How to Apply to Life Sciences and Medicine at the University of Miami: Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Neuroscience in Arts & Sciences, Nursing, Health Science and Public Health in the Nursing and Health Studies school, Test Scores Required (Optional for Non-U.S. Secondary Graduates), No Pre-Med Major, and What U.S., International (Including Chinese) and Transfer Applicants Need

The University of Miami (Coral Gables, Florida — not Miami University in Ohio) is a private university. Its life-science and health programs sit mainly in two places: the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Nursing and Health Studies (SONHS). The United States has no pre-med undergraduate major, and the Pre-Health Advising FAQ says so directly: “Pre-Health is a track not a major.” Below are the key points for fall 2027 entry, split into U.S. applicants, international applicants and applicants from China, then transfers.

1. Which related majors exist

• Biology (Arts and Sciences): a B.S. and a B.A. Both require a Biology major of 34 credit hours of BIL courses, each with at least a C- and an overall GPA of 2.0. The B.S. is recommended preparation for medical, veterinary or dental school and for graduate study in biology; the B.A. suits careers that overlap with social sciences and humanities, such as teaching, science policy and environmental law. The B.S. offers three optional tracks: Pre-Health, Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB), and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB). Honors in Biology requires at least two semesters of research and a senior thesis, an overall GPA of 3.3 and a biology GPA of 3.5.
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB): a B.S. with two tracks, BCHM (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) and BCHN (Biochemistry and Nutrition). The department describes it as preparation for medical school, basic medical sciences graduate study, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry, dentistry, veterinary medicine and more.
• Microbiology and Immunology: the study of microbes and the immune system; students can do research in laboratories at the Miller School of Medicine, and there is an optional dual degree/double major track with the School of Nursing public health program.
• Neuroscience: B.S. only; an interdisciplinary program among Psychology, Biology and the Miller School of Medicine. Departmental Honors needs a 3.5 combined GPA and a 3.5 neuroscience GPA plus a two-semester senior honors thesis.
• Global Health Studies: listed among the Arts and Sciences programs; we did not read its requirements.
• Nursing (SONHS): the BSN comes in three forms: Traditional BSN (for students with no previous higher education, four years), Accelerated BSN (for those holding a non-nursing bachelor’s degree) and RN-to-BSN (for licensed registered nurses). The Bulletin says the baccalaureate nursing program is approved by the Florida Board of Nursing and accredited by CCNE.
• Health Science (BSHS): a SONHS B.S. in which every graduate completes a pre-professional track: General, Health Management and Policy, Pre-Medical, Pre-Occupational Therapy, Pre-Pharmacy or Pre-Physical Therapy. There are also 4+1 dual degrees with Public Health (BSHS/MPH, BSHS/MSPH).
• Public Health (BSPH): a SONHS B.S.; the Bulletin says it is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health through 31 December 2030; there are also minors.
• Biomedical engineering: a College of Engineering matter; we did not read it, so it is not covered here.
• Whether any of these are designated STEM: not stated on the pages we read.

2. How admission works: you choose a school and major when you apply

• School and major: the site says the Final Credentials Deadline is also the last date to change your major to one in another school or college. After admission, requests to change majors within the school or college can be made at any point and are reviewed by Undergraduate Admission until mid-May; a change of school or college can be requested only after the first day of classes and is not guaranteed; scholarships tied to a particular program may not transfer.
• Nursing (Traditional BSN): admission of new first-year students is handled through the Office of Undergraduate Admission and is open to applicants who meet UM’s general requirements. To progress into clinical coursework (the third year) you need a UM GPA of 3.0 and a clinical-prerequisite GPA of 2.75, and at least 60–63 credits; each clinical prerequisite and nursing course needs a C or higher; before clinical work you must pass a drug test and background check, provide immunizations and hold an American Heart Association Basic Life Support certification. All nursing major courses must be taken at UM.
• Switching into Traditional BSN from another UM major: a minimum 3.0 UM GPA and 2.75 clinical-prerequisite GPA are needed to be considered; the Bulletin says there may be a waitlist, meeting the minimum does not guarantee a seat, and seats go by the intended graduation year, the date added to the waitlist, GPA and feasibility of finishing on time.
• Health Science (BSHS) and Public Health (BSPH): new first-year and transfer students also apply through Undergraduate Admission. Current UM students need a 3.0 UM GPA to switch in (the same for adding a public health major) and there may also be a waitlist.
• Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Neuroscience: the Bulletin pages we read give no GPA threshold or quota for entering these majors; not stated, so ask the departments or admissions.
• Grade standards inside the majors: Biology requires at least C- in each major course; health science and public health courses require C- in prerequisites, and nursing courses require C.

3. The pre-med route

• Office of Pre-Health Advising and Mentoring: the site says UM offers pre-professional health advising for students who aim at medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry, chiropractic and podiatry. Students who want nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy or pharmacy are told to contact the School of Nursing and Health Studies. The FAQ says an orientation session for new pre-health students is held during orientation week each year.
• Pre-medical prerequisite courses (the office’s page): English and writing, 2 semesters; biology with labs, 2; chemistry with labs, 4; physics with labs, 2; math, 2 (varies by school); behavioral sciences (psychology and sociology), 2, recommended for the MCAT. The office reminds students that requirements vary and recommends the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) guide.
• Timeline and experiences: students are encouraged to attend Pre-Health Information Sessions (101, 201, 301) starting in the first year, which opens a pre-health file and gives access to the pre-health Blackboard page; the page suggests shadowing at least three professionals for at least 40 hours each; research mentors can be found through the Office of Undergraduate Research; most candidates take the MCAT during the winter break or between spring and summer of junior year, or in a gap year; recommendation letters should be requested 2–3 months before the AMCAS portal opens in June. The FAQ says a committee or cover-letter packet includes at most six letters: 2 from science faculty, 1 from non-science faculty, 1 from a health professional and 2 “wild cards”.
• Health Professions Mentoring (HPM): the site describes a mentoring program designed to prepare students to be competitive applicants to any medical school; entry is by invitation only: Undergraduate Admission identifies students from the “choice of major and interest in pre-health professions” on the application and sends invitations with the admission notification. Content: a guaranteed HHMI Integrative Biology/Chemistry research lab course in year one, a Clinical Medicine course on the medical campus taught by Miller School faculty in year two, a personalized MCAT prep course in year three, plus mentoring, guest-speaker meetings and early registration. The FAQ says students may choose any major as long as they complete the prerequisites. The pages we read do not say whether HPM carries guaranteed medical-school admission, nor whether international students are eligible; not stated.
• Pre-Medical track (Health Science B.S.): SONHS’s Health Science B.S. has a Pre-Medical track; we did not read its course list. The Biology B.S. has a Pre-Health track; see the next section.
• Whether pre-health advising has separate notes for international students, and the limits on international applicants to U.S. medical schools: not stated on the pages we read. This guide does not cover medical-school applications.
• Combined BS/MD: the UM pages we read show none; not stated.

4. High-school preparation and the first two years

• The admission pages we read describe holistic review: transcript and rigor of curriculum, extracurriculars, recommendation, personal statement and test scores, in the context of your background and school. They do not list required high-school math, biology, chemistry or physics and set no extra high-school requirements for life-science majors; not stated.
• Math placement: the site says math placement may use SAT or ACT scores, ALEKS placement, and AP, IB, dual enrollment and transfer credit; applicants who apply without test scores must take the ALEKS for math placement.
• Writing: SONHS students take WRS 105 with WRS 106, WRS 107 or ENG 106; suitable AP or IB scores can satisfy this, and a suitable SAT or ACT score can exempt (but not give credit for) WRS 105. Credit for AP/IB biology, chemistry, physics and calculus is not itemized on the pages we read (UM has separate AP/IB credit-equivalency pages we did not read).
• Biology B.S. (first two years): two semesters of introductory biology with labs, usually in the first year — BIL 150 with BIL 151 (or BIL 153) and BIL 160 with BIL 161 (or BIL 163); BIL 250 Genetics; three of BIL 255 Cellular and Molecular Biology, BIL 320 Evolutionary Biology, BIL 330 Ecology and BIL 360 Comparative Physiology; 12 credits of biology electives (at least 3 at the 400 level or higher, at least one capstone, at least two lab or field courses); three semesters of chemistry (CHM 121 with 113, CHM 221 with 205, CHM 222 with 206 or 207); one statistics or programming course; and physics via several options (10–11 credits).
• Nursing (Traditional BSN) clinical prerequisites (complete before the clinical third year and within the last 10 years): BIL 150/151 General Biology; chemistry (CHM 103/105 or CHM 121/113, 4–5 credits); HCS 212/213 Human Anatomy; HCS 215 Principles of Systemic Physiology; mathematics (MTH 101, MTH 107 or higher placement); NUR 202 Introductory Statistics in Health Care; NUR 306 Principles of Nutrition; NUR 317 Theories in Growth and Development; PSY 110. The Bulletin notes that MTH 107 is a pre- or co-requisite for BIL 150 and that Traditional BSN majors must take anatomy and physiology through SONHS, with no substitutes elsewhere at UM. The Accelerated BSN list is shorter (CHM 103/105, HCS 212/213, HCS 215, NUR 202, NUR 306, NUR 317, PSY 110) and must be completed before matriculation and within 10 years.

5. Rounds and materials (fall 2027 entry)

• Early Decision I (binding): application 1 November, financial aid 15 November, final credentials 13 November, decision mid-December.
• Early Action (non-binding): application 1 November, financial aid 15 November, final credentials 20 November, decision late January.
• Early Decision II (binding): application and financial aid 5 January, final credentials 25 January, decision late February.
• Regular Decision: application and financial aid 5 January, final credentials 5 February, decision 1 April. The site says first-year applications still incomplete by the final credentials deadline “may not be admitted”; incomplete early-plan applications roll into Regular Decision. Spring first-year entry: 1 November.
• Application and fee: Common App; the fee is $75, non-refundable; a personal statement of 650 words or fewer; no supplemental essay; one letter of recommendation (counselor or teacher) and the School Report. If there is a gap of three months or more before enrollment you submit an Educational Activities statement.
• Testing: the site says UM requires SAT or ACT scores; they can be self-reported on the Common App or in the applicant portal, you do not superscore yourself, and official scores are needed only if you are admitted and enroll. SAT code 5815, ACT code 0760; the ACT Science section is not required; AP or IB tests cannot replace the SAT/ACT. Groups that may apply with or without scores include Frost School of Music performance programs, College of Arts and Sciences BFA programs, the School of Architecture and students graduating from a high school or secondary school outside the United States. The testing-policy page is headed “Test Scores Required for Fall 2026” and says the policy took effect for fall 2026 applicants; it does not say whether anything changes for 2027, so check the latest.
• Admission data: the policy page gives first-year class profiles for 2019–2025; for the class of 2025: average unweighted high-school GPA 3.7–4.0, middle 50% SAT superscore 1350–1450 and ACT 30–33, with 34% submitting SAT scores (testing was optional in those years).
• Interview: no routine interview is described on the pages we read.

6. U.S. applicants

• Costs (2026-27): UM is private, and the cost page lists one tuition with no in-state/out-of-state split: tuition $66,312 and fees $2,030; on campus, housing $16,958 and meals $9,400, for direct costs of $94,700; plus books about $1,040, personal $2,294, transportation $800 and loan fees $38. The official estimated total is $98,872 on campus, $98,914 off campus and $83,104 with a parent or relative. The site says direct costs are finalized each spring by the Board of Trustees and current figures are preliminary. Accelerated BSN tuition is $14,240 per semester. No surcharge for biology, neuroscience or health sciences is stated on the pages we read.
• In-state preference: the pages we read do not say whether Florida residents get an admission preference; not stated.
• Aid: for need-based aid, U.S. citizens and eligible non-residents submit the FAFSA, the CSS Profile (for both custodial and noncustodial parents) and tax documents by the date of the admission plan; aid offers come with the admission decision. All applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships with no separate application; ED I and EA applicants are also considered for Premier Scholarships.
• Research: the SONHS pages say students may do research through the school or the Office of Undergraduate Research and Community Outreach; the biology and neuroscience honors both center on a research thesis. Quotas and conditions are not itemized.

7. International applicants

• How to apply: the same Common App route and deadlines as above. Official transcripts must come directly from your school official (via the Common App, Slate, Scoir, Parchment or email to mydocuments@miami.edu). A transcript not in English needs an English translation from a school official or an accredited translation agency; certified translations must include confirmation that the document is official, a statement of the translator’s qualifications, a statement of completeness and accuracy, identification of the document and language, and the translator’s name, signature and date. The site lists International Education Evaluations, Josef Silny & Associates and The Evaluation Company as U.S.-based agencies; self-translated transcripts or photocopies of translations are considered unofficial and cannot be used.
• Testing: graduates of secondary schools outside the United States may choose whether to apply with or without SAT/ACT scores.
• English: non-native speakers submit official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo (DET) results sent by the testing agency; codes TOEFL C730, IELTS 4861; TOEFL Essentials is not accepted. The site says competitive applicants generally score above 80 on the 0–120 TOEFL iBT (before 21 January 2026) or 4.5 on the 1–6 scale (after 21 January 2026), 6.5 on the IELTS and 120 on the DET; scores are valid two years. November (ED I and EA) or January (ED II and RD) test results may not arrive in time.
• Waivers: the site lists several, for example a grade of A or B in AP or IB Higher Level English, three years at a U.S. high school (including the graduation year), three years at a non-U.S. high school where English is the medium of instruction, an official SAT evidence-based reading and writing score of 650 or ACT English of 27, qualifying IB English predictions, a C or better in IGCSE/GCE English as a first language, or 24 or more postsecondary credits at a U.S. regionally accredited college including 6 in English composition at B or better. Waivers are requested through “Admission Request Forms” in the applicant portal. Academically qualified applicants who do not meet the requirement may be offered admission for the following year if they complete level five of the UM Intensive English Program within a year.
• Aid and costs: foreign nationals seeking need-based aid submit the CSS Profile (the FAFSA is only for U.S. citizens and eligible non-residents), and the scholarships page says international students must submit the CSS Profile to be considered for institutional need-based aid; merit scholarships are automatic for all applicants. The site estimates the total cost of attendance for international students at $104,091, which includes the mandatory health insurance fee and a higher transportation allowance; all international students must enroll in the university health insurance ($4,483) unless they provide agency- or government-sponsored coverage approved by the Student Health Center. Whether proof of funds must be submitted with the application, and how visa documents are issued, is not stated on the pages we read.
• International students and nursing / clinical placements: the nursing Bulletin technical standards say candidates must be able to communicate effectively in English in clinical and classroom settings; whether international students face other limits in nursing or clinical placements is not stated on the pages we read.

8. Applicants from China

• Gaokao: the pages we read do not mention China or the Gaokao and do not explain how scores are used; not stated. The admissions site has an “eligibility requirements by country” page, but its country list is loaded by script and showed only “Loading...”, so no China entry was read; the page says applicants whose country is not listed can email intladmission@miami.edu.
• Transcripts and school-leaving exam materials: follow the transcript and translation rules above; whether the Huikao is needed is not stated on the pages we read.
• Testing: graduates of Chinese secondary schools (China is not named separately) fall under “graduating from a high school or secondary school outside the United States”, so SAT/ACT is optional for them.
• English: TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo; the scores above are what competitive applicants generally exceed, not stated minimums; there is no China-specific guidance on the pages we read.

9. Costs, scholarships and placements

• Costs are above: an estimated $98,872 on campus ($104,091 for international students); Accelerated BSN tuition $14,240 per semester.
• Labs and clinical settings: the SONHS Bulletin says the school opened SHARE™ (Simulation Hospital Advancing Research and Education), a 41,000-square-foot, five-story simulation centre, in fall 2017; the pre-health office says UM offers research on the Coral Gables campus, RSMAS and the medical campus. Whether international students can take part is not stated on the pages we read.

10. Transfer

• Deadlines: fall transfer 1 April (financial aid 15 April); spring transfer 1 November; decisions are rolling. The fee is $75, through the Common App, with a 250-word essay on why you want to transfer.
• Materials: official transcripts from every college attended; a final high-school transcript if you will have fewer than 24 college credits (excluding dual enrollment) by your first semester; a College Report from each U.S. institution; an optional letter from a professor or employer. Applicants with fewer than 24 postsecondary credits submit test scores, but graduates of secondary schools outside the U.S. may choose; those with more than 24 do not need them. Before enrolling, every transfer applicant must submit a final high-school transcript showing the graduation date.
• International evaluation: anyone who attended secondary school or university outside the U.S., regardless of citizenship, must have an international credential evaluation (course-by-course with a GPA calculation), which takes 2–4 weeks; accepted evaluators are ECE, IEE, Josef Silny and TEC (WES only for university transcripts), and the evaluation must reach UM from the service by the transfer deadline; provisional evaluations are not accepted.
• Transferring into nursing (Traditional BSN): a 3.5 transfer GPA and 3.3 clinical-prerequisite GPA are needed; transferring directly into the clinical third year requires the SONHS clinical prerequisites and is considered as space allows; only credits from regionally accredited institutions count. Transferring into Health Science (BSHS) and Public Health (BSPH): a 3.0 transfer GPA. The prerequisite sequence and GPA for transferring into Biology, Biochemistry, Microbiology or Neuroscience are not stated on the pages we read.
• Credit: SONHS transfer courses in health science, nursing or public health need approval from the Office of Student Services with course descriptions or syllabi; all nursing major courses must be taken at UM, and at least half of the health science major must be taken in residence. The admissions site has a transferring-credits page and the MATES equivalency system, which we did not read.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Choose a school and major; ED I / EA 1 November, ED II / RD 5 January; $75 fee; SAT or ACT required; one recommendation and a 650-word statement, no supplemental essay
• Pre-med: any major; the office lists 2 semesters of biology, 4 of chemistry and 2 of physics with labs; HPM is by invitation; nursing clinical prerequisites and GPA rules are above

International applicants (including China):

• Transcripts sent directly by the school, with certified translations if not in English; TOEFL, IELTS or DET; SAT/ACT optional for graduates of non-U.S. secondary schools; international students must enroll in university health insurance and file the CSS Profile for need-based aid
• The pages we read do not say how the Gaokao is used, whether the Huikao is needed, or whether international students face limits in nursing and clinical work; ask admissions

Transfer students:

• Fall 1 April, spring 1 November; non-U.S. study needs an international credential evaluation; nursing transfers need a 3.5 transfer GPA and 3.3 prerequisite GPA

Sources: University of Miami, Admission plans and deadlines; First-year requirements; Testing policy; English proficiency; Transfer requirements; Transfer international evaluation; 2026-27 cost of attendance; Scholarships; Bulletin: Nursing and Health Studies; Nursing; Health Science; Public Health; Biology; Biology B.S.; Neuroscience; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Microbiology and Immunology; Pre-Health Advising; Pre-Medical; Health Professions Mentoring; Pre-Health FAQ. The first-year deadline page is labelled “Fall 2027 First-Year”; the transfer deadlines print no year, so check them. Costs are 2026-27 figures.