Application for Admission
Application to M.H.A., M.P.H., M.S., and Ph.D. Degree Programs
Admission for 2010
Apply online to our M.P.H., M.H.A., M.S., and Ph.D. programs via SOPHAS (the centralized Schools of Public Health Application Service).
As an applicant, you create a SOPHAS account, complete and submit the application, and designate the University of Minnesota School of Public Health as one of your school choices along with your desired program. Applicants can select up to two program/departments, but only one degree for each program/department.
Our Student Services Center will notify you by e-mail once we receive your application from SOPHAS.
Application Deadlines
December 15 is the priority deadline for applications to all degree programs beginning in the subsequent fall term. Final deadlines vary by program and applications must be submitted and complete, including all required supporting documentation, by the final deadline for the program to which you are applying to be considered for admission.
While applicants must submit their SOPHAS application no later than 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on a particular deadline date, we encourage submission of a completed application and supporting documentation to SOPHAS at least two weeks prior to the stated deadlines to allow for any issues/problems that may arise.
Supporting Documentation Requirements
In addition to completing the SOPHAS application, you are also required to submit the following supporting documentation directly to SOPHAS:
- Statement of Purpose and Objectives — provide an essay describing your past education, experience, and current professional career objectives. You are encouraged to comment on any or all of the following: plans you have to use your education and training; the needs and/or challenges you perceive as important in your field of study; and any personal qualities, characteristics, and skills you believe will enable you to be successful in your chosen field of study.
- Résumé or Curriculum Vitae (C.V.)
- Official post-secondary transcripts from all U.S. institutions attended (must be sent directly from the institutions to SOPHAS). This includes previous study at the University of Minnesota.
- Three letters of recommendation from persons qualified to assess your academic work; clinical, public health, or professional experiences; or leadership potential in public health.
- GRE scores (use institution code 6891 to have scores sent directly to SOPHAS) Note: Other academic test scores or a waiver of test requirements may be substituted depending on the program.
Other academic test score options
International Applicants*
International applicants who have attended post-secondary institutions outside of the U.S. are also required to submit to SOPHAS:
- World Education Services (WES) evaluation of their foreign academic credentials. Based on special arrangements with SOPHAS, WES will deliver its credential evaluation report directly to SOPHAS by secure electronic transmission. This expedites the delivery of the evaluation report – as well as images of the applicant’s verified transcripts – to SOPHAS and allows SOPHAS to process the report most efficiently. Go to www.wes.org/sophas/ for more information.
- Official TOEFL or IELTS scores. To have English test results sent directly to SOPHAS, use TOEFL designation code 5688 or IELTS designation code SOPHAS.
TOEFL/IELTS waiver information
Note: International applicants should be sure to allow enough time for the processing of their application and receipt of the WES evaluation and TOEFL/IELTS scores in order to meet the appropriate application deadline.
Ph.D. Program Applicants – Additional Requirements
Application to our Degree Programs for current U of M graduate-level students
All current University of Minnesota graduate-level students must apply for a new School of Public Health degree program through SOPHAS with the following exception.
Current University of Minnesota M.P.H. students wishing to change to another M.P.H. program should not apply through SOPHAS but instead complete and submit a Change of Major Program application.
Application to Regents Certificate Programs
Applications to the Regents' Certificate in Public Health Core Concepts apply through SOPHAS — see instructions and requirements noted above.
Applications to all other Regents’ Certificate programs do not apply through SOPHAS.
Application Review and the Admissions Process
Each degree and certificate program has its own admissions committee composed of faculty members from that area of study. The committees review completed applications for evidence of the applicant’s intent and purpose in studying public health, past academic performance, program-specific academic potential, professional and life experience, English fluency (where required), and other factors such as an applicant’s compatibility with faculty expertise and program directions.
Selected applicants to the Master of Healthcare Administration (M.H.A.) program may also be invited for an interview.
This process may take up to six weeks in the peak application season of December/January. At other times, committees may make admission decisions more quickly. All applicants are notified via the Application Status website and by postal mail of the committee’s decision.
The University of Minnesota is committed to the policy that all persons shall have equal access to its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, or sexual orientation.
Admission Prerequisites and Preferences
Our students come from all academic areas: biology, English, social work, chemistry, art, business, statistics, history, psychology, etc. Some degrees may be preferred for specific majors. Some majors require work/volunteer experience and/or course prerequisites.
The prerequisites/preferences noted below are the minimum required for application to our School. Note that standardized test scores and GPAs listed are preferred minimum performance levels and provide competitive points of reference for admission, but are not alone decisive in the admissions review.
- Previous Post-Secondary Study – All applicants need to provide evidence of past academic performance achieved at a properly accredited institution of higher education in the form of an official transcript of a U.S. baccalaureate degree (or foreign equivalent); OR official transcript of a post-baccalaureate graduate or professional degree. Admission to certain programs requires a prior advanced degree in a related area.
- GRE Test Scores – a combination of 1000 on the quantitative and verbal sections of the test and a score of 3.5 on the analytical writing assessment. Some programs may have higher preferred minimums.
- Grade Point Average – a GPA of 3.0. Some programs may have a higher preferred minimum.
Prerequisites/Preferences by Program
* U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have studied at institutions outside the U.S. must also provide a WES evaluation of their foreign academic credentials. Note that U.S. applicants, who have studied abroad as part of their coursework at a U.S. university/college, do not need to provide a WES evaluation of their coursework taken abroad as long as the international coursework and grades are noted on their U.S. university/college transcript.
Last modified on Wednesday Jul 08, 2009