International Applicants

New International Students

Moving to a new country and adjusting to university life can be challenging, and the department aims to create a welcoming environment and help students make a smooth transition as they pursue higher education.

Incoming international students will work with an advisor from the University of Florida International Center (UFIC) to submit and process the necessary paperwork to study in the United States. The UFIC can help you with ensuring immigration compliance, visa status, employment eligibility, and acculturation issues. Most of our international students come to campus to study using an F-1 visa. You can find more information about the required paperwork and transition to the university at the UFIC website.

Funding Your Studies

International students may be eligible for many different types of funding, including graduate assistantships, scholarships, fellowships, and grants.

Some international students may be eligible for federal aid. Visit the Federal Student Aid website for more information.

The UF International Center maintains a list of financial resources specifically for international students and also has helpful information about working while pursuing a degree.

International Education Financial Aid maintains a search engine for scholarships and loans available to international students.

Graduate Assistantships

The Department of Epidemiology offers graduate assistantships to all doctoral students upon acceptance, unless the student has received a fellowship, scholarship, or other external funding source.

Your graduate assistantship will pay for:

• 24 credits of tuition per year (9 credits in the fall, 9 credits in the spring, and 6 credits in the summer)
• An annual stipend of at least $27,500, distributed biweekly
• Health insurance through GatorGradCare, if you choose to enroll

You will be responsible for:

• Working 20 hours per week with research and/or teaching duties
• Paying student fees at the Florida resident rate (see current tuition and fees at the Finance and Accounting website)
• Paying a monthly $10 premium if enrolled in GatorGradCare (deducted from your biweekly paycheck)

While the department can not offer master’s students graduate assistantship positions at this time, accepted students are welcome to seek GA positions through other academic units. If seeking employment as a GA, students will need to reach out to individual offices about availability and application procedures. Typically, master’s students are able to find GA positions after their first semester at the University of Florida by developing a professional network.

Below is a list of possible offices and contacts to aid the search:

• Dial Center for Written and Oral Communication
  • Contact: Stephanie Webster, Associate Director
• Dean of Students Office
• Multicultural & Diversity Affairs
• Jobs at UF

English Learning Institute

The University of Florida English Learning Institute (ELI) provides intensive English programs that prepare students for using English in the real world. It is housed in the Department of Linguistics within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The ELI offers two types of programs; the Intensive English Program and special programs that can help with specific terminology, exam strategies, accent reduction, and more. These programs may be helpful to students who have a basic understanding of English but wish to develop a deeper understanding of the language conversationally and in an advanced academic setting.

Upon acceptance to Epidemiology, your faculty advisor may determine that completing a program with the ELI may be helpful. To learn more about the ELI, visit their website.

Academic Spoken English

Academic Spoken English (ASE) builds oral English skills through student-centered, discipline-specific practice. It is intended for international graduate students who are either teaching or will be teaching at some point during their studies. Most ASE students have had considerable previous language study but little opportunity to communicate with English speakers. ASE builds upon this knowledge to activate previously learned grammar and vocabulary skills.

If you are accepted to the Department of Epidemiology as a teaching assistant, you may be required to take an ASE course if you have scored lower than 23 on the TOEFL iBT speaking test and lower than 45 on the SPEAK test.