Application Process and Forms

Candidates seeking admission to the degree program in Interdisciplinary Ecology should obtain application materials from the internet sources listed below. Applications are received centrally by University of Florida Admissions, with some exceptions noted below. The process and required application materials are different for U.S. applicants and international applicants. Admission decisions are made by the School, after assessment of eligibility based on academic background and experience, placement with a faculty advisor who agrees to accept the applicant into his or her research group, and allocation of financial support (if available).

Deadline: February 1 for fall admission.

Eligibility for Admisssion: The University of Florida Graduate School requires applicants to have a minimum grade average of B (3.0 on a 4-point scale) for all upper-division undergraduate work. Applicants must also submit GRE (General Test of the Graduate Record Examination) scores. For students whose native language is not English, the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) is also required, with a minimum score of 80 on the internet-based version, 213 on the computer-based version, or 550 on the paper-based TOEFL. Information on GRE and TOEFL preparation and testing are provided on the Graduate School website. International students from English-speaking countries are exempt from taking the TOEFL test.

To be eligible for assignments as teaching assistants, students whose native language is not English also must score at least 55 on the Test for Spoken English (TSE); see the Graduate Catalog for further details. Applicants who cannot take the TSE due to lack of access can take the SPEAK test as an alternative, after arriving on campus.

Students seeking joint degrees must apply to both of the degree programs involved and be accepted by each program individually.

Step One.
Send the following items to the Office of Admissions for central processing:

Office of Admissions
Box 114000, 201 Criser Hall
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-4000 USA

1. Online "Application for Admission to Graduate School", for U.S. or International student.
2. Application fee, US$30 check or money order made payable to University of Florida.
3. Official transcripts of all collegiate work.
4. Official copies of test scores: Graduate Record Examination scores (Verbal, Quantitative, Analytical) and, for international students with a native language other than English, TOEFL and TSE scores. The University of Florida GRE/TOEFL Institution code is 5812 (department code is 0207, Ecology). Scores arrive and are recorded at the University about 1-3 weeks after they are ordered.
5. Certification of Financial Responsibility (international students only). Click here to download and print.

If the application fee is mailed separately, send to:

Office of Admissions
PO Box 2946
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32602-2946 USA

Step Two.
Send the following items to the School Director of Academic Programs for local processing:

Director of Academic Programs, School of Natural Resources and Environment
Box 116455, 103 Black Hall
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-6455 USA
Fax: 352-392-9748

1. Statement of Purpose: You must submit this directly to SNRE as instructed below.
2. Résumé: email to humphrey@ufl.edu
3. Three letters of reference. Click here to get form.
4. Graduate Fellowship/Assistantship Form (optional). Click here to download.
5. Photocopies of transcripts of all collegiate work.

Links to relevant Internet sites at the University of Florida:
Alphabetical list of graduate majors
Graduate Admissions Page
Admissions information from the Graduate School

To Prepare and Submit the Statement of Purpose Online:

Write and submit a statement of purpose (use the "Send" button) about your academic interests (including relevant disciplines) and career goals (including relevant types of employers), up to 500 words long (no more than one page, typed and single-spaced). List any potential faculty advisors you have identified. To use the snre.ufl.edu faculty database to help identify potential advisors, please click here.

If you lack good internet access, you may send the SNRE a paper copy (pdf 90 kB).

(Please note: The general "Application for Admission to Graduate School" provides a separate online statement-of-purpose form. We do not want you to use this, however, because the SNRE Statement provides additional information we need to notify the faculty about your application.)

If you are applying to more than one UF degree program:

If you intend to apply to more than one degree program simultaneously at UF, we recommend that you use the paper application rather than the online application. Although we otherwise prefer online applications, the online process requires you to fill out the lengthy form separately for each program. There is also some risk that only the most recent of multiple online applications might be retained on the computer. To apply by paper/mail, contact us (email and postal addresses below) to request the application form. The easiest way to produce multiple applications is to fill out the Application for Admission to Graduate School form, make a photocopy, delete the name of the first degree program in the "Program/Major" field, and substitute the name of the second degree program to which you are applying. You can mail multiple applications to the Office of Admissions along with a single fee payment.

To Apply:

Apply online, or edit a previously submitted online application

We prefer online application, because it is rapid and eliminates sending paper among University offices.  However, if you prefer, you may print the form, fill it out, and mail it to the Office of Admissions.  You also can access and edit your previously submitted online application form, but only until 5:00 p.m. EST of the day after the application was originally submitted.  To make changes after that, it is necessary to contact the Office of Admissions.  

The Statement of Purpose form also may be revised at any time.  To edit a previously submitted Statement of Purpose, submit a new Statement form and add the word REVISED to the text box with your name.

Application Forms to Print and Mail:

Application for Admission for U.S. or International student
Recommendation Form
Graduate Fellowship/Assistantship Application
Certification of Financial Responsibility (international applicants only)

To Request an Application by Mail:

By email, send your request to the Academic Program Coordinator, Ms. Meisha Wade, mwade@ufl.edu

By postal service, write

Academic Program Coordinator, School of Natural Resources and Environment
Box 116455, 103 Black Hall
University of Florida
Gainesville, FL 32611-6455 USA
Telephone 352-392-9230

Campus Housing:

If you desire on-campus housing (recommended for students with familes and international students), you should apply online for housing at the same time you apply for admission, because demand is very high. If you wait to apply until you arrive in Gainesville, the waiting list is likely to be a year long.

More information on campus housing
Graduate/family housing facilities
Application for campus housing

Last Modified: 9-Apr-08