Jupiter Campus Admissions

The mission of the PhD Program in Biomedical Sciences (BMS) at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine is to provide a predoctoral educational experience that will train experimentalists and scholars for a wide range of careers. This program is dedicated to training highly skilled and independent biomedical researchers who will drive innovation and discovery. This is achieved by providing a rigorous curriculum, fostering an innovative and collaborative research environment, and equipping students with critical thinking, experimental design, and communication skills necessary to make significant contributions to scientific knowledge. The program also emphasizes cutting-edge research methodologies, ethical considerations, and effective translation of findings into impactful advancements in health and medicine.

The hallmark of the BMS Program is the strong cadre of faculty mentors across a wide breadth of fields and thus include members from several different departments, colleges, and campuses. These faculty mentors coordinate their efforts for the common goal of providing outstanding training, career development and mentorship, where they are constantly striving to challenge our students and provide the opportunity for discovery.

As of 2025, the this includes opportunities to be enrolled at the University of Florida’s Gainesville campus or The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology in Jupiter. Applicants should apply to one or the other campus. If interested in opportunities at both campuses, two independent applications should be submitted. Please visit our Helpful Steps for Completing and Submitting Your Application for further information on how to denote your interest in the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology in Jupiter specifically.

The University of Florida’s Gainesville campus has been the home of the BMS PhD program for over 25 years. It offers multiple specialized training options, which are supported by an academic health center which includes six health science colleges, numerous institutes and centers and world-class faculty that train doctoral candidates in biochemistry, molecular biology, cancer biology , molecular genetics, genomics, immunology, microbiology, pharmacology, physiology, cell biology and/or therapeutics.

The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology in Jupiter, Florida (originally Scripps Research Florida) joined the University of Florida in 2022. The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute advances human health by discovering and developing new medicines through collaborative chemical biology and state-of-the-art platforms such as cryo-electron microscopy, high-throughput molecular screening, and a large curated bacterial genome collection. Its distinguished faculty train doctoral candidates in chemistry, neuroscience, immunology, virology, oncology, and drug discovery, preparing graduates for impactful careers across academia, industry, and the broader biomedical enterprise.

Admissions Overview – Jupiter Campus

How to Complete an Application

Please be sure to review the application process and helpful steps for completing and submitting your application.

Minimum Requirements

We highly recommend that potential applicants examine our faculty database to identify potential mentors and ensure our program offers research opportunities within your scope of interest.

• Research Experience:  An essential factor for admission to our Ph.D. program is prior research experience. Most applicants have a year or more of undergraduate research experience. If you are studying at an institution with limited research opportunities, you should seek a summer research experience. University of Florida has several options. Research experience is initially evaluated based on a personal statement and letters of recommendation. Although some of our admitted students have earned a Master’s degree, most students are admitted after earning a Bachelor’s degree.
• GPA:  The minimum requirements for graduate admission at the University of Florida include a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university AND a minimum grade point average of 3.0 for all upper division (Junior/Senior) courses. Please use the “Self-Reported GPA Computation and Worksheet for Graduate Applications” to calculate your upper division GPA. Although the university minimum GPA for admission is 3.0, the mean GPA for successful applicants for our 2022 program cohort was 3.7.
• Additional Course Requirements:  Applicants must have taken general biology and chemistry including organic chemistry and biochemistry. Applicants with weak undergraduate academic performance should consider pursuing a year of post-baccalaureate studies or obtaining a Master’s degree before applying. Biochemistry is core to the biomedical sciences, we usually do not consider an application if the student will not have completed undergraduate biochemistry before beginning the GPBMS Program.
• GRE:  The GRE is no longer required for acceptance to the University of Florida Graduate School OR for the Graduate Program in Biomedical Sciences.

Applications are evaluated based on an overall assessment of research experience (personal statement and letters of recommendation), undergraduate course load, and GPA.

Admissions Process

Complete applications meeting the minimum requirements are reviewed by the Admissions Committee in a holistic manner including (but not limited to) prior academic record and preparation for advanced study in the selected specialization; examination scores and other submitted materials; completion of program admission requirements including prerequisite coursework; ability of the program to provide curricular and/or research opportunities consistent with the applicant’s stated objectives; and completeness of the applicant’s file. Upon review of a student’s application, the committee will make a decision to decline an applicant or invite a student to one of two interview weekends.

Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology Interview Date

Students recommended for an interview will be contacted by the BMS Admissions team to arrange travel. Gator Preview is an all expenses paid visit that provides students with an opportunity to explore our multiple concentrations, meet our research faculty, tour research laboratories, and meet with current and other prospective PhD students. Participation in the Interview Date is a required (and last) step of the application process. Students will participate in a variety of activities, including interviews with faculty members in the concentration(s) you have indicated interest in.

After Gator Preview

Following the completion of both Gator Preview weekends, the Admissions Committee will gather to discuss final admissions decisions. Students will receive an offer of admission, a waitlist recommendation, or a denial, following their interview weekend. Due to the nature of our admissions processes and offices, it may take a few weeks to for this decision to be released, but we aim to have all decisions out by mid-March. All decisions, other than potential waitlist spots, will be released prior to April 15th.

Students placed on the waitlist will be contacted if a spot becomes available. The Admissions Committee uses a holistic approach to review students on the waitlist, should a spot become available. They do so using the applicant’s original application file, as well as information gathered from the activities of Gator Preview. As such, the waitlist is not ranked and is tied to your fit within the program as a whole.