University of South Florida

Graduate Admissions Criteria

Who should use this Graduate Application?

U.S. Citizens or Permanent Resident Aliens or Foreign applicants who are first time, or transfer graduate applicants to USF and who have earned a bachelor’s degree (or US Equivalency) or will have earned a bachelor’s degree prior to enrollment if accepted. Current domestic graduate students who wish to enter a new graduate degree program upon completion of their current degree program (i.e. enter a Ph.D. program upon completing the Master’s degree).

Where should I send my recommendation letters, resumes, statement of purpose?

All recommendation letters, resumes and statement of purpose should be sent directly to the graduate program. The program addresses may be viewed from the list of Graduate Degree Programs

Where should I send my transcripts and test scores?

Please refer to the Application Checklist (To-Do-List) web page.

What are the Tuition Costs?

Please visit University Controllers Office to view the most current tuition cost information: Cash Accounting

What are USF's Criteria and Policies?

Statement of Principles In graduate admission decisions, multiple sources of information should be used to ensure fairness, promote diversity and balance the limitations of any single measure of knowledge, skills, or abilities. The sources may include: undergraduate grade point average, letters of recommendation, personal statements, samples of academic work, portfolios, auditions, professional experience related to proposed graduate study, as well as nationally known, standardized test scores. It is the responsibility of each graduate program to select admissions criteria that best predict success in their specific field and to determine the weight given to each measure.

None of the sources of information, particularly standardized test scores, should be used in isolation nor should such scores be used in combination or separately to establish minimum or “cut off” scores. Program specific guidelines for the use of standardized test scores should be developed based on the experience of a given department with its pool of applicants.

Admission Requirements Each applicant to a graduate program at the University of South Florida is required to meet the following minimum requirements:

  • An applicant must have one of the following:
    • A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and satisfying at least one of the following criteria:
      • “B” average or better in all work attempted while registered as an undergraduate student working for a degree, or
      • “B” or better average in all work attempted while registered as an upper division undergraduate student working for a baccalaureate degree.
  • A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and a previous graduate degree from a regionally accredited institution.
  • The equivalent bachelors and/or graduate degrees from a foreign institution.
  • Submission of a GRE/GMAT score is required unless specifically waived by the University.
  • All specific and additional requirements of the graduate program to which admission is sought (including requirements to submit standardized test scores) consistent with the above Statement of Principles.

The Program Chair and College Dean must approve any exceptions to these requirements with information copies to the Graduate School.    

What are the Application Procedures?
Application Procedures
Applications are accepted up to one year in advance of the desired term of entry and therefore, prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early. Applicants are responsible for submitting applications before the appropriate program or university application deadlines. Applications are considered “on time” if they are received by the Office of Graduate Admissions or the desired program (if that program is a Direct Receipt program) on or before the appropriate deadline. Program deadlines are listed in the Application to Graduate School at USF and on the Graduate Admissions web site at
http://admissions.grad.usf.edu/.

Priority is given to those applications that are received before the application deadline and are complete when submitted. Complete applications received after the deadline date will be processed for the next available semester. The Office of Graduate Admissions considers domestic applications complete if they include:

1. the appropriate application fee
2. one official transcript of at least 6 semesters of completed undergraduate work
3. GRE/GMAT test scores, as applicable

Applicants whose native language is not English or who have not earned a degree in the U.S. must submit a TOEFL score (refer to Test Scores).

What is USF's Accreditation?
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools/Commission on Colleges (SACS-CC) accredited the University of South Florida in 1965 and reaffirmed in 1994. USF awards degrees in Baccalaureate, Master’s, Specialist, and Doctoral levels including Doctor of Medicine.

What are some strategies when applying at USF?

  1. Contact the desired program early in the admissions process. Prospective students should ascertain both that they are eligible for admission and that the program fits their academic needs.
  2. Secure test scores, transcripts, and any other required items at least 60 days in advance of the appropriate application deadlines. You may submit unofficial test scores and transcripts with the application in order to expedite the processing of your application but you will still be required to submit official documents in order to have the admission file complete.
  3. Make sure the application is legible and well organized. Read the application instructions carefully before completing. Remember that illegible or poorly prepared applications not only prevent accurate processing but also create a negative first impression of the applicant.
  4. Make copies of all documents submitted for your records. To safeguard against possible mishaps, applicants should know exactly what they have submitted and have copies of their own for verification. Whenever possible, applicants should mail applications via certified mail for tracking purposes.
  5. Many programs require additional application materials such as resumes, writing samples, or letters of recommendation. These items may be sent as part of the overall graduate application packet or directly to the appropriate department/program. These materials will be forwarded to the appropriate program if sent with the application packet but do not become part of the applicant’s permanent file; therefore, the Office of Graduate Admissions does not track them.

NOTE: Applicants who want to apply to more than one graduate program must submit another application, application fee, one additional transcript, and any required departmental documents.