Admissions Requirements

  • A master’s degree in a field related to human movement is preferred, but qualified candidates with a bachelor’s degree will be considered for admission. (e.g., physical therapy, exercise science, athletic training, biomedical engineering, anatomy, etc).
  • A grade point average of 3.0 or better in the last two years of your most recent degree program.
  • Prerequisites for admission include:
    • Statistics
    • Human anatomy
    • Human physiology

       AND

    • At least one of the following courses:
      • physics
      • biomechanics
      • chemistry
      • psychology
      • exercise physiology
      • motor learning/motor control/neuromuscular control
      • neuroanatomy

 

Application Procedures

Document Submission

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

Our goal for admissions is to select students who are a good fit for our program. Students interested in applying to our program should contact faculty members within the program who share their research interests to discuss the possibility of the faculty member 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. We encourage all applicants to email, call or visit faculty as a part of the admissions process.

If you are not sure who you want to work with, we suggest that you first check the HMSC website faculty page to learn about faculty research. 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 have an interview on campus. Although an on-campus interview is highly preferred, a telephone or Skype interview may be arranged if a visit to UNC-CH is not possible.

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”