Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology

PHYSIOLOGY AND AGING

Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology

The graduate certificate is a way to gain practical knowledge for careers in the medical field. It is a postgraduate program in that students must have a bachelor’s degree in order to be admitted. However, it differs from a master’s degree because it can be completed in just one semester, and it is mainly focused on medical or graduate school preparation. This certificate also prepares students for the MCAT and other similar exams, as well as National Board examinations.

Overview

The online Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology is offered through the College of Medicine at the University of Florida. This program consists of 9-14 credits offered entirely online.

Students can complete the graduate certificate in as little as one semester. Courses are offered all semesters, and students are accepted year-round. Upon completion of this program, students will receive a Certificate in Medical Physiology. It is an excellent way for students to add to their knowledge base and their resume.

The graduate certificate is made up of six courses. The 1-credit Fundamentals of Medical Physiology course is required, and the other five courses are electives. While students may take all 14 credits, only 9 credits are required for completion. The number of credits for each course is reflective of the number of lectures, problem sets, and workshops required for each course. The courses are self-taught and can be taken in the same semester. However, the course content for GMS6440 (Fundamentals of Medical Physiology) must be completed BEFORE the course content for all of the electives.

Admission requirements

In order to apply for the University of Florida’s online Graduate Certificate in Medical Physiology or Medical Physiology with a specialization in Cardiovascular/Renal Physiology, students must have:

  • A Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS) degree from one of the institutional accreditors (or four-year international equivalent) found in the “Accreditation” section at Admissions.ufl.edu/apply/graduate
  • A strong science foundation with a minimum of five full semesters of courses related to biology, chemistry and/or physics
  • An upper-division GPA of 2.0 (C grade) or better. To calculate what your upper-division GPA is, please use the following form: Upper Division GPA Worksheet.

Tuition

Tuition is $550 per credit hour plus fees for all students, regardless of location. This tuition rate is subject to change. Our program does not accept the UF EEP or Florida State Tuition Waiver. This is an off-book program and does not receive funds from these programs.

Financial Aid

Financial aid is not available for graduate certificate and non-degree seeking students but students may be eligible for private loans.

Tuition Reimbursement

Tuition reimbursement is a form of tuition assistance offered by many employers to employees who are looking to gain job-related skills and advance their careers within the company. UF’s online graduate programs in medical physiology can be instrumental for professionals working in hospitals and there are many employers who see an education in medical physiology as an investment, especially as the field of clinical medicine continues to expand.

If you are interested in tuition reimbursement, you should first verify whether your employer has an existing tuition reimbursement policy. From there, you can determine your eligibility and work with your employer to receive benefits. 

Additional Costs

There is a $30 application fee for graduate certificate applications, to be paid at the time of submitting the online application. There is no application fee for non-degree seeking students.

Required Courses

course number course title credits spring summer fall
GMS 6440 Fundamentals of Medical Physiology 1 X X X
GMS 6401 Medical Renal Physiology 2 X X X
GMS 6402 Medical Respiratory Physiology 3 X X X
GMS 6419 Medical Endocrine Physiology 3 X X X
GMS 6474 Medical Cardiovascular and Muscle Physiology 3 X X X
GMS 6479 Medical Gastrointestinal Physiology 2 X X X

Graduation Requirements

To earn this graduate certificate, students must complete the required 15 credit hours and have an overall GPA of 3.0.