How to Apply to Psychology at the University of Florida: Three Specializations in the CLAS Psychology B.S. and Critical Tracking After Entry, and Requirements and Timeline for Chinese, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At the University of Florida (UF), psychology is taught by the Department of Psychology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS), and the degree is the B.S. in Psychology. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on UF’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Specializations and major requirements

• Three specializations: the catalog lists Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, Behavior Analysis and Integrative Psychology (the catalog overview still calls one “General Psychology”; its own page is titled Integrative Psychology). All require psychology, statistics, mathematics and biology, and all offer a senior honors thesis option.
• Credits: at least 36 psychology credits, at least 18 of them at UF, each with a C or better. Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience adds 16 credits of biology, mathematics and statistics, for 52 in total.
• Critical tracking: UF checks each semester that students complete required courses on time. For Integrative Psychology and Behavior Analysis:
  • semester 1: MAC 1140 or MAC 1147, with a 2.4 UF GPA;
  • semester 2: General Psychology (PSY 2012), with a 2.6 UF GPA;
  • semester 3: two of biology (BSC 2005 or 2010), statistics (STA 2023) and the psychology methods lab (PSY 3213L), with a 2.6 critical-tracking GPA and 2.7 UF GPA;
  • semesters 4 and 5: the remaining tracking courses, with a 2.75 critical-tracking GPA and 2.8 UF GPA.
  Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience requires calculus (MAC 2311) and courses such as PSB 3340. Other psychology courses taken in semesters 1–5 also count toward the tracking GPA.
• Honors and research: individual work courses in research, independent study, senior thesis, teaching and internships count for up to 9 credits in the major; students interested in an honors thesis should talk to an advisor early.
• Choosing the major as a first-year: UF’s freshman pages do not say whether admission is by major. The catalog tracks psychology students from semester 1, and you can list psychology as your intended major on the Common App.

2. Application plans and deadlines

• Common App only, with a $30 nonrefundable fee.
• UF’s 2026-27 application cycle dates:
  • Early Decision (binding): deadline October 15, materials by October 22, decision December 11, confirm by January 8;
  • Early Action (non-binding): deadline November 1, materials by November 8, decision January 22;
  • Regular Decision: deadline January 15, materials by January 22, decision March 19, with possible waitlist or Pathways (Santa Fe College) outcomes.
• Official test scores are due May 1 and final transcripts July 1; confirming enrollment requires a $200 tuition deposit.
• Honors Program: indicate interest on the Common App and answer an extra essay.

3. Standardized testing

• Required: under Florida Board of Governors rules, all first-year applicants must submit the SAT, ACT or CLT by the materials deadline; self-reported scores are accepted.
• UF has no test preference and superscores all three (the ACT uses reading, English and math only).

4. Students at high schools in China

• Review: international applicants follow the same process and receive the same comprehensive review regardless of curriculum or citizenship.
• Transcripts: students with non-U.S. coursework do not use STARS; instead they upload at least four years of transcripts, including courses in progress, in the original language with a certified word-for-word English translation.
• Credential evaluation: all non-U.S. coursework needs a course-by-course evaluation with a GPA from a NACES member, received by the materials deadline. UF advises applying early because processing takes time.
• Gaokao: UF does not say how Gaokao results are used.
• English: the freshman pages do not list an English test requirement; the international transfer page requires TOEFL iBT 80 or IELTS 6.0. Check with admissions about first-year requirements.

5. Students at Canadian high schools

• Treated as non-U.S. coursework: Canadian high school curricula do not follow the U.S. system, so you need transcripts and a course-by-course evaluation with GPA.
• English: UF’s international transfer page lists Canada as exempt from English proficiency testing.
• BC curriculum: UF publishes no separate grade requirement for BC or other provinces.
• Testing: the SAT, ACT or CLT is still required.

6. Costs and aid

• 2026-27 out-of-state undergraduate budget (U.S. dollars, projected for new first-years): tuition and fees 34,620 (30 credits over fall and spring), books 1,220, transportation 1,700, living expenses 14,190, personal 2,224, federal loan fees 56, total 54,010. Fall 2027 costs have not been published.
• Aid for international students: students on F1, J1 and similar visas are not eligible for federal aid administered by UF, but may be eligible for private or college-awarded scholarships.

7. Transfer students

• Admission by college and major: transfers apply to a specific college and major, only one major, and changing major after admission is extremely limited; you must meet the major’s prerequisites and minimum GPA.
• Deadlines: UF currently lists 2026 dates: fall transfer deadline May 1, materials by May 15, decisions by June 15. Some programs have earlier deadlines or admit only in certain terms, so check with the college. The application fee is $30.
• Psychology prerequisites: equivalent courses under Florida’s Common Course Prerequisites can satisfy critical tracking; psychology courses you want counted toward the major need department advisor approval.
• Non-U.S. university coursework: a course-by-course evaluation with GPA, plus original transcripts and certified English translations.
• English: exempt after one full-time academic year (or an associate degree) at a university in the U.S. or a country where English is the only official language; otherwise TOEFL iBT at least 80 (paper 550) or IELTS Academic at least 6.0, valid for two years. Canada is on the exempt-country list.
• Foreign language: without 8 sequential college semester hours, show two sequential high school courses or equivalent proficiency.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply via the Common App by October 15 (ED), November 1 (EA) or January 15 (RD), with materials within a week
• Submit the SAT, ACT or CLT
• Four years of transcripts with certified translations, plus a NACES course-by-course evaluation with GPA
• Confirm the first-year English requirement with admissions; plan to self-fund, as international students cannot get federal aid

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Also need a course-by-course evaluation and the SAT, ACT or CLT
• Canada is on UF’s English-exempt country list

Transfer students:

• Apply directly to psychology, one major only; fall deadline around May 1
• Complete tracking courses in biology, statistics, math and general psychology with the required GPAs

Sources: University of Florida, Freshman application; Freshman dates and deadlines; Freshman international; Freshman requirements; Transfer application; Transfer dates and deadlines; Transfer international and English proficiency; Catalog: Psychology B.S.; Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience; Behavior Analysis; Integrative Psychology; 2026-27 cost of attendance; Information for international students. Information is for fall 2027 entry (costs are 2026-27 figures). Check UF for the latest details.