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 for studying in the United States. The UFIC assists with ensuring immigration compliance, visa status, employment eligibility, and acculturation issues. Most international students use an F-1 visa to study on campus.
English proficiency
International applicants are exempt from the English proficiency requirement if they have been enrolled for one academic year in a degree-seeking program at a regionally accredited institution in a country where English is the official language prior to their anticipated term of enrollment at UF, or if they are from one of the specified countries. Florida law requires all non-U.S. students who are going to be graduate teaching assistants to prove adequate command of the English language.
English Proficiency Requirement: International students must take one of the following English proficiency examinations. The minimum scores acceptable for admission are:
Funding Your Studies
Explore the multitude of funding opportunities available to you for your studies. Check out the department’s array of funding opportunities and assistantships. 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. Dive into International Education Financial Aid’s search engine, dedicated to uncovering scholarships and loans tailored for international students. Start your journey toward financial support today!
English Learning Institute
The UF English Learning Institute (ELI), part of the Department of Linguistics in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, offers intensive English programs. These include the Intensive English Program and special programs focused on specific terminology, exam strategies, accent reduction, and more. These programs are designed for students who have a basic understanding of English but wish to deepen their conversational and academic language skills. Upon acceptance to Epidemiology, your faculty advisor may recommend completing an ELI program. For more information, visit the ELI 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.