This program is 100% in person.
The M.S. program typically takes 2 years to complete. The Ph.D. program typically takes 5 years to complete.
Faculty profiles include a description of ongoing research and whether or not each faculty member is taking students.
No. You do not need a M.S. degree to apply for our Ph.D. program. About half of our former and current doctoral students have completed a master’s program before joining us for a Ph.D.
Tuition and fees at Rutgers University vary based on school affiliation, campus and program. Tuition rates that were approved by the Rutgers Board of Governors for the current academic year, as well as descriptions of mandatory fees and optional fees, can be found here
Yes. Our program has a limited number of teaching assistantships available for Ph.D. students. Additional funding possibilities also exist through grant-funded graduate assistantships and competitive fellowships, as noted in the faculty profiles. Additional information on merit-based, need-based, and non-need based aid at Rutgers can be found here. Our department offers no independent financial aid or scholarships.
Please contact the Graduate Program Administrative Coordinator at
A minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale in science courses related to the field is required.
No. The GRE is not required, but you are welcome to submit your scores if you choose.
Yes. All international applicants from non-English speaking countries must submit TOEFL scores. There are no exceptions. The minimum score accepted is 220 for the computer-based test and 560 for a paper-based test. The minimum IBT-internet based TOEFL is: Writing 22, Speaking 23, Reading 21, Listening 17. Zoom interviews for finalist applicants will also be required.
- Personal Information
- Residency
- Program Selection
- Institution Information
- Test Scores
- Financial Aid
- Personal Statement
- Letters of Recommendation
- Program Questions
For more information see the application guidelines.
Not all prospective graduate students have had the opportunity to participate in an undergraduate research project. However, previous research experience and a positive letter of recommendation from a research advisor will position an applicant with an advantage over an applicant without research experience. This is particularly true for applicants to the Ph.D. program.
Three letters of recommendation are required. For M.S. applicants, at least one must be from a science professor. For Ph.D. applicants, at least two recommendations must be from science professors or research advisors. We are interested in an assessment of your ability to complete graduate level work, your writing and critical thinking skills, and how you can contribute to our academic community; pick letter writers who can best address these qualities in you.
When requesting a letter of recommendation, you should give each referee a copy of your personal statement, resume and transcripts, as well as complete information as to where the letter should be submitted. Letters should be requested well in advance of the deadline to give your referee an adequate amount of time to prepare a recommendation. You can log in to our portal to check the status of your letters of recommendation. If you notice that one of your referees has not submitted their letter, follow up by contacting them to remind them that the deadline is approaching.
Your personal statement should include information about your academic and research background, your career objectives, and how joining our graduate program will help you achieve your career goals. A good statement tells a cohesive story about what you’ve done so far and where you’d like to go in the future. You may identify faculty member(s) that you would be interested in working with and explain why you would like to join his/her research group.
All applications are reviewed by the Graduate Admissions Committee and ranked based on prior academic work and research experience, letters of recommendation, and the personal statement. The committee uses the personal statement to assess writing ability and goodness of fit with potential mentors and the department.
For US applicants, the Fall application deadline is November 1 and the Spring application deadline is June 1. For international applicants, the deadlines are September 1 (Fall) and for April 1 (Spring). The graduate admissions committee typically meets within one month of these deadlines. Students should expect to hear within 2 months of the US application deadlines. Please note that while we accept applications for Spring, the vast majority of accepted students enter our program in the Fall semester. The next cohort will be accepted for the Fall 2025 semester.
Yes a graduate degree in kinesiology and physiology is considered to be STEM.
The Office of Graduate Admissions grants application fee waivers to the following groups only: active U.S. military and military veterans who plan to apply for educational benefits under the GI Bill, current Rutgers students and alumni, and participants in various scholar programs. Students are automatically reviewed for fee waiver eligibility based on the information they provide on their Rutgers graduate school application. We do not currently offer Program-Sponsored Application Fee Waivers. If you have questions about the waiver policy, please contact Graduate Admissions here: go.rutgers.edu/contactgrad.