How to Apply to Life Sciences and Pre-Health Study at the University of Florida: Biology in Two Colleges, Plus Nursing, Health Science and Public Health, Critical Tracking Every Semester, SAT/ACT/CLT Required, with Admission and Prerequisite Information for US, International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Florida (UF) is in Gainesville, Florida. Its life-science and health-related majors are spread across colleges: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) has Biology (BA, BS), Zoology, Botany and Chemistry | Biochemistry; the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) has Biology, Microbiology and Cell Science, Nutritional Sciences and more; the College of Health and Human Performance has Applied Physiology and Kinesiology; the College of Public Health and Health Professions (PHHP) has Health Science and Public Health; the College of Nursing offers the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN); Biomedical Engineering is in the engineering college and is only mentioned here. There is no pre-med major in the United States, and the CLAS pre-health advising site offers model semester plans and prerequisite charts by profession (section 3). This guide summarises UF’s published information for fall 2027 entry for U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, followed by transfer students.

1. Relevant undergraduate majors

• Biology (CLAS; BA and BS): administered jointly by CALS and CLAS, 120 credits. The BS has two specializations: Integrative Biology (graduate study or areas such as ecology, evolution, genetics, molecular biology, physiology and systematics) and Preprofessional Biology (medical, dental, optometry, veterinary and other professional schools). The BA is flexible, suited to education, allied health and interdisciplinary fields such as science journalism, and needs less math, chemistry and physics than the BS. The catalog lists at least 30 credits of major coursework and 59–64 total credits for the BA, and 66–72 total credits for the Preprofessional Biology BS, whose major courses all need a C or better.
• Biology (CALS; BS): four specializations: Applied Biology, Biotechnology, Natural Science and Preprofessional (medical, dental, optometry, veterinary or other professional schools).
• Microbiology and Cell Science (CALS, BS), Nutritional Sciences (CALS, BS), Zoology (CLAS, BS), Botany (CLAS and CALS) and Chemistry | Biochemistry (CLAS, BS, with Biochemistry and Standard Chemistry specializations) are all in the catalog, and Dietetics is a nutrition-related major.
• Applied Physiology and Kinesiology (College of Health and Human Performance, BS): the catalog says it prepares students for fitness, wellness and research careers and for health professions such as medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, athletic training and physician assistant.
• Health Science (PHHP, BHS): four specializations: Applied Brain Science, Occupational Therapy Accelerated, Pre-Rehabilitation and Preprofessional (for careers such as medicine, physician assistant and dentistry that need significant basic science prerequisites, integrating the common preprofessional courses with the major). The catalog says all specializations except Occupational Therapy Accelerated can be declared in the freshman or sophomore year.
• Public Health (PHHP, BPH): for students heading to public health or related graduate study, or to work in health care settings.
• Nursing (College of Nursing, BSN): 120 credits. Students first complete a pre-nursing stage and then apply for admission to the nursing major; see section 2.
• Others: Biomedical Engineering is in the engineering college; the catalog also has a Health Professions minor. Whether these majors are STEM-designated is not stated on the pages we read.

2. Admission: how you get into the major

• Choosing a major as a first-year applicant: first-year applicants apply only through the Common App and choose a Summer B or Fall start. The first-year pages we read do not say how a major is chosen on the application or whether majors have separate admission standards or capacity limits; not published. By contrast, the Innovation Academy explicitly requires choosing a major on the Common App. The PaCE major list (an online start followed by a move to campus) includes Microbiology and Cell Science, Nutritional Sciences, Botany, Dietetics and Health Education and Behavior, but not CLAS Biology or Nursing.
• Critical Tracking: UF records progress and grades in key courses semester by semester, and falling off track affects whether you can stay in the major. Examples: CLAS Preprofessional Biology BS needs one of the biology, chemistry or calculus starter courses in semester 1 with a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA, then 2.8 in semesters 2–5 while completing CHM 2045, BSC 2010, CHM 2046, MAC 2311 and BSC 2011, with CHM 2210 in semester 5; the CLAS Biology BA asks for a 2.5 critical-tracking GPA in semesters 4 and 5; Microbiology and Cell Science requires 2.5, with the biology and general chemistry sequences and calculus finished by the end of sophomore year and CHM 2210 by the end of tracking term five; Nutritional Sciences requires 2.5; Applied Physiology and Kinesiology asks for 2.8 in semester 1; Public Health asks for a 3.0 overall GPA and a 3.0 critical-tracking GPA. The tracking tables also list a 2.0 UF GPA each semester.
• PHHP rule: the catalog says students must meet the major’s critical-tracking criteria each term, and students off track for two consecutive terms in the first five critical-tracking semesters must change to a major more appropriate to their skills, goals and performance.
• Nursing (BSN): in the pre-nursing stage students complete critical-tracking courses (APK 2100C, APK 2105C, DEP 3053 or EDF 2110, HUN 2201, MCB 2000/2000L, STA 2023, 3 credits of social and behavioral science and 3 credits of physical or biological science) with a C or better, and must meet rising overall and critical-tracking GPAs: 3.0 in semester 1, 3.1 in semester 2, 3.2 in semester 3 and 3.3 in semester 4, plus 60 credits, the writing requirement and general education by semester 4, to apply for admission to the nursing major. Once in nursing, semesters 5–7 each have an external nursing skills exam and semester 8 an exit exam. The College of Nursing has its own site (nursing.ufl.edu), which we did not read; the nursing application deadline, seat numbers and rules for international students are not stated on the pages we read, so check that site.
• Changing majors: rules for first-year students changing major are not stated on the pages we read; transfer applicants must choose a major on the application and the page calls a later change “highly unlikely” (section 9).
• Research and honors: the CLAS Biology page encourages all majors to do research, for course credit, as a scholar, as a volunteer or, rarely, as a paid assistant. Graduation requires passing the Major Field Test for Biology, the bioethics quiz and the scientific literacy paper in BSC 4936. The UFTeach minor can be combined with the Biology BA or BS for secondary teaching certification.

3. Pre-med: what UF says

• Pre-health advising: the CLAS Academic Advising Center’s pre-health site has tiles for medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant, veterinary medicine, nursing, public health and others, each covering degrees, timelines, extracurriculars and application notes. Students must bring a draft Pre-Health Action Plan to an appointment; incoming freshmen must attend Preview and meet their general college or major advisor first.
• Courses and grades: each pre-health path has different prerequisites, and the site offers model semester plans and a prerequisite chart. It says academics and test scores account for 50% of professional school applications on the academics page, and 40–50% on the “becoming a competitive applicant” page; the two pages differ slightly. It recommends two core science or math courses each term and four to five academic semesters of 15+ credits.
• Experience: shadowing, clinical experience (volunteer or paid, long-term) and community service are expected; research is strongly recommended but not required, and need not be health-related.
• Services: personal statement reviews run from early April to early July; each student gets one mock interview, with a professional-school interview invitation and application materials required; CLAS freshmen have a limited number of pre-health appointments after meeting their general advisor. CALS pre-health students see their college’s advisor, and Honors students use the Honors pre-health team.
• Medical-school acceptance statistics and any direct-entry medical programs are not stated on the pages we read.
• Whether pre-health advising has separate guidance for international students, and any limits on applying to U.S. medical schools, are not stated on the pages we read; email prehealth@advising.ufl.edu.

4. High school and first-year course preparation

• Minimum high school units (16 academic units): English 4 years (with substantial writing), mathematics 4 (Algebra 1 or above), natural sciences 3 (2 with lab), social sciences 3, foreign language 2 (sequential); a minimum C average in the academic core. UF says admission is competitive and most admitted students exceed these.
• Admitted-student profile (Class of 2030, middle 50%, accurate as of July 2026): core weighted GPA 4.5–4.7, ACT 32–35, SAT 1420–1520; UF stresses these are not minimums. UF recalculates a core weighted GPA with an extra 1.0 for dual enrollment in core areas and AP, IB or AICE classes and 0.5 for pre-AP/IB/AICE and honors classes.
• Preprofessional Biology BS (catalog): BSC 2010/2010L and 2011/2011L (Integrated Principles of Biology 1 and 2); CHM 2045/2045L and 2046/2046L; CHM 2210 and 2211/2211L (organic chemistry); MAC 2311 and MAC 2312 or STA 2023; physics (PHY 2053/2054 or PHY 2048/2049, with labs); core courses BCH 4024 Biochemistry, BSC 4936, genetics, microbiology or cell structure and function, and physiology; plus at least 12 credits of approved life-science electives.
• Biology BA: one course from each of three of five biology distribution groups (molecular/cellular/genetics, organismal, ecology, evolution and diversity, biology and society), BA electives and BSC 4936; early courses are the BSC 2010 series, chemistry and MAC 1147 or a higher math course.
• AP / IB / AICE credit (UF exam-credit tables; AP scores of 3 or higher earn credit): AP Biology 3 earns BSC 2005/2005L (4 credits), 4 earns BSC 2010/2010L (4) and 5 earns BSC 2010 and 2011 with labs (8); AP Chemistry 3 earns CHM 1020 (4), 4 earns CHM 2045/2045L and 5 earns CHM 2045 and 2046 with labs (8); AP Calculus AB earns MAC 2311 (4) at 3, 4 or 5; AP Calculus BC 3 earns MAC 2311 and 4 or 5 earns MAC 2311 and 2312 (8). IB (score 4, and 5–7): Biology SL earns BSC 2005/2005L (4); Biology HL at 4 or 5–7 earns BSC 2005 and 2010 with labs (8); IB Chemistry at 4 earns CHM 1020 and CHM L0001 (4), and at 5–7 also CHM 2045/2045L (8). AICE grades A–E earn credit; see the exam-credit page. The Health Science and Public Health catalog pages say AP, IB or AICE credit is accepted for prerequisites, but many professional schools have their own policies and students must check whether to retake.

5. Rounds, deadlines and materials

• Early Decision (binding): application 15 October, materials 22 October, decision 11 December, confirm by 8 January.
• Early Action (non-binding): 1 November, materials 8 November, decision 22 January, confirm by 1 May.
• Regular Decision (non-binding): 15 January, materials 22 January, decision 19 March (admit, deny, waitlist or Pathways), confirm by 1 May.
• Official transcripts by 1 July; official test scores by 1 May. The table is headed 2026-27 and prints no year on the dates; confirm they apply to fall 2027.
• Platform and fee: the Common App only; $30 fee (waivers available); the UF supplement and a personal essay; after submitting, you create a Gator Portal to enter the Self-Reported Transcript and Academic Record System (STARS) and test scores.
• Testing: required: the SAT, ACT or Classic Learning Test (CLT). UF has no preference, superscores each test, and does not count the ACT science section. Codes: SAT 5812, ACT 0758, TOEFL 5812.
• Honors and Innovation Academy: indicate interest on the Common App and answer extra questions; the Innovation Academy runs on a spring/summer schedule and requires choosing a major.

6. U.S. applicants

• Cost (2026-27, estimates for incoming freshmen, based on 30 credits): tuition and fees $6,440 in-state and $34,620 out-of-state; books and supplies $1,220, transportation $1,700, living expenses $14,190, miscellaneous $2,224, federal loan fees $56; total budget $25,830 in-state and $54,010 out-of-state; $16,240 for an in-state student living with parents. Any program fees for nursing, health or science majors are not stated on the page we read.
• In-state and out-of-state: UF is public and charges different rates. The “Residency for Tuition” page on how Florida residency is decided was not read; see the admissions site. The pages we read do not describe a Florida-resident preference in admission.
• Scholarships: the cost page does not list scholarship criteria; see the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.
• Research and placements: CLAS Biology majors can do research for credit, as a scholar, as a volunteer or rarely as paid assistants, and the pre-health site lists Gainesville hospitals, clinics and shadowing options. Placement numbers are not published.

7. International applicants

• Process: international first-year applicants use the same process and receive the same comprehensive review regardless of curriculum or citizenship; coursework from outside the U.S. takes time to process, so apply well before the deadlines.
• Transcripts: applicants whose secondary school is outside the U.S. and does not follow the standard U.S. grading system do not complete the STARS; they submit transcripts. The international freshman page requires at least four full years; the same page elsewhere and the catalog admission page say at least three full years (grades 9–11 plus the senior schedule or predicted grades). The two differ; confirm with admissions. Native-language originals and word-for-word certified English translations are required; unofficial electronic copies are accepted for review and official ones at enrollment.
• Credential evaluation: all non-U.S. coursework needs a course-by-course evaluation with a GPA calculation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES), received by the Materials Deadline.
• Testing and English: international first-year applicants must also submit the SAT, ACT or CLT. The catalog admission page says applicants whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL or IELTS scores; it does not give a first-year minimum, and the freshman pages we read give none; not published (transfer minimums are in section 9).
• Aid: students on F1, F2, J1, J2 or G-series visas are not eligible for federal aid administered by UF’s Student Financial Aid and Scholarships, but may be eligible for private or college-awarded scholarships. The page links to two further resources (financial resources and scholarships for international students, and financial support guidelines), which we did not read; specific international scholarship terms are not published here.
• Any limits on international students in nursing or clinical placements: not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• The admissions pages we read have no China-specific section and do not mention the Gaokao or Huikao; not published. Contact UF admissions (freshman@ufl.edu).
• General rule: UF says applicants whose secondary school is outside the U.S. and does not follow the standard U.S. grading system take the international transcript route in section 7 (original transcripts with certified English translations, a NACES course-by-course evaluation with GPA, and the SAT, ACT or CLT). UF does not say whether Chinese schools fall into that group; not published, so confirm with admissions.
• China does not appear in the transfer page’s list of countries exempt from English proficiency exams (countries where English is the only official language); English requirements are in sections 7 and 9.

9. Transfer

• Eligibility: an A.A. degree from a Florida public institution or at least 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours); foreign language competency (two years of one language in high school or the second level in college); a 2.0 overall GPA and 2.0 at the last institution; specific prerequisites for your major completed before enrolling, because transfer students cannot take prerequisites at UF; good standing. You are not eligible if you have 12–59 credits or already hold a bachelor’s degree (UF Online is an option).
• You must declare a major: all transfer applicants must choose one major per term, and a change after admission is described as highly unlikely.
• Deadlines (university-wide, listed for 2026 terms): spring 15 September (materials 1 October, decision 15 November); summer 15 February (1 March, 1 April); fall 1 May (15 May, 15 June). Some programs have earlier deadlines or admit only for specific terms, so check nursing and health programs with each college; verify the 2027 dates.
• Credit: use Transferology to see how courses transfer; see the credit evaluation page for details.
• International transfer applicants: a NACES course-by-course evaluation with GPA and certified English translations; English proficiency through one full-time year (or an associate-degree equivalent) at an accredited institution in the U.S. or an English-only country, or by exam: TOEFL iBT 80, TOEFL paper 550 or IELTS Academic 6.0, valid for two years, with UF’s TOEFL code 5812.
• Course requirements for transferring into biology-type majors, and rules for transferring into nursing, are not stated on the pages we read; compare section 4 and contact the college.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Common App; ED 15 October, EA 1 November, RD 15 January; the SAT, ACT or CLT is required; $30 fee
• Critical-tracking GPAs for Preprofessional Biology or pre-nursing are checked each semester, so the first-year core courses matter most

International applicants (including China):

• Original transcripts with certified English translation; a NACES course-by-course evaluation; the SAT, ACT or CLT; TOEFL or IELTS (first-year minimum not published)
• The Gaokao is not addressed on the pages we read, so confirm with admissions; for nursing, check the College of Nursing’s own site

Transfer students:

• A.A. or 60 semester hours; finish prerequisites before enrolling; a major must be chosen on the application and changing it is highly unlikely

Sources: University of Florida, Catalog: undergraduate programs; Catalog: Biology (CLAS); Catalog: Preprofessional Biology BS; Catalog: Biology BA; Catalog: Biology (CALS); Catalog: Microbiology and Cell Science; Catalog: Nutritional Sciences; Catalog: Chemistry | Biochemistry; Catalog: Zoology; Catalog: Applied Physiology and Kinesiology; Catalog: Health Science; Catalog: Public Health; Catalog: Nursing; CLAS Pre-Health Advising; Pre-health academics; Pre-health advising services; Becoming a competitive applicant; Freshman application; Freshman deadlines; Freshman requirements; Decision process and admitted-student profile; International freshmen; PaCE majors; Catalog: admission; Exam credit; Transfer applicants; Transfer eligibility; Transfer dates; International transfer; 2026-27 cost of attendance; International student aid. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures; the freshman deadline page prints no year, and the transfer page lists 2026 terms, so confirm the 2027 dates). Check UF’s website for the latest.