How to Apply

Current USF Graduate Student Application Process

Admissions Deadlines

Current USF graduate students seeking to share coursework between a Graduate Certificate and Graduate Degree must apply for and be admitted into the Graduate Certificate prior to the conferral of their Graduate Degree otherwise any coursework used to confer the Graduate Degree may no longer be shared with a Graduate Certificate.  

It is strongly advised that current graduate students apply for entry into their prospective Graduate Certificate prior to or upon enrollment in their first course being shared with the Graduate Certificate but should apply by no later than the deadline to apply for graduation, which is typically the fourth week of the semester in which the student plans to graduate with the Graduate Degree.

Current graduate students seeking entry into a Graduate Certificate requiring coursework beyond the requirements for their current degree major are strongly encouraged to reach out to the Office of Financial Aid prior to submitting the Graduate Certificate Approval Form to discuss implications for their financial aid status.

(Current USF Students) To apply for admission to your Graduate Certificate program, you must:

• Complete the Graduate Certificate Approval Form
  • Please download Adobe Acrobat to fill out this form.  Your broswer may not allow use of the dropdown form fields.  Please visit the Adobe website to obtain this free software.  You may also be able to download the full version from USF IT if you have been granted access and a license. 
  • Sign upon completion in Acrobat; electronic signatures are acceptable
• Collect the following recommended documents*:
  • Up-to-date resume or CV
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Two letters of recommendation from someone of authority who can speak to the applicant's academic and/or professional abilities
• Email completed paperwork and supplemental materials to gradstudies@usf.edu
  • Note: Approval paperwork may not be directed to this email via DocuSign. Please email directly.

*If already submitted as part of admission to a graduate degree major housed within the same department or college as the Graduate Certificate, applicants may not need to resubmit these materials.  Check with the affiliated Graduate Certificate Contact and/or Director to confirm.

If you are applying to multiple Graduate Certificates, please apply for each one with a separate approval form.

Some Graduate Certificates that lead to licensure may require additional materials. Please read the specific certificate program page in the USF Graduate Catalog to determine if any additional application materials are required.  If you are applying to multiple Graduate Certificates, please apply for each one separately.

NOTE: The graduate certificates in Healthcare Analytics and Health Informatics observe a separate admissions process. Information can be found on their respective pages.