose. If interested in assistantship/fellowship opportunities, please wait for the follow-up e-mail from our department on these opportunities. If a student has already received a commitment of funding for their graduate work, this should be upload under the Resume/Other section.

Recommendations
Three (3) Letters of Recommendations are required to apply to our graduate program. Recommenders must be designated within recommendation section of UF application. These letters cannot be sent directly to the department and must only be received via the UF Application system. The best recommendations come from faculty or references that know the applicant beyond the classroom and can clearly convey knowledge of the applicant’s research interests, attitude, and work ethic and style.

Residency Information
Complete the requested information. Note that residency status has no impact on admission decisions, only tuition rates.
Acknowledgement: Review application for accuracy and pay application fee to submit the application.

Application Fee
Submit the $30.00 application fee via the UF Office of Admissions online application. Note: Our department does not provide PhD application fee waivers to any student.

Additional Documents Required to Complete Application
In addition to the UF Application system, students must also send in the REQUIRED information and/or documents listed below. Only send the materials listed below, as other materials that were not uploaded in the original application (e.g. resumes, publications, and certifications) cannot be forwarded to the department or used in the review process. Admission decisions cannot be made until all required application materials have been received.

• For International Applicants: Official transcripts and diplomas/degree certificates from all schools attended in the original language, accompanied by an official English translation

DO NOT SEND PRINTED MATERIALS, TRANSCRIPTS OR SCORES TO THE APK DEPARTMENT AS THESE MUST BE ROUTED VIA THE UF APPLICATION SYSTEM.

We have a rolling admissions process, so you can apply at any time. The majority of funded positions are available for students who start in the fall semester. To be considered for university funding (Fellowship, Teaching assistantships) and a start date in the fall semester you must apply by February 1.

For international students: In order to initiate visa-related paperwork you must be accepted into the program by the following dates:

Fall Enrollment: May 15
Spring Enrollment: October 1

Ph.D. applicants eligible for admission into the Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology (APK) Graduate Program must:

• Have earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university at the time of matriculation into the APK graduate program.
• Hold a minimum 3.0 GPA in their final 60 semester hours of undergraduate study.
• No GRE score is required.

All applicants from countries in which the official language is not English are required to submit official evidence of English language proficiency and meet the minimum score requirements. The university does not accept scores compiled from multiple tests to meet English proficiency requirements.

UF has two different criteria for English language proficiency depending on whether or not you will be teaching. For students on teaching assistantships the requirements are more stringent.

English proficiency for international students applying for a teaching assistantship: https://eli.ufl.edu/information/academic-information/igss/international-teaching-assistant-support-speak-eap-5836/

English proficiency for International students on fellowships/research assistantships:
https://admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate/international

Students can apply to the program without having identified a mentor to supervise them. Mentors and students often connect after the application process is complete. However, to be accepted into the program you need to have a mentor who is willing to supervise you. Please reach out to our faculty whose research expertise is a good fit for your interests.

For more information on faculty in the Biobehavioral science concentration see:
https://hhp.ufl.edu/academics/phd/apk-phd-/biobehavioral-science/

For more information in the faculty in the Exercise physiology concentration see:
https://hhp.ufl.edu/academics/phd/apk-phd-/exercise-physiology/