The Microbiology and Cell Science Ph.D. Program is a fully funded 4-5 year degree program that prepares graduates for a career in the sciences and research. The program requires a minimum of 90 credit hours in graduate level courses. Students must register for a minimum of 9 credit hours for Fall and Spring semesters, and 6 credit hours for the Summer. The candidate is also required to prepare a dissertation that shows independent investigation and makes a significant contribution to the research field.

Learn more about how to apply to the MCS Ph.D program: Microbiology and Cell Science Graduate Admissions

Fall 2025 appliations are due on December 15, 2024

Advantages of the Ph.D. Program:

• Students receive a stipend in the amount of $35,000 per year.
• Students receive a full tuition waiver, which means that students do not have to pay out of pocket for tuition.
  • Students are responsible for fees, which total approximately $600-$700 per semester.
• Health insurance is provided to all Microbiology and Cell Science Ph.D. students through GatorGradCare. The standard cost of GatorGradCare is $12 per month which will be deducted from a student’s biweekly paycheck.
• Students rotate in three labs within the Microbiology and Cell Science Department to choose their major professor and the laboratory in which they will create their own independent research and plan of study.
• Students at UF benefit from internationally recognized faculty with a diverse set of interests and backgrounds. For more information on the faculty and the research they conduct, please visit the faculty directory.

• Ph.D Student Example Plans of Study
• Hear about our Ph.D program from our current graduate students
• Faculty Research Specialties

Contact the graduate advisor (Jacqueline Lee - jlee9@ufl.edu) for more information on course schedules and planning.

• Graduate Student Handbook

  Microbiology and Cell Science Graduate Student Handbook

  Microbiology and Cell Science Department policies and expectations of all graduate students can be found in the MCS Graduate Student Handbook. All students are expected to be familiar with the information within this handbook in regards to their specific program of study.

  MCS Graduate Handbook

  University of Florida policies and guidelines for all graduate students can be found in the UF Graduate student handbook. You can find the most up to date version of the UF graduate handbook at the UF Graduate School website.

  If you have questions regarding this information, please contact a department advisor.