Admissions

Applicants to the Cancer PhD Program must have at least a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university with an extensive background in the field of biology or chemistry.

Undergraduate research experience will greatly improve the chances of admission.

Students who seek admission to the Program are required to meet the minimal system-wide (State University System of Florida) and university-wide (University of South Florida) requirements. For full consideration, applicants should have earned a minimum overall undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (out of a possible 4.0). Transcripts certifying degrees (along with coursework) must also be submitted.

Applicants from countries where English is not the official language and who have not earned at least a bachelor’s degree in the U.S. from a regionally accredited institution must also demonstrate proficiency in the English language. See list of English-speaking countries.

Minimum test scores required to determine proficiency are:

• IELTS - 6.5
• PTE-A - 53
• TOEFL (iBT – 79; PBT – 550)
• GRE Verbal – 153

Admission is competitive and we expect that the successful applicant will exceed these minimal criteria.

How to Apply

We accept students for fall admission only. The priority deadline for consideration is December 1.  All application materials (including letters of recommendation) must be submitted and received by Dec. 1 in order to be considered.   

Apply Here

Complete an online application. 

Please comply with ALL university requirements.  All supporting documents should be uploaded to the online application, and email addresses should be provided for three recommenders so the Admissions Office can send them a link to upload their letters of recommendation. The letters are to be on official letterhead containing full contact information for the individual submitting the recommendation. Occasionally, the email containing the link will go into the "Junk" folder so please make the recommenders aware.

All Applications Must Include the Following:

1. CV or Resume  
2. Transcripts (Certifying Undergrad/Master’s Degree): Unofficial documents are acceptable for the application. If admitted, an official transcript will need to be sent to the University.  All transcripts must be in English; it is the applicant's responsibility to have transcripts/documents translated and evaluated before submitting them as part of their graduate application packet.
3. Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation are required from individuals who are familiar with your research, academic or professional performance and abilities. An email address for each recommender is to be provided in the online application, so these individuals can be contacted by Graduate Admissions with a link to upload the letter. There is no standard form for the letter, but official letterhead should be used containing full contact information for the recommender. You should time this so that all letters are received by Dec. 1.
4. Statement of Purpose: Explains why you are interested in the program and lists how your education, training, and research experience have prepared you for the Cancer PhD Program.  There is no specific form; this should be no more than two pages long. 
5. GRE (Optional): You can upload a copy of the score report for departmental use; official scores can be reported directly to the University using the code below. 
6. TOEFL/IELTS: Applicants from countries where English is not the official language, and who have not earned at least a bachelor’s degree in the U.S. from a regionally accredited institution, must also demonstrate proficiency in the English language with one of the tests as mentioned above.  Valid scores must be within two years of your admission start date.  You can upload a copy of the score report for departmental use; official scores can be reported directly to the University using the code below.

If sending official test scores from ETS, use the following codes: 
GRE (5828-0000) and TOEFL (5828-99)

Questions can be directed to:

Cancer PhD Program
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, MRC-4 East
12902 USF Magnolia Drive 
Tampa, Florida 33612
E-mail address: CancerPhD@moffitt.org