MS & PhD Admissions
Medical Physics Graduate Program


Thank you for your interest in the UF Medical Physics Graduate Program! Please review the admissions overview, requirements, application information, and application review/decision notification sections below before submitting your application.


Overview

The University of Florida Medical Physics Graduate Program primarily accepts students into the program during the Fall semester. The admissions window for the Fall semester is as follows:

Applicants seeking to apply outside of these dates, should contact Brenda Tieden, Graduate Program Coordinator, to inquire about the possibility of an off-cycle review.

Please note that we generally only admit new students in the Fall semester. Spring or Summer admission puts incoming students at a disadvantage due to our progressive curriculum. Students seeking an off-cycle review for admission to our program during the Spring or Summer semesters must clearly and concisely outline their request, to include justification for seeking off-cycle admission.


Requirements

PhD: The MS degree is a requirement for admission into the PhD program in Medical Physics. Applicants not holding an MS in Medical Physics from a CAMPEP-accredited institution should apply to the MS program, regardless of whether the intended goal is a terminal MS degree or continuation to the PhD program.

MS: Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements for admission to our MS program.

  • BS in Engineering or Physics
  • Pre-Professional Courses needed for certification by the American Board of Radiology (ABR)

Candidates for the ABR Part 1 examination are audited to demonstrate that they have the equivalent of a minor in physics. This requires the following:

  • A two‐semester calculus‐based introductory physics course (a total of at least six hours)
  • Three advanced physics courses (at least three hours each). The advanced physics courses should be from the usual advanced physics curriculum. Courses that are primarily related to engineering, chemistry, health, or medical physics are not acceptable. Commonly approved courses are as follows: Electricity and Magnetism; Atomic Physics; Modern Physics; Quantum Mechanics; Optics; Nuclear Physics; Heat and Thermodynamics; Advanced Mechanics. 
  • Three UF courses that satisfy this requirement include: PHY 3101 Introduction to Modern Physics; PHY 3323 Electromagnetism I; PHY 4604 Introductory Quantum Mechanics I

Funding

Please note that the UF Medical Physics Graduate Program does not provide any funding in the form of assistantships or scholarships to newly admitted MS students. Incoming MS students are expected to apply for financial aid or fund themselves for at least the first two years in the program. MS students will be required to secure financial aid or personal funds sufficient to cover all applicable tuition and fees.

Additionally, funding is limited for prospective students applying for direct admission into the PhD program (applicants with a Master’s degree from a CAMPEP-accredited program). External PhD applicants, including those applying to the Professional PhD Track, are encouraged to discuss their potential admission with the Program Director in advance of submitting an application.

Graduate Cost of Attendance information can be accessed via the University of Florida’s Student Financial Aid and Scholarships webpage.


Applications

Note that Medical Physics is a concentration under Medical Sciences in the College of Medicine.

The following are required application materials:

  • Official UF Application, which includes a Statement of Purpose
  • Resume/Curriculum Vitae
  • Three (3) letters of recommendation – note that although the UF application has space to upload five letters of recommendation, our program only requires three.
  • Official Transcripts – Must be sent directly from your institution’s registrar’s office to the University of Florida registrar.
  • GRE (General) Test Scores. The UF GRE code is 5812. Scoring a 300 or above on the GRE is considered competitive.
  • English Proficiency Exam (for international applicants only). UF accepts the results of the TOEFL and the MELAB or the IELTS. The UF TOEFL code is 812.

Please access our Frequently Asked Questions page for more information.


Application Review/Decision Notification

Once a complete application (application; statement of purpose; resume/curriculum vitae; transcripts; test scores; three letters of recommendation) is received, the application will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee, comprised of faculty from all disciplines in the program – diagnostic medical physics, therapeutic medical physics, and health physics. Subsequent to review, a rank order is established for those applicants who meet admissions standards (as well as a determination as to which applications do not meet admissions standards and will therefore not be ranked or offered admission).

All admissions decisions are based on a Holistic Review, as outlined by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), in which each applicant is considered individually by balancing their academic metrics with experiences and attributes. In addition to academic achievements, the admissions committee looks for the following 15 core competencies for entering students:

  • Service Orientation
  • Social Skills
  • Cultural Competence
  • Teamwork
  • Oral Communication
  • Ethical Responsibility to Self and Others
  • Reliability and Dependability
  • Resilience and Adaptability
  • Capacity for Improvement
  • Critical Thinking
  • Quantitative Reasoning
  • Scientific Inquiry
  • Written Communication
  • Living Systems
  • Human Behavior

Prior to extending an offer of admission, the program director, Dr Manuel Arreola, reviews and approves all admissions decisions. Once approval is given, the application is marked for admittance in the University’s admissions system, prompting UF Admissions to complete a final review and provide final clearance. Once final clearance is obtained from UF Admissions, applicants will be sent a letter of offer via email. Applicants to whom an offer will not be extended will also be notified accordingly via email.