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Apply for the
Master of
Public Health

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the Brown School community

The Brown School welcomes students from a variety of academic backgrounds and considers each applicant holistically. Students entering the MPH program must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited college or university. Admissions and scholarship decisions are based primarily on a review of the following:

  • Your commitment to the mission of the Brown School and ability to introspectively articulate your reasons for pursuing a master’s degree in public health.
  • Your undergraduate GPA over the last 60 – 75 semester credit hours on transcripts provided at the time of application. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is preferred. NOTE: If applicable, an optional field in the Academic History section of the application provides the opportunity to describe any significant or extenuating circumstances that you would like to be considered in the review of your academic history.
  • Additional academic work you may have undertaken following completion of an undergraduate degree, if applicable.
  • Specialized training(s) relevant to the degree program you completed.
  • Your human service-related experience (paid, volunteer, research, and internship).
  • Your leadership experience and/or potential.
  • Your ability to think critically about issues related to the field of public health.
  • Recommendations received from academic and professional references.
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Application Timeline

The Brown School admits one class each year for the fall semester. Applications are accepted on a modified rolling basis; however, applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early. Please see our Admissions Timeline for important dates and deadlines.

  • Early Review Deadline – December 1
  • Priority Review Deadline – March 1

Application Requirements

Please review the following instructions carefully prior to beginning your application. The Brown School promotes a self-managed application process; it is your responsibility to monitor the status of your application and ensure the timely submission of all required materials.

The application for the Brown School’s Master of Public Health program must be completed through the Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) – the centralized application service for public health. You must designate your chosen MPH program under Washington University in St. Louis – Brown School Public Health Programs within the SOPHAS program finder.

Please review the SOPHAS Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and refer to them throughout the application process. It is your responsibility to monitor the status of your application in the SOPHAS portal.

Important Note: Once your application is in “Complete” status in SOPHAS, the SOPHAS verification process can take up to two weeks to complete. Please submit all materials well in advance of deadlines to allow ample time for the verification process. Guidance on monitoring the status of your SOPHAS application can be found here.

Upon submitting your SOPHAS application, you will receive an email with instructions for creating an account in the Washington University Graduate Admissions Portal to complete additional required components of your MPH application. Your application will be considered fully complete and placed under review once your SOPHAS application is in “Verified” status and all MPH application requirements are met.

Transcripts
Personal
Statement
Resume
or CV
Video
Interview
Letters of
Recommendation
SOPHAS
Application Fee
Scholarship
Form
Standardized
Testing
Human
Biology
Prerequisite

Applicants are required to demonstrate successful completion of a bachelor’s degree (or degree in-progress*) from a regionally accredited college or university.

Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended must be submitted directly to SOPHAS. Carefully review the instructions for sending official transcripts to SOPHAS and allow ample time for processing and verification of your transcripts.

*In-Progress transcripts: If you have not yet completed your bachelor’s degree or equivalent at the time of application, please submit official transcripts showing the work you have completed to date directly to SOPHAS. Any offer of admission is contingent upon the successful completion of your degree. Admitted students are required to provide a final official transcript directly to the Brown School upon conferral of the undergraduate degree.

Transcript Entry: SOPHAS requires that applicants report all courses taken in the Academic History: Transcript Entry section of the SOPHAS application. Applicants who do not wish to enter coursework manually may opt for Professional Transcript Entry Service (PTE) for an additional fee. Note that planned, in progress, or foreign coursework is not eligible for PTE and must be entered by the applicant.

Foreign Transcripts: Applicants earning a degree outside of the United States or English-speaking Canada must provide a certified foreign credential evaluation.  Applicants may provide the WES ICAP evaluation directly through SOPHAS or utilize another NACES member organization to submit the evaluation directly to the Brown School. Brown School applicants are eligible to receive a discounted rate and expedited services with our preferred evaluation partner, SpanTran: TEC.

Do not send foreign transcripts to SOPHAS, even if translated or printed in English. Additional information about the foreign credential evaluation requirement can be found on the International Applicant page.

Provide a personal statement that describes your interest in public health and demonstrates your understanding of public health concepts. Your essay should be two (2) pages single-spaced and should include the following:

  • Significant factors influencing your decision to pursue a Master of Public Health degree.
  • Relevant leadership experiences that will contribute to your overall success as a graduate student and in the public health profession.
  • Career goals and commitment to public health.
  • Specific reasons the Brown School is a good fit for your educational and professional goals.

Upload to the Program Materials: Documents section of your SOPHAS application.

In addition to completing the ‘Experience’ and ‘Achievements’ sections of the SOPHAS application, you must provide a comprehensive resume or curriculum vitae highlighting your experiences, skills, awards, and accomplishments.

Upload to the Supporting Information: Documents section of your SOPHAS application.

The Brown School requires applicants to complete a brief video interview. You will access the interview through a personalized link to our video interview platform, Kira Talent. The link will be available in your Washington University Graduate Admissions portal once you submit your SOPHAS application. Learn more about the interview process here.

Two (2) letters of recommendation from professional and/or academic colleagues are required by the Brown School. Please note that SOPHAS requires applicants to request a minimum of three (3) recommendations to submit the SOPHAS application.

Carefully review the instructions for requesting recommendations in SOPHAS and allow ample time for recommendations to be received. Recommendations must be submitted through SOPHAS. Please monitor the submission of your recommendations in SOPHAS to ensure they are received by the stated application deadline.

The SOPHAS application fee is $150 for the first program you apply to and $60 for each additional program. The Brown School does not require an additional supplemental fee.

Applicants may wish to review the SOPHAS Fee Assistance Program to determine their eligibility for a financial- or service-based fee waiver. The Brown School does not provide SOPHAS application fee waivers.

The Brown School offers a range of partial-tuition scholarships to assist students with funding their graduate degree.

Students wishing to be considered for scholarship must complete the Brown School Scholarship Consideration form within their Washington University Graduate Admissions portal after submitting their SOPHAS application.

The Brown School does not require a graduate entrance exam, such as the Graduate Record Exam (GRE), for admission to the MPH program.

International students are required to provide official English language proficiency test scores. Additional information about the language proficiency requirements can be found on the International Applicant page.

Students admitted to the Master of Public Health program must satisfy a human biology course prerequisite. To meet this requirement, applicants must receive a grade of “B” or higher in a college-level human biology course. Admitted students who have not met the prerequisite will receive options for completing the requirement prior to the end of the first academic year in the MPH program.

In addition to the requirements listed above, please refer to additional application instructions for the following specific groups:

MPH Dual Degree Seeking Applicants

Working in partnership with other schools and programs at Washington University in St. Louis, the Brown School offers structured dual degree programs that allow you to earn a Master of Public Health degree in combination with another graduate degree in a variety of disciplines, including social work, business administration, law, architecture, occupational therapy, medicine* and anthropology*.

Separate applications are required for each program and are reviewed independently according to each program’s unique admissions criteria.

Applicants must complete the MPH application and apply separately to the other program through the appropriate Washington University School:

*The MPH/MD dual degree is available only to current third-year medical students at Washington University’s School of Medicine, and the MPH/PhD in Anthropology dual degree is available only to current doctoral students in Washington University’s Department of Anthropology doctoral program.

MPH Graduate Credit Transfer Applicants

The Brown School welcomes applications from students wishing to transfer from another graduate institution, subject to our policies for credit earned prior to enrollment.

Eligibility Requirements:

Master of Public Health program applicants who have completed graduate-level coursework in a public health school or program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) may request to have previous coursework evaluated to transfer a maximum of 9 credit hours towards MPH program requirements.

Courses are evaluated independently, and must meet the following criteria to be considered for transfer credit:

  • Course must have been taken at the graduate-level in a CEPH accredited public health school or program; courses taken in a school or program that is not CEPH accredited are not eligible for transfer credit.
  • Course must have been campus-based or taken online directly through a school or program; online courses taken through online platforms that partner with schools or programs are not eligible.
  • Course must have been taken within six years prior to matriculation at the Brown School.
  • Course must not have been used towards completion of another graduate degree.
  • Student must have received a minimum course grade of “B” (3.0 on a 4.0 scale; official transcript required).
  • Student must be able to provide a copy of the course description and course syllabus.
  • Academic credit will not be offered for life or work experiences.

Meeting eligibility requirements does not guarantee transfer credit will be granted.

Transfer of Credits:

Applicants interested in receiving graduate transfer credit must contact our office once their application is submitted to initiate the transfer credit evaluation process. Instructions for completing the MPH Transfer Credit Request form will be provided.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to request transfer credit evaluation by submitting the MPH Transfer Credit Request form and all supporting documents as early as possible in their admissions process. Requests for credit evaluation will not be accepted after September 1 of the first term in which a student matriculates. Incomplete submissions will not be evaluated.

Courses are evaluated in conjunction with the MPH Program Office. Applicants will be notified of evaluation results via email from the Brown School Registrar within two to three weeks of submission.

3-2 MPH Program Applicants

The 3-2 MPH program application is available exclusively to current Washington University undergraduate students in their junior year of study in the College of Arts & Sciences. The program allows students to earn their bachelor’s degree and a graduate degree in public health in five years.

Applicants must be on track to complete all their undergraduate distribution and major requirements by the end of their junior year, with elective credits available to be applied toward MPH course credit during their senior year (first year of the MPH program).

Additional information about the 3-2 MPH program and eligibility requirements can be found here.

Special Instructions for 3-2 MPH Applicants

In addition to carefully reviewing the MPH application requirements, 3-2 MPH applicants must take note of the following instructions:

  • Washington University undergraduate students must apply to the 3-2 MPH program through SOPHAS – the centralized application service for public health.
  • 3-2 applicants may contact the Brown School Office of Admissions & Recruitment to request SOPHAS application fee assistance.
  • Select Public Health 3-2 Program under Washington University in St. Louis – Brown School Public Health Programs within the SOPHAS program finder.
  • A link to initiate the Brown School 3-2 Program Eligibility Form through DocuSign will be available in the Program Materials: Questions section of the SOPHAS application.
  • 3-2 applicants are responsible for initiating the DocuSign eligibility form during the application process; the form must be completed and signed electronically by your undergraduate advisor(s) and Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences to confirm your eligibility for the 3-2 program and complete your application.
  • 3-2 applicants should apply early in the spring of their junior year so that fall coursework can be considered; the application should be submitted by March 1 of junior year.
  • Official transcripts reflecting junior year fall grades must be submitted directly to SOPHAS. You will enter your academic information in the Academic History: Colleges Attended section of the SOPHAS application and follow the prompts to order your official transcript.