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Basic Information:
The University of South Florida is a high-impact, global research university located in beautiful Tampa Bay on Florida's spectacular west coast. It is one of the largest public universities in the nation, and among the top 50 universities, public or private, for federal research expenditures. The university is one of only four Florida public universities classified by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the top tier of research universities, a distinction attained by only 2.3 percent of all universities.

With over 230 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate, specialty and doctoral levels, including the doctor of medicine, there's something for everyone at USF. The university offers a dynamic learning environment that inspires innovation, creativity and collaboration and is focused on student success. More than 2,000 distinguished scholars, researchers and expert teachers, nearly all holding PhDs or the highest degrees in their fields, make up the USF faculty – including the 2012 U.S. Professor of the Year.

At USF Tampa, over 30,400 undergraduates, more than 8,400 graduates, over 550 Doctor of Medicine candidates and more than 1,500 non-degree-seeking students make up the total campus enrollment of over 41,000. The students are a diverse group, coming from every state, every U.S. territory and more than 150 countries around the world. International students make up 5 percent of the total student population.
Students at USF Tampa, are high academic achievers. New freshmen for the Fall 2012 semester had an average high school GPA of 3.94, an average SAT score of 1209, and average ACT score of 27. Fifty percent of new freshmen graduated in the top 20 percent of their class, and 86 percent are Bright Futures Scholarship recipients. Twenty-five students in the 2012 freshman class are National Merit Scholars, four are National Achievement Scholars and 15 are National Hispanic Scholars.
The university's faculty are world-class scholars. Instructional faculty at USF Tampa number more than 1,500. Eighty-six percent of full-time faculty hold terminal degrees in their field. The university has 50 endowed chairs and 30 endowed professorships.



Undergraduate Programs:
The school of biological sciences at the University of South Florida offers undergraduate degrees through two divisions, the division of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology and the division of Integrative Biology. The Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology (CMMB) has responsibility for the education of undergraduate students in core cell biology, molecular biology, genetics and microbiology topics as well as more specialized areas that require detailed knowledge of these subjects. To accomplish this mission, CMMB offers curricula that will lead to Bachelor of Science degrees in Biology and Microbiology. Courses are designed to meet the needs to students majoring in other science disciplines as well as non-science areas. The CMMB faculty members are dedicated to excellence in this mission.

Research and teaching in the Cell Biology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology division emphasizes cellular processes in prokaryotes and eukaryotes with an increasing focus on biotechnology and preparing students for professional careers in the areas of cell biology, microbiology and molecular Biology. Faculty research interests include: Molecular pathogenicity and antibiotic resistance of microbes; structural and computational biology; the biology of aging, gene expression and genomic instability.

Research and teaching in the Integrative Biology Division emphasizes organismal interactions and adaptations to the environment. We take a modern interdisciplinary approach to understand the interactions at many levels from cells to organisms to populations to communities to landscapes. Faculty research interests include: marine and freshwater ecology; restoration ecology; population ecology; plant-animal interactions; community ecology; plant systematics; conservation biology; ecotoxicology; biomechanics and functional morphology; environmental microbiology; microbial physiology; and gene transfer.

The department of chemistry offers a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences. Biomedical Sciences is designed to fulfill many of the admissions requirements for professional schools in the Health Sciences (e.g. Medicine, Pharmacy, Dentistry). Students contemplating graduate study should pursue a major in the discipline of their interest, such as Biology, Chemistry, or Microbiology.

Undergraduate Tuition: $211.19/credit hour resident; $575.01/non-resident. Financial aid is available in the form of grants, scholarships, and loans. Students should complete the FAFSA to be eligible for financial aid.

Graduate Programs:

The Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology offers master’s degrees and doctoral degrees in Cell and Molecular Biology. The master’s degree can either be thesis based or non-thesis based. They also offer a non-thesis based master’s degree in microbiology through the department.

The Biomedical Engineering Initiative represents a joint venture between the College of Medicine and College or Engineering. This initiative is a natural extension of the current biomedical engineering expertise present at USF, and will serve and enhance the development of the large cluster of more about 300 businesses that manufacture medical products in the region. The Initiative is designed to leverage the strengths of the region's related enterprise to create innovative and novel solutions, technologies and products that address current societal needs and improve the quality of life for Florida's citizens.

The M.S. pre-professional program in Medical Sciences, within the College of Medicine, has been developed to provide a novel interdisciplinary and concentrated program of study that is designed for students interested in either future doctoral or professional programs in the biomedical sciences and who value the interdisciplinary approach. The program integrates several disciplines and topics including the subject areas of anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, histology, microbiology, neuroscience, pathology, pharmacology and physiology. These medically-oriented subject areas have been integrated to provide a solid foundation in the medical sciences. The rigorous program is designed to allow students to demonstrate their full academic ability and suitability for future careers in healthcare in either academic or clinical environments. The interdisciplinary nature of the program promotes a broad intellectual focus that is required of current and future health-care professionals. In addition to the typical subject matter, the majority of the courses integrate modern teaching methods with extensive student participation designed to improve their written, oral and presentation skills that are also important components of their future professional development. Graduates of the program are anticipated to continue their professional development at medical and dental schools together with a variety of other healthcare professional programs. Students in this track take selected pre-clinical medical school courses and are able to complete the requirements for a Master of Science degree in Medical Sciences within one year.

The M.S. research program in Medical Sciences, within the College of Medicine, offers several concentrations, which consists of basic/molecular science credits, with medical relevance. This program is designed to prepare students for future educational or research endeavors in graduate education or other professional programs.

Graduate Tuition: $431.43/credit hours residents; $877.17/credit hour non-residents. Graduate students are eligible for financial assistance in the form of research and teaching assistantships, as well as through fellowships.

Graduate admission requires a minimum B average for undergraduate work, as well as GRE scores, and letters of recommendation.

Undergraduate Programs and Majors:
Microbiology (BS)
Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology (BS)
Integrative Biology (BS)
Biomedical Science (BS)

Graduate Programs:
Cell and Molecular Biology (MS/PhD)
Microbiology (MS)
Biomedical Engineering (PhD)
Medical Science (PhD)
Bioinformatics (MS)
Biotechnology (MS)
Bioethics (MS)
One-year Medical Masters (MS)

Dual Degree Programs:
MD/PhD



Application Deadlines:
Undergraduate: Accepted on a rolling basis beginning in October
Graduate: Varies by program; fellowship deadline February 1st
Apply online at: https://secure.vzcollegeapp.com/usf/default.aspx?cid=87&ltid=1