The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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UNC School of Medicine | Department of Health Sciences

Application Procedures

Document Submission

  • Online Application Submission
  • (For full details, see the Applications Instructions page)
    • All online documentation required by the graduate school
    • For international students, official TOEFL scores
    • Official transcripts
  • Three letters of academic recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Written statement of academic/career goals and research interests, limited to 3 pages.
    • A writing sample (e.g. Manuscript, thesis, class assignment, etc)
    • The written letter from your prospective faculty mentor indicating that they are willing to mentor you.  An email from the faculty member will be sufficient.

The application deadline for Graduate School fellowship consideration is typically the second week of December.  Please confirm the exact date with your potential faculty mentor and/or via the Graduate School webpage. 

Faculty Mentor Requirement

Students interested in our program must contact faculty members within the program who share their research interests to discuss the possibility of the faculty member(s) mentoring the student. Please be mindful that each faculty member accepts new students each year based on the numbers of students to whom they can provide adequate mentorship and/or necessary financial support. Each member of our faculty strives to provide optimal training and time for each student accepted into our program. To be admitted to the program, you must have identified a specific faculty member who agrees (in writing) to accept you as a student.  The written notification will be submitted as part of your application and confirmed by the Admissions Committee.
We encourage all applicants to email, call or visit faculty as a part of the vetting process.  If you are not sure who you want to work with, we suggest that you first check the Faculty page. Once you identify which faculty members are conducting research in an area of your interest, contact the faculty. Send some information about your background and area of intended study. Discuss with faculty what research they are conducting and their level of interest in accepting you as a student. If you have agreement from a faculty mentor please identify that person on your application. As you look for mentors please do not send emails to the entire faculty. We expect that this will be a thoughtful process for the student. A good fit for the mentor will assure a successful research training experience.

Interview Requirement

All applicants are required to interview with the Admissions Committee via Zoom.  Prospective mentors may ask students to complete meetings with lab members and/or collaborators either in person or via zoom as part of the vetting process.  

Financial Support

Various forms of financial assistance are offered through the University. Teaching and research assistantships are available on a competitive basis. Other support is available pending grant funding. There are also part-time employment opportunities available in the local area.

Questions can be directed to:

Jennifer Canders
jcanders@email.unc.edu
Note: Subject line should be “HMSC Admissions Question”